W.

Stefan Kutrzeba
(Parkano, Finland)

TOUCH "The Zone" or - THE CHOPIN'S "M ้

t h o d e"
IN THE SURPRISINGLY NEW
PERSPECTIVE.

Introduction

"By birth a citizen of Warsaw, a Pole at hearth, still thanks to his

genius - citizen of the World". This is how C.K.Norwid, a poet, wrote
of Fr้d้ric Chopin, whose music is enjoyed, played and heard world
wide constantly with a great love since more than 150 years. His
work and life were examined thoroughly. Unfortunately his generous
piano method has never been completed in writing and however its
preparative version, known as "A Sketch for a Method" (Projet de
m้thode), was studied not only by the Chopin's enthusiasts in many
countries, factually the Chopin's method has been gradually
forgotten even in teaching of the university level. Meanwhile, due to
its far-sighted wisdom, the general course of his "M้thode" might be
used as a very helpful support for everyday usage of any pianist and
good for beginners as well as for professionals. I am seriously
convinced that an idea of this kind fulfils all the requirements that
contemporary pianists and teachers can anticipate from the best
system of the piano they will ever need. Though, in such a matter
they probably need some kind of guidance that could help them to
assimilate the Chopin's teaching armory presented in his own texts
and in other documents of his time.

"Touch the Zone…" describes the facility that I have found and that
is in use in my piano pedagogic practice as the very important
methodic aid; this finding could surely be of great help to many
teachers and students of the piano. In this article I interpret the very
special aspect of Chopin's method, that for technical development
of the pianists is in my opinion the priceless one, sincerely. My
personal way to this formula was not direct and took quite a long
time. That is why I am afraid, at first I should briefly explain some
additional things until I start introduce the basic substance of my
discovery.

For many years I searched for a system, which could give the
decisive success in the piano pedagogy. Surprisingly, in 1996 I
received some really unexpected help on that way. I have read the
book by Barry Sears, Ph.D.: "The Zone; A Dietary Road Map" (Regan
Books; USA, 1995). Dr. Sears took a zone, a notion this book tells
about, from sport's language; the elite of American athletes' uses it
for many years. The Zone means them "a near euphoric state of
maximum physical, mental and psychological performance". As a
medical researcher Dr. Sears describes it as "the metabolic state in
which the body works at peak efficiency". If somebody is interested
in such matters, they unconditionally should read this seriously
advanced book!

Thanks to broad associations "the zone" gave me an absolutely new

direction in my thinking about the development of piano playing as
the whole. I started to test the particular zone in sound's quality as
the factor that probably can help to focus the pianists' attention on
the most important aspect of the subject: as on the active search for
full-valued sounding appearance of the artistic image in the musical
Form. This should happen in assistance of the instrumental,
technical independence and manual freedom. It was soon evident
that this formula works perfectly well. Now, after a long-run test
period in many countries I am sure I may say that this
unsophisticated correction is thoroughly helpful and could give the
seriously profitable support to very many students and teachers of
the piano.

Chopin personally has written in his Projet de m้thode: "In this

immensity of sounds we find a region in which the vibrations are
more easily perceptible to us" (J-J. Eigeldinger, Chopin: pianist and
teacher as seen by his pupils, Cambridge University Press, 1986, p.
196). This discreet suggestion is surrounded there by sentences
related to absolutely other question. Therefore, maybe, it has never
been noticed as something of greater importance. Just suddenly,
with the greatest satisfaction I have found the surprised parallelism
between this marvelous practical order that has been drawn in text
of his own sketches for the method - and integrating role of the
zone in the piano practice. (the additional remarks in the matter can
be found under this link).

My article tells about the very special aspect of Chopin's method

that for technical development of the pianists sincerely could be the
priceless one. Additionally I try to enlighten some other points of
view on teaching and playing the piano using the Chopin's way.
However his method seems to be known almost universally as a
historical fact, I am afraid, factually it is nearly dismissed from the
modern piano praxis, nowadays it exists as the fully dried entry. In
truth, the Chopin's method has never been successfully studied as
the idea of realistically great practical value. Touch The Zone tries to
fulfil such a deficit in the piano theory. Still because I am rather an
artist than a scientist, I think, I may say only "I hope" that this
scientifically unrefined presentation of my findings will satisfy all
those who are seriously interested in the innovative methods in
teaching and playing the piano.

A Way

Many musicians are truly able to play the piano very well but in
spite of it they play poorly, without joy or satisfaction. That is the
question - why? For a long time I have been particularly interested in
relations between the technique of piano playing and the artistic
vision of the music that one try to play. Therefore I start just from
this point. Here are my conclusions:

I. An irrational management of energy is the main factor

for the all piano-instrumental problems in piano
playing.

