Fundamentals of Piano Technique - The Russian Method

116 Pages·2016·27.47 MB·English

by  Olga Conus

BY LEON CONUS AND OLGA CONUS
NEWLY REVISED BY JAMES AND SUSAN McKEEVER
Book Design by Charylu Roberts, O. Ruby Productions
Photography by Alyssa Nepper
ISBN 978-1-4950-8934-3
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Foreword to the First Edition

Leon Conus
I
dedicate this work of my long life to advanced pupils and aspiring teachers.
The exercises given here are the result of careful thought and experiment during
the many years which I have spent teaching. In order to facilitate study and
systematize the contents, I have divided the exercises into seven categories, first
according to their classification, and second according to technical difficulty.
Each of these series has a special aim or purpose: The extension exercises are
designed to facilitate stretches, loosen the hand, strengthen the fingers, and give
them independence.
The five-finger exercises are designed to develop agility, strength, and
independence.
The thumb must be specially trained, for its responsibility in piano playing is
very great insofar as skillfulness in changing positions and maintaining legato
are concerned.
The trill is the best exercise of all for equalizing the fingers and for acquiring the
“jeu perle” (pearl-like playing).
The usefulness of scales and arpeggios is universally recognized, and their
preponderant role in most piano pieces is excellent proof of the wisdom of
working at them regularly.
Good double notes are among the most outstanding accomplishments of the
virtuoso, and steady practice of them is required.
An agile, mobile, and supple wrist is the key which opens all doors and helps to
conquer technical difficulties.
Three basic human faculties must be employed and developed if one is to attain
proficiency of technique: willpower, mental and muscular coordination, and
consciousness in the fingers. I consider the possession of these three faculties
as a necessary foundation for all successful technical study. To obtain the best
result in practicing exercises, one must vary the method of work. This can be
accomplished by the following:
1. Play all exercises at different speeds and in different keys.
2. Use different touches and nuances.
3. Change all exercises by utilizing various rhythms and by displacing the
accent.
4. Invert different figures in addition to the ones given.
5. Memorize all exercises.
To conclude, I should like to express my conviction that even the musical
genius, possessed of inspiration, intuition, and all the other gifts of nature, still
can have no real success unless at the same time he possesses a knowledge of
how to work and a love of the work itself. This also appears to be a divine gift,
for without this, there would have been no great men—neither scholars, nor
poets, nor painters, nor architects—and certainly no great composers or
interpreters.
—Leon Conus
Contents
About Leon Conus
Preface
Introduction
I. Preparatory Exercises
Basic Movements
Wrist Exercises
Five-Finger Exercises
Thumb Movement and Scale Preparation
Arpeggio Preparation and Wrist Flexibility
Elastic Hand
II. Extension Exercises
III. Five-Finger Exercises
IV. Flexibility of the Thumb
V. Trill Exercises
VI. Scales & Arpeggios
VII. Wrist Development
VIII. Double Notes
Acknowledgments
Madame Conus
About Leon Conus

