Virtuosity in a Box: The Taubman Techniques, Lectures 1-10 [Repost]

Presentations By Edna Golandsky
Master Classes By Dorothy Taubman

Note: All demonstrations are conducted on the piano. It is recommended that pianists study volumes 1-10 and other musicians study volumes 1-5.


Volume 1: Introductory Principles and Concepts

Principles of coordinate movement

Mechanics of the piano

The leverage system

The muscles involved in piano playing

Finger movements analyzed

How to determine height of bench

Cause of injuries

An evaluation of exercises

Master class: Liszt Sonetto del Petrarca #104



Volume 2: Forearm Rotation

Why "forearm rotation" for finger work, speed

Double rotation and single rotation

Use of the thumb in the Taubman Technique

Forearm rotation in scales, chords, arpeggios, repeated notes, double thirds

Working with the injured pianist

Tobias Matthay and forearm rotation



Volume 3: In-and-Out Arm Movements

In-and-Out Arm Movements

Backward and Forward Shifts

-for different finger lengths

-from white to black key area, vice versa

Forearm rotation combined with in & out arm movements

Scales & arpeggios

Solution for wide fingers in black key area

Double note tremolos



Volume 4: The Walking Arm & Hand Movements

Lateral and vertical forearm adjustment

Synchronization of fingers, hand and forearm

Forearm and hand weight for chords

Legato chords and intervals

Negotiating distances

Combining walking arm with rotation

Broken octaves

Alternating from double intervals or chords to single notes



Volume 5: Shaping and Octaves

Shaping to combine all movements via curvilinear motion

Technical and interpretive aspects of shaping

Handling chords, intervals, legato and dynamics

Rotation and octaves

Free fall and rebound of forearm

Legato and speed in octaves

Master Class Excerpt: Schubert, A Major Posthumous Sonata



Volume 6: Grouping

How principles of grouping can help organize passages for ease of execution

Grouping to avoid stretching

Grouping for different densities of notes

Grouping to facilitate changes of direction

Grouping to facilitate leaps with complex metric designs

Grouping for long running passages

Master Class: Dorothy Taubman



Volume 7: Leaps

How to play leaps that don't miss

Legato leaps

Staccato leaps

Minimizing the distance of a leap

When both hands must leap at the same time

Repeated leaps

Master Class: Dorothy Taubman



Volume 8: Interdependence

Interdependence vs. Independence of the hands

Pitfalls of practicing the hands separately

Vertical learning and horizontal learning

Interdependence of Rotation, In & Out movements and Shaping

Alternating hands

Security in complex metric designs

Timing broken chords and ornaments

Playing legato in one hand and staccato in the other

Memorization:

-Different components involved in memorizing

-Causes for memory slips

-Explanation and instructions for security in memorizing



Volume 9: Fingering

What is a good fingering and why

Fingering to place you at the best advantage for fluent execution of passage

How to avoid fingering that causes stretching, twisting, or crowding

When and why to redistribute a passage between the two hands

Avoiding the pitfalls of some traditional dogmas

Master Class: Dorothy Taubman



Volume 10: Tone, Legato, and Enslavement to Notation

Uses and misuses of legato

Does physical legato always lead to musical legato?

how to make octaves, chords, and stretchy passages that cannot be physically connected sound connected

Role of shaping and pedaling in legato playing

Physical components of ton production

Interpreting the score to realize the composer's intention

How musical results depend on technical means

Master Class: Dorothy Taubman