Irrational management of energy in playing the piano arises mainly

as a result completed by the two important factors:

- The players' unclear plan concerning the artistic sense of form that
should be shaped in playing.

- The incorrect players' conception of the piano sound; the very few
pianist knows, that vision of the sound definitely directs the piano
technique as the whole.

So, if the players' thinking, hearing and attention roam along wrong
tracks - the work must constantly be started from the beginning.
The technical side of piano playing, interpreted as something
related to mechanical fingers' (hands') movements - totally sterilizes
fantasy, makes the playing boring and overworks the player
physically. Due to such artistically incomplete playing one obviously
must feel a lack of satisfaction and try to look for the formula that
could improve this unpleasant situation; in this case the idea of
making the fingers stronger and stronger surely can appear on the
first place as something rational. This plan focuses yet one's own
attention on the second-class elements of the matter, again. The
various finger-exercises will reappear as the center of regard, that
for many pianists seems to be most natural, but in fact - it guides
them strictly on the same fully ineffective path.

The second wrong option is a flight to the world of pure fantasy and
tries to solve all the operational problems in piano playing in this
way only. These both magical circles: purely mechanical and purely
psychological could be blown up exclusively by a powerful impulse -
something should connect all the elements of playing into the one
fully effective system; unfortunately such an impulse would very
rarely arise from the player's own inside.

II. The technical education of pianists based on mechanistic,

anatomic-physiological or purely psychological order -
induces an irrational management of energy in piano
playing.

Irrational management of energy in piano playing is at least not

accidental only. It can even be determined by the quasi-scientific
theories that in essence regard the piano player as a composite of
mechanisms of nearly pure physical nature. Sometimes they regard
the pianist as almost metaphysical being who can solve the all,
technical questions in piano playing exceptionally using his/her
either purely physical or solely mental powers.

It has been known for very many years that a mastery in piano does
not mean a manual perfection only, but rather an art of creating The
Beauty in (through) the really sounding musical appearance. So, it
should be usual, that the mastery in such an art must be achieved
through condensed and many-sided processing of one's own musical
ideas and images using the very specific technique. Consequently:
the professionally adequate piano-technique is not achievable by
practice supported by a mechanistic, anatomic-physiological or
exclusively psychological base. In these cases the focus of attention
to entirely mechanical or purely mental aspects of playing
automatically sets the major questions of our art far away from any
one possibility of solving them.

III. The belief in the physical power's and velocity of fingers'

decisive role in instrumental development in the piano
schooling - is the fundamental mistake and the reason for all
instrumental troubles in the piano education.

Theoretically, I hope, every teacher of the piano could agree that

artistic advancement in the piano is achievable firstly through
development of the creative musical hearing and through the
activation of musical fantasy, which both should act in playing as
the powerful command center. At the same time, almost constantly,
the "power and velocity" of fingers is the dominant problems in
piano technical schooling! Attention to such element certainly brings
the very bad results because it does not respect the basic role of the
sound's quality complex in shaping the musical form during the
performance. The everyday practice usually divides the whole
teaching process into the technical and the artistic parts. Due to
this, for example, Chopin's art of touch้ (the specific kind of touch,
beloved by Chopin as the "contact with a keyboard" 's mode in his
art of piano playing) is at time almost forgotten. It is nearly clear,
why so: in my opinion it has happened because of the very common
tendency to handle piano playing strictly logically, thus - through
the all possible sorts of analysis, that are natural procedures in
scientific research. That tendency destroys yet artistic creativity and
dries the playing. In our art we need of course analyses, but at first
we need the musically rational vision of the piano sound and the
hearing skills that will effectively direct the whole technical side of
playing. The creative musical hearing must guide us through the
whole process, giving the essential data up to the last point (of
course, listening intensely to the our inner voices helps us in
creating the musical forms on really abundant base).

In opposition to these artistically questionable tendencies in the

piano-technical schooling that factually disintegrate the action,
Chopin's priceless touch้ smoothly connects the all elements in
piano playing because it practically connects the player's fingers to
his/her creative hearing and artistic fantasy. The touch้ of Chopin's
mode really means a great deal more than only the special kind of
contact with a keyboard. It thoroughly assists the operational part of
creating an artistic idea in playing the piano. How is possible to
achieve such kind of a touch - is the main question of my article.

I started my research for problem of energy management in playing.

