Hello all!
I wanted to open up a topic on an observation I had at a George Winston concert. In truth I went to see George primarily to study his technique, since his tone on his CDs is so pure and in control. I was happy to note that he had a definite plan of "attack" of his Steinway, using arm weight and motions much like classical players. Of course some of his motions were different than classical and I found this interesting too. They were totally effective though, just using certain angles of motion that I hadn't seen before or thought to try. Would anybody agree that this is one of the secrets of his success?

I would agree that his mastery of attack is one of the elements that makes his performance so dynamic but they are just his way of performing those attacks. Classical players tend to lock their fingers and thrust down on the keys by bending from their elbows. George is more wrist and finger. I love the way he just points his index finger downward and "pokes" at the key - what a loud sound that results in!! I've adopted that style into my own playing. I've also seen him sort of lay his pinky finger on the key and then drop his arm toward the floor to achieve a slightly softer attack. Very cool!

He is a master and my mentor!

I watched a couple of numbers on youtube - although it is a totally different sort of music - his playing put in me in mind of the "loud-Soft" players like this great guy Charlie Kunz
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgZW-U-8v7U
(Charlie has both a more conventional technique - and dress style:-)

That's stride piano. George Winston hasn't written anything in that style but he can play the HECK out of it!!

The stuff on YouTube of George's is from his Seasons DVD. Check out Rain or Blossom/Meadow for good examples of his own compositions.

Just happened to stop by in a forum I don't post in- but was absolutely enchanted by the Charlie Kunz video. What delectably elegant playing! And what a spiffy dresser!

There used to be an entire CD of his (with a band and singers) from some UK outfit, but it seems to have disappeared from the catalogue. Would love to locate it.

I personally am 100% against using arm
weight when playing. I advocate the
old "coin-on-the-back-of-the-hand" style
of playing that was taught in the 17th to
19th centuries (before you start ridiculing
this, remember that Bach, Chopin,
Liszt, Rachmaninoff, etc. all learned
to play this way). This old way is hard work, and
today people want to feel good, so they
take the easy way out and use arm and body
weight to aid the fingers in playing, which
makes playing easier in the short term, but
this way you never develop real finger strength,
and this eventually causes big problems with
your playing, among other things, insipid, modern,
everyone-sounds-the-same kind of playing.

As you probably know.. 70 years ago ('ish) some stride players sought to perfect their technique by putting a coin on the back of their left hand... and keeping it there as they played..
Personally I am doing well.. superglue is wonderful!

HA!

I don't know about the "arm weight" method but I assume Winston is not too conscious about how he plays. I think he's more interested in the sound he's getting from the piano and adjusts technique to achieve that sound.

My 2 cents.

Edward Weiss
http://www.quiescencemusic.com

I had a chance to meet Winston and talk to him a bit. In much of his music, he says he feels like he's playing a gamelan instead of a piano, treating it like a percussion instrument. Watching him up close, I got the feeling he uses his arms and fingers like semi-flexible drumsticks much of the time. He often uses a flat finger technique that relies very much on arm motion.

Regarding Winston, there is one thing I'm certain of - if anything, his technique is rough around the edges and works against him. His sound is 2% technique, 98% ear. And he has a GREAT ear. I wish I had half the ears he has.

And regarding Winston, I'm sure he cries all the way to the bank. His is not my favoured style of so-called "new age" piano playing -I prefer Jim Brickman- but there's nonetheless much to admire. His liner notes for a Fats Waller CD a few years ago demonstrated an incredible grasp of what makes Waller so great. Hats off, Mr. Winston for that.

And yet... technically, he leaves a bit to be desired. Since a young boy I have known -and loved- A Charlie Brown Christmas (it's up there with King's College!). But George Winston a few years back did a cover of the original Guaraldi recordings.

It was rather a painful listen. The tune Skating, with its right hand thirds, sounded magical and effortless under Vince Guaraldi's fleet fingers... but that sorely tested Winston's technique. It was roughly equivalent to a classical pianist attempting the Beethoven Op. 111 with sloppy, uneven trills.

Would you walk with a coin on your foot?

Yes.. if you are sure it will improve my playing..

Certainly won't do much for your walking.