Leon Conus, Nikita Morozov (standing), Anton Arensky, Sergei Rachmaninoff
D
uring his long life, Leon Conus was regarded as one of the best pedagogues
in Russia. He came from a musical French family who settled in Moscow, where
the author was born in 1871. He received his earlier education from his father
and later the Moscow Imperial Conservatory, where his associates as pupils were
Rachmaninoff, Scriabin, Medtner, and Lhevinne. Upon graduating, he devoted
his time to teaching—for several years at the Imperial Conservatory of Moscow
and later in Paris, at the Ecole Normale de Musique. In 1924 he helped found
and establish the Russian Conservatory in Paris, where he became the vice
president of the institution. Leon Conus moved to the United States in 1936.
Here he became Professor of Piano at the Cincinnati College of Music, until his
death on January 18, 1944. Olga Conus then assumed the responsibility of his
classes, carrying on his principles of pedagogy.
Preface
F
undamentals of Piano Technique was developed by the Conuses during
many decades of teaching and performing, and through association with the most
prominent Russian musicians of the time, including Rachmaninoff, Scriabin, and
Medtner. The exercises are concise and efficient— you will not find endless
pages of repeated patterns. They concentrate on the keys of good playing:
control, touch, nuance, and musicianship. The exercises were first published
after Leon’s death, but with very little explanation of how to practice them.
Correct performance is essential to insure the most benefit from the exercises.
The Conuses’ students learned the method during their lessons; this volume adds
the descriptions and illustrations necessary for the exercises to be used
effectively by all students.
One of the unique features of this book is that it can be used by students at all
levels of development and by students with all shapes and sizes of hands. The
preparatory exercises enable students to begin using this book within their first
year of lessons. They are designed for younger students and those with smaller
and less developed hands. The exercises do not need to be practiced in the order
presented; however, they are organized in general order of difficulty within each
section. One exercise from each of several sections should be practiced
concurrently. For example—a wrist exercise, a five-finger exercise, and one for
passage of the thumb could be practiced each day. This of course is to be tailored
to the needs of each student.
It is important to develop the strength and flexibility of the hand gradually and
systematically, without creating dangerous tension or muscle damage. Exercises
with wide patterns may strain the hand slightly, but should never cause constant
pain. If this is the case, adjust the size of the pattern accordingly or delay study
of the particular exercise. Use every opportunity to relax the hand after a large
stretch.
—James McKeever
Introduction
T
he Russian Method emphasizes musicianship. Rather than long, monotonous,
and repetitious patterns, the exercises in this volume deal with touch, tone, and
nuance. Physical movements are closely related to musical concepts such as a
two-note slur ( ), which usually requires a down-up wrist movement. The
proper use of the entire playing mechanism leads to relaxed, fluent, musical
playing.
Note: Throughout this book, arrows are used to indicate the direction of wrist
movement.
For example: down L up K side and up
Relaxation
Tension and relaxation are relative. The goal of good playing is to allow only the
tension necessary to satisfy the musical requirements of a passage. This is
accomplished by developing the strength and independence of the various
muscles and careful attention to the mechanism while playing. Any muscles not
in use should be relaxed.
Position at the Keyboard
To find a comfortable position at the keyboard, drop your arms freely at your
sides, with shoulders completely relaxed. Lift your wrists to the keyboard,
keeping shoulders and arms relaxed. The weight of the arms should be supported
on the keys by your fingers. The arms should hang freely, with the elbows
completely relaxed. The elbow never moves independently; it merely follows the
hand and wrist.
Examples 1a and 1b: Fingers should be curved, with hand and forearm level.
Large chords and extensions require the fingers to be more extended than
normal, so the hand position will be flatter.
It is very beneficial to practice wrist and other exercises and passages from the
literature with the forearm lower than the wrist and hand. This makes it much
easier to feel the arm weight into the keys and to relax the fingers deeply into the
keys.
Elastic Hand
The hand should be relaxed at every opportunity to conserve energy and prepare
to move to the next required position. Once a chord has been struck, continued
tension has absolutely no effect on the sound produced!
Example 2a and 2b: The hand is extended for a chord, then resumes a normal
position.
Even when a chord is sustained according to the musical requirements, much of
the tension can be released. Maintain only enough tension to hold the keys
down.
Wrist Movements
The proper use of the wrist is essential in developing a fluent technique. The
basic wrist movements are described and illustrated below. In a musical
composition they are frequently used in combination.
Down-up
The basic playing impulse is into the keys with the fingers close to the keys and
the wrist relaxed. The down wrist motion uses the weight of the arm into the
keys to produce a full, secure tone. In practicing the basic K L in wrist
exercises, exaggerate the size of the movement to master the movement and help
feel the arm weight. Gradually the movement is refined, until it is barely
noticeable.