Not only in my personal opinion exactly this question is of the key
importance to the whole piano technical schooling. As, in all
probability, just F. Liszt said: "All technique originates in the art of
touch and returns to it" (J-J. Eigeldinger, Chopin: pianist and
teacher..., op. cit., p. 17). Well, because unfortunately there is only
one share of energy in a human being, the pianists ought to
economize their own powers: if ineffective kind of touch wears out
too much energy, there is a lack of energy for the higher, creative
activity. Pianists, of course, must exert their powers and they need
more than a little of them, but they do need a particular power only
- the benevolent one. Unfortunately, in the same way as good and
bad cholesterol exists, or good and bad super-hormones, which Dr.
Sears writes about in his book - correspondingly, the good and the
bad kind of power in the hands of the pianist exists, too.

Using such kind of flexible "quality explorer" for pianists I am

actually writing about, one can suitably gain the best kind of power
for one's hands, and not through the purely physical exercising of
fingers. It will happen like the opposite to any other type of the
physical effort: one will get the benevolent power solely through a
distinct kind of an especially soft touch, born of strong, precise ear
control and of an active artistic imagination. Due to the powerful
impact of fantasy and hearing, the pianist's co-operation with
"resistant forces" of the keyboard will work without any disturbances
and with minimal assistance of raw physical power. The pianist's
fingers will achieve the same kind of contact with the keyboard, as
the right hand of well-trained violinist, through the bow, has with a
string. Using the zone as the operational facility that helps to install
the genuine Chopin's touch้ into the technical practice of the
pianists, makes possibly to develop their creative musical hearing of
such a quality, that in conclusion definitely unites the all applicable
elements in playing into the one fully efficient, well-integrated
system.

In my own experience I may say that especially at the first phase of

work, unquestionably, one should focus one's hearing on the quite
thin, mezzo - still not weak zone of the sound's power. Even very
small non-controlled growth of sound's energy mostly directs
unskilled ears into specific impassivity. The relatively small decrease
of dynamic pitch makes such ears "non-interested" in hearing. That
happens probably due to the same physiological basis as in seeing,
feeling of a taste, temperature, lighting, etc. That is why one should
start one's personal search for the supreme piano technique exactly
from this dynamic zone he/she really can hear with the whole
accuracy and with the greatest personal enjoyment. It should be (for
him/her personally) just the most beautiful kind of sound. Piano
playing is the fine art. Consequently - a question of The Beauty must
persistently be in the center of our whole piano-technical work,
certainly!

As Chopin said: "In this immensity of sounds we find a region in

which the vibrations are more easily perceptible to us" (J-J.
Eigeldinger, Chopin: pianist and teacher..., op. cit., p. 196) - this
sentence means: one must virtually search for this region (zone),
and - practically catch it up. For this reason there must be used in
playing the second supplementary value: the physical comfort and
pleasure in the hands. Such worth is easily achievable through the
precise internal control as sensitively determinable level of the
sensual pleasure (yes-yes!) in the pianist's hands - which if crossed
over, caused the very undesirable consequences in the sound's
quality. One should remember that even relatively small growth of
non controlled stress in working unskilled hands smoothly directs
into the specific muscle's indifference which if combined with ears'
impassivity, gives at last the truly non-professional, boring and
artistically unhappy piano playing.

Reversibly, even some minutes long, quiet, still intensive training in

such a "region in which the vibrations are more easily perceptible to
us", so - in the proper zone of the sound, unconditionally brings the
very apparent improving of playing quality (various instrumentally
important details will be explained some paragraphs below).
Without special professional training only greater musical talents
can achieve the truly worthy instrumental technique. The very
important question of the matter undoubtedly is "how is possible to
detect such details in playing that are truly important".
Unfortunately there are not many sources that could clearly tell -
how one must hear one's own playing as the truly skilful pianist
does. The additional question is there: "how exactly looks the object
one must strongly control looking for the operationally most helpful
factors in practicing and playing the piano?"

Sound, tone, timbre, color, etc. - are very poetical, beautiful and
instructively very useful notions, but in the didactic sense of a
matter using them only is not enough. The students truly need the
artistically firm impulse for their fantasy. The characteristic notions,
thoughts and ideas surely will induce their mental activity. Still at
the same time they must obtain the very simple, real and handy
tools for developing their playing and hearing technique (as the
builder needs a plummet, level and the measure tape).

The main operational thought of the Chopin's formula is in my

opinion just so handy and functional, as possible! The pianist should
"find and touch" the zone of exactly this kind of sound's quality
he/she really can effectively control. It can be possible only in case if
he/she can at the same time "find and touch" the second value of
the same importance: the particular level of freedom and pleasure
in the hands. These both values are strictly dependent from each
other.

