Presenting a new, comprehensive and highly original approach to piano technique with a fascinating series of exercises to help the reader put this approach into practice, this guide uses numerous musical examples and sketches to show how many common movement habits at the keyboard are counterproductive. Fraser provides a new way of manipulating the skeletal frame of the hand to produce astonishing sonic results from the instrument.

The Craft of Piano Playing presents a new, comprehensive and highly original approach to piano technique with a fascinating series of exercises designed to help the reader put this approach into practice. Alan Fraser has combined his extensive concert and pedagogical experience, his long-standing collaboration with the virtuoso Kemal Gekich, and his professional training in Feldenkrais Method to create this innovative technique. Using numerous musical examples and sketches he shows how many common movement habits at the keyboard can be counterproductive, and provides a new way of manipulating the skeletal frame of the hand to produce astonishing sonic results from the instrument.

This book suggests that in the light of new insights into the physics of human movement, a further development of piano technique is now possible, and that improved physical ability can free musical individuality to express itself more fully. The series of movement exercises presented activates the physical functions necessary to the pianist, helping both students who need remedial work in basic strength at the keyboard, and those who seek a new dimension of musical understanding and a new path for the development of pianist skills - thus synthesizing musical and physical issues. This approach can also serve as an effective antidote to debilitating performance anxiety, increasing one's emotional security by improving the physical and musical basis for it. By filling in a missing link between intention and physical execution, this book truly aims to advance the "craft of piano playing."

Visit Alan Fraser's web site at alanfraser.faithweb.com/

Chapter 1 Illustrations
Chapter 2 Musical Examples
Chapter 3 Applications
Chapter 4 Acknowledgments
Part 5SECTION I — THE FOREGROUND: PIANISTIC PROBLEMS IN MUSICAL CRAFT
Chapter 6 Part I — Getting Started
Chapter 7 Part II — General principles of Movement at the Piano
Chapter 8 Part III — Hand Strength and Function A: Perfecting Legato
Chapter 9 Part IV — Hand Strength and Function B: The Special Role of the Thumb and Its Relationship to the Forefinger
Chapter 10 Part V — Hand Strength and Function C: Octaves to Synthesize Hand and Arm Function
Chapter 11 Part VI — Hand Strength and Function D: Maximal Articulation of the Fingers
Chapter 12 Part VII — Above the Hand: The Role of the Wrist and Arm in Legato
Chapter 13 Part VIII — Rotation
Chapter 14 Part IX — Natural Finger Shape
Chapter 15 Part X — Some Other Touch Strategies and Combinations
Part 16SECTION II — THE MIDDLEGROUND: SOME GENERAL ASPECTS OF MUSICAL CRAFT
Chapter 17 Part XI — Rhythm
Chapter 18 Part XII — Phrasing
Chapter 19 Part XIII — Orchestration
Part 20SECTION III — THE BACKGROUND: TELL A STORY
Chapter 21 Part XIV — Emotional Content
Chapter 22 Part XV — A Few Last Thoughts
Chapter 23 Appendixes
Chapter 24 Bibliography
Chapter 25 Index
Chapter 26 About the Author