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You should correct the basic fallacy of your premise; the fingers do not contain muscles.
Actually they do. There are these little things called lumbricals and interossei that are considered to be muscles, although tiny ones.
My main problem about the idea of 'developing' the hand muscles is that it's not necessary for anything about playing the piano, at any level, and I'm not sure it occurs with any kind or amount of practice.
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Moreover, there are women who are members here; I am not sure that they appreciate being called "guys."
We've got another linguistic thing of sorts here. In many circles, casual usage of "guys" has come to be gender-free, meaning any general or unknown group of people who are being addressed. By the way, not the singular, "guy"; just guys.
I think it is pretty recent for this to be very common, like maybe just the last decade. BUT, I remember my college piano teacher using it at a get-together of his students -- a greater number of years ago than I want to say -- addressing the whole group of us, which was about half female. I was stunned -- so stunned that I found myself answering in Elizabethan: "Art thou blind?"
But I have to admit that I've adopted it myself, even when addressing a group that is entirely female, although when I do that, I do it with a silly smile that conveys how ridiculous it is. It looks a little like this:
So, why do I do it? I think for the same reason anybody else does it: It's a casual and relaxed usage. At least when not misunderstood.
BTW, Bruce -- not that this necessarily affects what you said, but.....do you realize that 'piano friend' is (I think) a female? I think you might have assumed it was a he. (I would have, if I didn't know.)
"You guys" is the plural form of "you" in informal, spoken English.
Yes -- I hadn't thought of it that way, but I guess so.
What I usually say is "y'all." It's still somewhat frowned-on and isn't considered good 'standard English,' but, we need a word like that. Very often, just saying "you" doesn't distinguish well enough between singular and plural, and I find it especially uncomfortable in situations when it's the plural but might be seen as directed at one particular person.
It is simply a flaw of standard English -- no doubt about it -- and I find it surprising that this has been left unaddressed in any formal way for so long.
O.K., fine, CA. But what do youse guys in Australia do to pluralize the plural? Is there a map for that, two? I mean, too? And if not (which is o.k. I mean, linguists can do only so much in a day) can you provide us some real world examples of pluralized Australian youse? I mean, "Ewes"? Wait! i don't mean "ewes." I mean, "you's"? No, wait! I means, "use." Of "yous." Oh! NEVERMIND!!!
....My main problem about the idea of 'developing' the hand muscles is that it's not necessary for anything about playing the piano, at any level, and I'm not sure it occurs with any kind or amount of practice.
Actually I originally said 'strengthening' (not 'developing') because I assumed that was what you meant, but I realized maybe it wasn't, so I changed it to the word you used. And in fact, I realized I wasn't sure at all what you meant. So, I went and watched the video, which I figured wouldn't hurt any.
I think there are a couple of issues about it. First of all I found myself unable to watch it straight through, because, it seems, you didn't prepare for it very well. It rambles quite a bit, it is fairly disorganized, and we don't realize for quite some time what this is going to be about, i.e. what you really mean by "developing finger muscles." I think it is hard for most listeners to be patient with that kind of thing; anyway I couldn't be, so I skimmed through it a bit. (I did watch and listen to most of it.) Pretty soon I gathered that you don't mean what I originally assumed, which was strengthening the muscles. And to tell the truth, I never did get exactly what you mean, maybe because I took the title too seriously and to a large extent I was looking for anything about "developing finger muscles." Maybe I would have been better off forgetting about the title and just listening. As best I could tell, what you're talking about is simply how to use the hand to best advantage, and you are giving a conceptual-and-physical way that you think will work. (Right?) If so, I don't see what that has to do with "developing finger muscles."
If you are looking for feedback and advice, rather than just wishing to publicize your videos, I would suggest that you change the title to something more representative, and that you consider re-doing the video with a more organized presentation.