The pianists must personally build this measure instrument (the

image and feeling of necessity of the zone) by themselves if they
really would like to know - what is happened in their playing round
(the very clear data informing of what "have to be done").
Consequently, watching the alternations taking place in sound's
quality zone, the pianists can adequately guide the artistic evolution
in theirs playing. But, as I think, however quite the all piano players
deeply believe in necessity of highly correct listening to theirs own
musical activity, not many of them really know how it should
happen, and - especially - what does it mean: to hear the sound
of the piano on truly professional way. Well, generally seen, not
many pianists have the clear imagination particularly of those
elements of the sound, that undoubtedly should be watching with
the highest precision in practicing and playing the piano (sure thing:
the greater musical talents intuitively complete a practice of that
kind).

I would like to maintain now, and even stress again my deep belief
in the irrationality of every physical movement in playing - if it does
not directly fulfil the artistic idea of performing musical element. For
many reasons, especially in practicing classical music, it is possible
to use artistically "empty" moves to an alarming extent. Using the
zone make impossible to take even one tone of such a character: if
artistically invalid tone still arises, the player immediately loses a
feeling of pleasure in the hands, just physically! I definitely have
understood this aspect that put the finishing touches to my new
comprehension of the piano technique, after accidentally
associating a zone which in Dr. Sears' book refers to another
question - with the idea of perfectionism in piano playing. The
nuance of this notion worked at that moment like a taste of
"madeleine" or a sound of knocked flag-stone in "ภ la recherche du
temps perdu" (by M. Proust)... - many things have appeared in my
imagination in the new colors. Relations and similarities between
matters that are so far from each other like "Une M้thode de piano"
of Chopin, TAO and the technique of using a bow in the Russian
method of the violin - have come to light (at last it prepared me for
my new understanding of the Chopin's main piano-technical idea.
Thanks to this nuance I have discovered the proper sense of that
"region in which the vibrations are more easily perceptible to us").

The old Chinese TAO (A WAY) is to me neither a religion nor a pure

philosophy; paradoxically - despite its mysterious character TAO is
to me much closer to the factual side of everyday life of each
human being than religion and philosophy commonly are. I have
been personally helped very strongly through its powerful mind &
body techniques and others practical skills. Its methods of physical
relaxation, breathing, and more - that strengthens stamina,
improves mental concentration and refreshes memory - are
incredibly valuable in my personal life and in my pedagogy over and
over again. Thanks to TAO I have understood the meaning of soft,
gentle and flexible type of motion as of the best pathfinder for
benevolent power. I have noticed with a great joy that pedagogical
principles of Chopin and his famous intolerance to dull finger
exercises are very close to the general Taoist principles of training
(the victory - through souplesse).

I see a similarly wise philosophy of motion in the Russian school of

violin. I have made the acquaintance with theoretical principles of
these methods many years ago and I was very lucky to become
personally acquainted with them in 1993, 1995, 1997 and 1999 in
Bad Sobernheim, Germany, at the Mattheiser Summer-Academy.
Parallel to other activities I heard and saw there many lessons by
the prominent Russian teacher and virtuoso, Prof. Valery Klimov - D.
Oistrakh's successor at the Moscow Conservatory. He dealt in the
violin technique field with the sense of using just this, not that part
of the player's hand or body for the realisation of the concrete
artistic task (generally: with the rational use of energy in playing the
violin). His method, in my opinion, totally agrees with old Eastern
and new Western (not only pedagogic) point of view, according to it
one should understand the problem of body and it's acting in the
terms of energy.

Thanks to many clear similarities among his pedagogy and my own

suppose of the Chopin's teaching mode I began to understand -
what probably Chopin had liked to say by himself about his own
piano teaching in his unfinished "M้thode". At first I can saw then
how must work the fingers that should animate the hand. Secondly,
how works the palm as a mobile base for the fingers. I have seen
and understood, what ought to take place in other parts of the arm
that should continually be in assistance as natural base in playing.
As well I have understood why do these all other parts of the hand
should not work instead of the fingers. Well, Prof. Klimov's lessons
have showed me what does it practically mean: the rational division
of roles and competencies inside the working hands.

It is also not strange that just Prof. Klimov's pedagogic practice

thanks to several analogies showed me the way to new
understanding of the Chopin's technical idea. Leggiero and
cantabile continually were the very remarkable pedagogic
instruments in Chopin's piano teaching; later his students and, in
round numbers, generations of the piano-teachers almost forgot
their great operational convenience. Fortunately, these values fully
survived in their entirety in the Russian school of violin, in any case
in Prof. Valery Klimov's pedagogy in which the technical ease of
playing and the artistic abundance of cantabile enjoying the highest
honor, as it always happened in the bel canto - so much beloved by
Chopin.

