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Any tips on how to play softly. I have a tendency to strike the keys hard. If I try to hit them softly, they don't always sound.

To play softly you must not gently tap the key but slowly lower the key, continuing through the keyboard as if the moment of attack didn't exist. Once this is "mastered" you'll be able to play notes that are barely audible.

It shouldn't be a question of striking the keys, but depressing them, and when doing so, they must go all the way to the bottom. Trying to play softly by playing on the surface of the keys and striking them lightly results in some of them not souding at all and - more importantly - results in your having no control over the sound you are creating.

One's ability to play softly is sometimes limited by the action of a poorly regulated piano, but a pianist with poor technique and poor tonal control usually cannot play very softly on a piano with a good, well-regulated action. I have always felt that one of the tests of the action of a "good" piano is my ability to completely control the dynamics and to play very softly without having to resort to any "tricks" or without having to use the una corda pedal.

Regards,

Originally posted by BruceD:
I have always felt that one of the tests of the action of a "good" piano is my ability to completely control the dynamics and to play very softly without having to resort to any "tricks"


What sort of tricks do you mean?

Mary

The action plays an important role as Bruce wrote. Not only question of bad regulation. Well designed instrumnets are nice to play pianissiimo (and fortissimo) on.

Normal basic teqnique required anyhow.

Here's some advice given to me by my mentor and teacher at the Royal College of Music. "Playing softly is the controlling of ones strength". It's a paraphrase, but it generally means that you must have strength and dexterity in order to play softly. You need to practice playing deeply and slowly into the keys, with a full tone. Good luck.

Besides good regulation, I find pianos with longer keys (the longest grands) to be easier to play softly.

Any kind of exercises you would recommend for playing lightly? for me the problem really arises when I must play light and fast. For instance the quick little runs at the end of Chopin's Nocturne in C#m.

Great post Bruce.

Yeah, I was basically going to say the same thing but Bruce beat me to it.

Peyton:
I would play it loudly on purpose (working on a small section at a time if you are required ot play softly for a long time), then repeat it with the same energy, but a lighter, slower touch. Keeping fingers closer to the keys may help as well.