Originally Posted by https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PLm5WQleMU0B07FTfj2Pgx3MzEp9VpI4Mn&v=q5HnC3auAwc&app=desktop
Around 8:20
While I singing [singing with increasing pitch and pressing key with LH finger 4]... this resistance ... would somehow affect the muscle of my finger in my palm ... so it will ... follow my intonation
What?
pressing the key won't affect the strings anymore since the key already released, unless maybe the piano is bending under that pressure? or is she talking about telekinesis or so? I think the muscles she needs for pressing that key are mostly in her lower arm, not in her palm
Originally Posted by https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PLm5WQleMU0B07FTfj2Pgx3MzEp9VpI4Mn&v=q5HnC3auAwc&app=desktop
Around 8:20
While I singing [singing with increasing pitch and pressing key with LH finger 4]... this resistance ... would somehow affect the muscle of my finger in my palm ... so it will ... follow my intonation
What?
pressing the key won't affect the strings anymore since the key already released, unless maybe the piano is bending under that pressure? or is she talking about telekinesis or so? I think the muscles she needs for pressing that key are mostly in her lower arm, not in her palm
That's exactly the portion that I thought came closest to fitting the title, and I also didn't think it told anything about "developing finger muscles."
I'm pretty sure she doesn't mean that it affects the strings. I wouldn't say she meant "telekinesis" either but I suppose that's closer. I think she means (as I said above) that this is a conceptual and physical way of translating or transferring your inner feeling to the way that you strike the key. But:
-- It's not clear what she does mean.
-- Whatever she means, it's questionable whether it really helps, or how it might help.
-- It seems to have nothing to do with the title.
Also, I think we have to say, it sounds kinda weird -- which doesn't mean it doesn't help. Some weird-sounding things can be helpful to some people. But I think weird-sounding things aren't likely to be good general guidelines.
Mark, I have just logged in and read your feedback, thank you!
The conception of developing muscles in the palm of the hand is about how we can control sensations inside our hands by singing and imagination. We can copy some movements, but yet would feel differently. So I am explaining how to find right sensations that would be aligned witht the piece you r playing, and that would benefit technique and your musical expression (how clearly you can convey ur ideas through playing).
Hmm, I really don't know how else I could name that video, but maybe you r right that by 'developing finger muscles' people would expect to see something different. Anyways, the title of the video is 'How imagination and singing affect finger muscles' so that's not exactly about developing muscle ahahah
Yes, that might be questionable for some people if they can trust that new method, at the same time I have my own experience and students who trust it and thank me for the progress. I think that's not a new story, coz every method has it's followers as well as people who would reject it for some reasons.
While I singing [singing with increasing pitch and pressing key with LH finger 4]... this resistance ... would somehow affect the muscle of my finger in my palm ... so it will ... follow my intonation
What?
pressing the key won't affect the strings anymore since the key already released, unless maybe the piano is bending under that pressure? or is she talking about telekinesis or so? I think the muscles she needs for pressing that key are mostly in her lower arm, not in her palm
That's exactly the portion that I thought came closest to fitting the title, and I also didn't think it told anything about "developing finger muscles."
I'm pretty sure she doesn't mean that it affects the strings. I wouldn't say she meant "telekinesis" either but I suppose that's closer. I think she means (as I said above) that this is a conceptual and physical way of translating or transferring your inner feeling to the way that you strike the key. But:
-- It's not clear what she does mean.
-- Whatever she means, it's questionable whether it really helps, or how it might help.
(Just to clarify: The formatting of the above post is a little confusing about who posted each thing. The stuff that seems to be mine is actually by wouter, and what looks like the first portion of Miguel's post is what I replied to him.)
Maybe, but it's hard to know. In any event, I think the material in the link that you posted is very very good, and very well said. It covers just about everything imaginable about this complex subject, and unusually clearly.
I would think muscles in the arm and back would be much worth developing. Fingers just have to be controlled and quick (more of a mental thing than a physical one...anyone can move their fingers fast). That being said, the video seems to focus more on anticipatory hearing, which is the most important thing in technique/music IMHO. Who cares if your fingers are "strong" if you can't control them?
(Just to clarify: The formatting of the above post is a little confusing about who posted each thing. The stuff that seems to be mine is actually by wouter, and what looks like the first portion of Miguel's post is what I replied to him.)
Maybe, but it's hard to know. In any event, I think the material in the link that you posted is very very good, and very well said. It covers just about everything imaginable about this complex subject, and unusually clearly.
This article was actually written by mr. Graham as a respond to a discussion in my FB group about if we can change the tone and technique by imagination. Some people would say that the tone cannot be changed by intention, coz it's just a string and a hammer, and there can be only a few types of tone based on the level of dynamics.