"Une M้thode de piano" in the really new perspective

About twenty years ago I attended the 'P. Tchaikovsky'

Conservatoire of Music in Moscow as a pedagogical trainee. Prof. J. I.
Milstein, my mentor there, was a wonderful pianist and a man of
renowned learning; he formerly was an assistant of Konstantin
Igumnov, one of the greatest Russian piano masters of the 20th
century. "Chopin's advice to pianists" (Moscow, MUSICA, 1967) by J.
I. Milstein is not a lengthy work, but unquestionably a very
interesting one. He collected there and with thorough knowledge put
in order very many sure facts on Chopin's views on the piano and
piano pedagogy. Accidentally, some years ago, I have looked into
this compendium again.

In Part Four (p. 80) Prof.Milstein wrote: "... if one wants to eliminate
the hardness and restrains from his own hands, one should start to
play the piano not with legato, but rather with the light, soft
staccato, with attention to full flexibility and ease in palm and wrist.
After that Chopin advises to go to a light portato, legato marcato,
and, in the end, to a true, full-valued legato, which should be
exercised through various tempos in forte as well as in piano."

And herein after (p. 85): "... an equality of the touch้ should be
achieved through rational use of fingers - not through the dull
knocking on the keys which is against their natural properties.
Exercises should be played with a free hand, with slightly collected
fingers that should not be raised high, but rather keep in close
contact with the keyboard (as Chopin said: "before one starts to
play, one should touch the keys with one's fingers").

These quotations of course shed no new light on actual information

of Chopin's method, indeed, but thanks to them I just suddenly have
started to think more deeply of special meaning and importance of
the whole Chopin's teaching tradition again. Reading these words at
last I have understood Chopin's absolutely great significance in this
field. Consequently, thanks to that happy advance I could practically
achieve such an exclusively precious kind of touch that was for me
impossible earlier. Only Chopin's strictly determined way of training:
through the specific, light and soft staccato, and in the following -
through the specific, light and soft portato, legato marcato, etc. But,
how do all these "specifics" virtually look a like? This is the very
important question!

My personal way to the piano technique of Chopin's style took quite

a long time and was not direct. I persistently tried and tried again to
find the best kind of motion, I observed a nature, I watched the
children - how they use their hands in the very common situations
when they are free of stress and fully absorbed in the action, etc.
But only after watching in detail how the authentic violin virtuoso
uses the bow, handles the sound, how active and important are
Ideas, Images and Emotions in his pedagogic action, listening his
clear explanations - at last, I have understood, what does it mean:
"the proper instrumental schooling of highest professional level".
Consequently, I have found the right way to understanding how the
similar tasks should practically be fulfilled in playing and teaching
the piano, too. On the other hand, to find out the full-valued, singing
legato of Chopin's character without clear imagination of such kind
of motions that have been defined some paragraphs above as
typically Chopin's "specific, light and soft staccato" and "specific,
light and soft portato" - could be quite a difficult job; however it
could be surprised for many pianist, there really is no greater
difference between the way the pianists handle the hand's motion,
and this one that is in use among violinists and cellists.

In my own experience I may say that it unconditionally helps a great

deal if one uses this rule: "the fingers raise the hand, the other way
does not exists round". With a great joy I have found a phrase of
quite same meaning in the very serious work of Prof. J-J. Eigeldinger
(University of Geneva, Switzerland): "In Chopin's playing, the fingers
activate the whole arm..." (Chopin: pianist and teacher..., op. cit., p.
18). Such kind of use of the hands has an incomparable great
importance in the piano technique because if physical energy of a
player really rectilinearly comes from higher parts of the hand to
enforce the fingers - one obviously must play in such an
incompetent way which Chopin ironically titled as "striking",
"crashing", "knocking", "rattling", etc. These awkward kinds of
physical motion, additionally, cause the necessity to hold the hands
in the upper position, likely, in the air - the pianist must attack the
keyboard persistently! Such playing manner, being energetically
totally ineffective, undoubtedly causes the physical pains.
Therefore, due to the mechanical nature of the piano keyboard as
well as because of the hands natural properties, the way through
"...the light, soft staccato, with attention to full flexibility and ease in
the palm and wrist" - is definitely the most convenient one for the
pianists. It quickly becomes apparent that if one uses a touch้ of
Chopin's style to develop one's technique, one certainly has to use
rather less power than search for ways to strengthen one's fingers.

In my own experience, again, I may say that the fingers and the
palm always should act as the compact unit that can operate
properly thanks to "full flexibility and ease" in wrist. This is the point
of truly strategic importance in the whole piano-technique. If such a
joint (the wrist) becomes "closed" or immovable due to any stress,
the game is nearly over...! The fingers and the palm that should
operate as a mobile base for the fingers have together quite enough
weight, power and capacity for implementation of surprisingly many
technical duties. But, they could fulfil their tasks only if they are
adequately integrated in the action, i.e. if the wrist helps them as
the truly flexible joint that connects them smoothly with other parts
of the hand (being there as the basic support). In truth: the mobile
palm should continually support the fingers. In my opinion this is the
point of the greatest importance in the Chopin's piano-technique.

The very common mistake is to use, permanently, the whole arms or

the major parts of them for the fulfillment of the very delicate duties
that require approximately small and mobile instruments, as fingers
commonly are in their excellent co-operation with palm and wrist. At
any rate the other parts of the arm should continually be in
assistance there as natural base for the whole action; such
assistance still may not mean more than just the assistance! One
must clearly understand the sense of rational division of roles and
competencies inside the working hands and try to put this
knowledge into the practice.

According to many opinions of former Chopin's students and

persons who were close to him, we may say that in search for the
most easy way to staccato of the Chopin's character "a hand should
only to skim a key as a wing of dragonfly does" (C. Dzialy ๑ ska in: J-
J. Eigeldinger, Fryderyk Chopin, Szkice do metody gry fortepianowej,
Musica Jagiellonica, Krakow 1995, p. 113). So, it should not happen
"through the dull knocking on the keys that is against their natural
properties". Every player must remember yet, that even the most
accurate kind of motion, even if totally agree with Chopin's direction
- is just nothing more as only the external, touchable part of piano
playing. One must persistently looking for the vivid sonorous object
of such quality of a timbre, that finally gives him/her possibility to
become deeply acquainted with the internal aspects of the music
that one tries to play. Such an acquaintance will give the satisfied
conviction of being on the really full-valued artistic ground ("In this
immensity of sounds we find a region in which the vibrations are
more easily perceptible to us"). A search for the really singing legato
of the Chopin's mode should be, as well, enriched by particular kind
of exercising in precise portato cantabile (I do not see any better
word to describe such an articulation). Through intensive sound's
quality control providing by highly disciplined hearing, a tough
connection between the imaginable idea of a sound and its real
sounding appearance will be surely created.

This is how I see a question of the Chopin's "specifics". It is naturally

not the whole range of the subject; in my next article I would like to
go toward the question of creative musical hearing and methods of
its improvement on the really efficient and artistically interesting
way.

As it happens in many other serious matters, the definite success in

piano technical schooling depends on very delicate factors as well
as on very weighty aspects of the thing - such as talent, luck,
destiny, etc. I mean, for instance, on differences between the kind of
touch proposed by Chopin (or another special touch of the similarly
high quality) and a raw, non-professional, the awkward one. On the
surface these differences could be about insignificant, but
substantially seen, they are of the basic importance. In my opinion,
the sharpest difference could be seen there between the excellence
of co-operation that connects creative musical hearing to the
manual device in the Chopin's method of training, and the another
common one, that does not give such brilliant possibilities in the
same matter. For deeper understanding of this difference one can,
for example, personally try to use the marvelous Chopin's touch้ in
one's own piano practice.

Such experiment could be completed in the same way as a beginner

does: firstly, in exercising the wished musical phrase just without a
rough force, totally. One should try to take some tones of a phrase
very carefully, at start with light staccato ("with slightly collected
fingers"), very freely and with the great interest in any one aspect of
such an experiment. One must persistently watch the sound's
quality as well as search for feeling of the liberty in his/her fingers
and arms. The fingers and the palm should act as the compact unit
that properly operates thanks to "full flexibility and ease" in wrist; a
hand should only to skim a key as a wing of dragonfly does. "After
that Chopin advises to go to a light portato, legato marcato, and, at
the end, to a true, full-valued legato that should be exercised
through various tempos in forte as well as in piano." (J. I. Milstein,
op.cit.). A search for the really singing legato of Chopin's mode
should be enriched by particular kind of exercising in precise portato
cantabile, that through intensive sound's quality control (providing
by highly disciplined hearing) builds the tough connection between
the imaginable idea of a sound and its real sounding appearance.
Naturally, the whole exercising should not resemble dull, mechanical
"making ready". For the best one must go on and go ahead,
persistently trying to achieve possibly full-bodied appearances for
one's own artistic ideas, created through the active personal,
artistic search.

At this phase of work one ought to remember that the full-singing

legato (near to the bel canto) is possible to achieve just at the end
of a relatively long preparative period. At the same time one will
gradually obtain this particular kind of touch that really connects
and unites all elements in the piano-technique. Essentially, the zone
should act in the playing all the time as the easily detectable
border of the sound's quality - which if crossed over, caused
artistically very undesirable consequences. The overuse of physical
power in playing produces the overloaded sound and, as the side
effect - brakes the hands, which can - as the extremity - cause the
physical pains. That is why the economizing of the sound's use, if
realized on the artistic basis - gives a good yield in the physical
energy use and favorably affects the hands. Therefore one must to
persistently look for the proper (dynamically as well as emotionally)
zone of the sound, that must be completely coherent to the
imaginable IDEA, i.e. - the artistic content (image) of the music one
must try to interpret creatively (not only - to play by heart…). Of
course, the use of this method requires the close mental attention
and permanent imaginative drive. Such psychological compulsion
for constant intensity in the player's own attention to the very
concrete elements of his/her own musical activity could be, in the
didactic sense, as the aspect of incomparable great worth. The
player starts then to hear and "seen" the all artistic reality of form
he/she would like to shape in playing. Clouded and uncertain -
obtains contours and backgrounds, changing itself into
rememberable, accurate, i.e. - emotionally and intellectually clear.

Depending on artistic purpose of the form one wants to create,

he/she must persistently detect (or: create) the patterns of quality
of sound (and character) that are necessary in the concrete phase of
work. Pianissimo or mezzo piano of a special timbre, technically
seen, cannot be found in the same zone as a different one. It is
definitely logical. Unfortunately, many piano players try and try to
find all these possible timbres and colors at the same place, which is
irrational and costs very much. This happens, mainly, due to an
imprudent, raw-percussional manner of articulation in piano playing
that constantly direct all movements of the fingers to the same
awkward place on the same awkward manner. Naturally - this
happens due to absence of any concrete sounding object that could
be processed with the same genuine reality as a carpenter handles
the piece of wood.

The use of the zone makes the whole piano sound-processing just as
help as possible, because it brings to light nearly objective image of
the existing sound (the very creative but professionally unskilled
individuals usually listen rather to their own imaginative internal
sounds than to the really existing sounding values). At this point I
must affirm, sincerely saying, the incredibly great value of the
Chopin's staccato and portato as the truly beneficial assistance in
playing. The "normal" staccato and portato habitually divide a
musical phrase into separately sounding details - meanwhile those
both of the Chopin's kind really connect the sounding elements with
the musical reality that lives under the external appearance of
sound, giving it fluency and organizing its internal integrity. This
"theorem", I suppose, cannot be proved in writing at all; as Chopin
said by himself - "sound before word".

A character, mood, artistic thought and idea - come to light again as

these very important aspects of a subject, which should always be
the leading points of our work. It is because of such reason as
below:
- There exists neither forte nor piano of a pure acoustic
value in the truly artistic musical interpretation.

Unfortunately, this fact is the most frequently forgotten thing in the

whole piano schooling. There lives in us rather too much deep faith
in the possibility of making beautiful music through the pure
acoustic motion of the sound, purely physically, without any
personal, expressive, i.e. artistic intention. Or, through the pure
mental activity, still without any objective instrumental skills. The
purely psychological point of view in piano technical schooling is
risky as well as the purely mechanistic one: in longer perspective
they both are similarly ineffective due to absence of the
professionally skilful hearing. These quasi-systems just likely regard
the necessity of professionally excellent processing of the really
existing sound as something practically inessential to the matter.

It is astonishing
It is astonishing that, seriously considering this problem, so few
pianists are interested in Chopin's technique and do not try to
assimilate and evolve it in their own practice. Perhaps it is because
of the suspicion that Chopin's method is suitable only for studying of
his own pieces. After my long run research I must assuredly say that
such a suspicion is entirely wrong. All these things that were the
main problems to Chopin in his pedagogy are still important today:

• the ergonomically well ordered playing

• the perfectionism of a touch
• the naturalness in the performance
• the richness of the articulation
• the responsibility towards the musical text, though at the
same time
• the spontaneity of the interpretation.

Besides, we should remember that he precisely knew how to

skillfully deal with problems of that kind in his own teaching.
Psychologically seen, the Chopin's piano pedagogic idea in our
highly computed time is even much more actual and necessary than
whenever earlier.

In our piano-art the Chopin's Method actually looks like a symbol of

artistic honesty. As an artist who strongly needed order in every art,
Chopin saw a great necessity to put his own views into a clear form.
Wanting to help not only his own students in the art of playing, he
started to write a book in which his system of the piano could be
presented throughout.

Unfortunately, this book was never finished. In spite of it, really,

there is still much more wisdom in those pages than on the "ten
thousand" pages of highly sophisticated contents in other books
dealing with the same problem. Many additional facts of the
Chopin's teaching style one can find in various other sources, from
works of G. Sand and F. Liszt, to contemporary scientific studies.

Chopin's dispassionate and unpretentious method really is the most

efficient one. It causes the strictly benevolent power's growth in the
pianists' hands, giving the technical potentiality to play faster,
stronger, better, without greater instrumental problems. But firstly it
helps in the really artistic growth, opening the pianists' ears on the
fantastically colorful musical entirety, including jazz, pop and music
for the electronic keyboards. This all should mean - not only shows
how to nicely play the Nocturnes and Waltzes of "this poor Chopin",
as probably are thinking all they who personally have never had the
opportunity to become closer acquainted with his truly miraculous
piano-pedagogic idea. In any case the keyboard furthermore exists
in the piano and the pianists' hands furthermore have to operating it
efficiently. So, the pianists need a method, a very competent one;
the Chopin's touch้ with its all, artistic and operational consequences
looks as the very perspective compact solution alike.

An anecdote and the conclusion

Once I saw a very good cartoon: Albert Einstein is standing in a

lecture-hall in front of the blackboard on which there are ten
thousand numbers, and at the end, his famous formula. Einstein is
evidently confused, in his hand he has a piece of paper that is full of
numbers, too. The scientist says: "... if necessary, I'll give you my
word of honor...!"

I hope, I do not must to give my word of honor! The zone, I mean,

the facilitation that helps to understand the most important element
of the Chopin's piano-technical idea, is surely the very practical
piece of advice in professional piano schooling as a whole. It is my
great honor to recommend it as the real answer to many, not only
technical questions in piano playing. Every pianist could easily fix up
such small detail (as the zone is) into his/her own piano praxis.
Consequently, the zone can thoroughly improve a quality of his/her
creative hearing and give at least the fully convincing manual
agility. Practically connecting one's fantasy to one's fingers at last it
could help to develop one's own artistic productivity, too.

Finally I would like to emphasize the role of a "double-track" control

in practicing and playing the piano again. The pianists should
examine the quality of cantabile even at shortest contact with the
suitable zone of sound as well as they continually should examine
the true degree of the ease in theirs hands. This particular zone is
effortlessly achievable if one likes to find it, so, if one likes to be in
touch with "the determinable level of the highest playing comfort" in
the one's own hands. The high quality in articulation will be
guaranteed by a leggiero that will give the pianists' fingers the
sincerely benevolent power; parallel, the strong wish to play
cantabile will efficiently eliminate the all tendencies to formality in
piano playing. It is beyond doubt, that cantabile and leggiero will not
cheapen or sentimentalize our playing. Cantabile and leggiero -
watching by the pianists through the zone, will operate as the
beneficial technical elements only, acting like the oil in an engine. In
practicing the piano leggiero and cantabile ought to be applied not
as the aesthetic values, but as such elements of work that greatly
accelerate the whole process.

Well, it seems to be sure, that touch้ of that kind I am writing about

(and that is achievable through the zone) is the main objective
factor that distinguishes the truly refined piano technique of
Chopin's mood from the commonly arranged piano playing. The
zone helps to set up the proper connection between reality of fully
material, objective, beautiful - but meaningless world of a sound,
and the basic creative powers in ones vivid imagination, which must
deal with material of that kind, give it form and fulfil it with
meaning. That is why the zone as element of the whole system - is
so important to me. Its impact on piano playing is holistic, strongly
integrated one. Using the zone radically accelerates the piano
technical schooling because this manner of work helps to eliminate
all the physical and mental brakes that, maybe, have formerly been
brought into one's playing habits, for example, due to almost
mechanical, or, too narrow psychological understanding of our art.
At last, the use of the zone means only: operating the piano sound
in the professionally proper way.

I am afraid I can not to certify the verity of all my personal views

and thoughts using the fully scientific procedure. As I have
maintained earlier, I am rather an artist than a scientist. At time I
have no possibility to organize the pedagogic experiments, that
could create the scientifically clear image of all these things that
practically exist in my pedagogic practice and firmly legitimate my
solid conviction of the highest artistic and pedagogic efficiency of
the Chopin's system. I personally use it for about two years with the
greatest artistic and pedagogic satisfaction.

There could exist various paths to the Chopin's method of teaching

the piano. The idea of the zone was a telescope through which I saw
the wisdom of that formula. At last, the zone acts in my personal
piano teaching and playing only as the operational support that
helps to install the Chopin's advice into practice. Yes, it helps to
achieve the technique that he has personally taught and that gives
the players a brilliant, thoughtful and truly singing piano sound as
well as gives them a chance to gain the great enjoyment from
playing.

I have discovered the Chopin's Method in perspective of the zone

and have seen it in the absolutely new and bright perspective. That
fact totally transformed my artistic life. Nowadays it is the main
source of my great personal optimism in the piano pedagogic field. I
am profoundly convinced that a support of that kind could be very
beneficial to many other pianists in the search for mastery in
teaching and playing the piano.

W. Stefan Kutrzeba

mailto:oppinet@hotmail.com