Ironing Out Overactive Thumbs in Scales

Danny asked an excellent question in the comments of The 5 C's of Learning Piano Technique:

I am really struggling on my scales that contain most of the black keys (BM, g#m, etc.). I can play the notes just fine, but my thumb is always breaking the line (sounds like thumping). Does anybody have a suggestion for how to fix this?

Thanks for taking the time to ask an excellent question, Danny, and it turns out that "thumping thumbs" are a common problem in scales such as B, F sharp, and D flat majors, as well as B flat, E flat, and G sharp minors.

First of all, a short physics lesson. In the workings of levers, the longer the lever and the farther towards the end of the lever the force is exerted, the more optimal the force will be. Similarly, with a shorter lever that is depressed slightly away from the end, the less optimal the force will be. This corresponds to the thumbs hitting the ends of the white keys compared to the second, third, and fourth fingers that hit towards the middle of the black keys.

In the black key scale fingerings, the longer second, third, and fourth fingers are playing the black notes, while the limited number of white notes are optimally played by the shorter thumb. In the six keys above, the thumb plays nearly all the white notes. In addition, the way that most pianists learn those scales is by learning which notes the thumbs play, then using them as an anchor to navigate the minefield of black keys that make up much of the scales, resulting in the thumping you mention.

I think that overactive thumbs in these scales can often be a leftover from the initial stages of the learning process, and that once you reach fluency, you then need to "iron out" the louder thumbs.

There are several ways to do this:

1. Given the laws of levers applied to playing scales with mostly black notes, even force applied to all the notes will result in the thumbs playing louder. Therefore, play less on the white notes your thumbs play in order to even out the sound.

2. Be aware of how much wrist and forearm motion you are using when passing the thumbs under. Many pianists utilize a slight jerk of the wrist or forearm when passing under the thumbs, resulting in an accent. Although teachers differ the subject, I believe that the wrist and forearm should be quiet during the carriage of the thumb under the hand. I also ask pianists to smoothly and gently move their forearms back and forth up and down the keyboard as a template for a smooth motion. Then when you play the actual scales (and arpeggios too!), try to keep the smoothness of motion in your forearms. Many pianists that utilize this concept also mention that it feels like they are "leading" with the forearm when playing scales and arpeggios.

But most importantly...

3. Let your ears be your guide. Every scale will require slightly different angles and speeds of attack to achieve a flawless sound, so rather than worry yourself with the above physics lesson, listen like a hawk. Work with your teacher to develop a sound ideal for your scales, then apply it to all the keys, working on really listening to every sound you make in order to even out each key.

Best of luck with the treacherous black key scales, Danny, and may your hard work help you achieve technical mastery at the piano!

Technique Week

For my students playing RCM piano examinations this June, this is the week that I spend nearly their entire lesson time doing a slow work-through of the entire technical requirements for their grade. In spite of the angry glances, groans of exasperation, and pleas for mercy, my students have been getting a clear understanding of where their strengths and weaknesses lie, as well as what work needs to be done by June in order for them to excel at their technical requirements.

Here are a few links for those inclined to spend some time perfecting their technical command of the instrument:

The 5 C's of Learning Piano Technique
5 Things to Remember About Fingerings
Build a Regular Practice Schedule Part 1
Build a Regular Practice Schedule Part 2

For those looking for a way to put it all together:

Find Your Muse, Find Your Process
Developing an Artistic Sensibility
Run the Program

The 5 C's of Learning Piano Technique

One of the most difficult things for any piano teacher to impart is the necessity of learning technique properly and incorporating it into a daily practice routine. I have found that talking about how to practice technique, why it is important, and what it can instill in an individual's playing are essential to a piano student's continued development.

Here are five C-words that can help with this task.


1. Command. Scales, triads, chords, and arpeggios are not stand-alone exercises--they are building blocks for creating music, as any composer will tell you. Knowing how to play these musical building blocks will simplify the process of learning and understanding music you encounter. In addition, technique contains the seeds of piano playing's physicality such as finger strength, good fingering habits, finger crossing, arm weight, hand and arm stability, and the integration of these over time into an efficient playing setup. That scale passage in a Beethoven Sonata will be much easier to incorporate into your performance if you know you've already learned and mastered the relevant scale and its fingering.

The Brown Scale Book For Piano. Scales, Chords and Arpeggios for Piano. Technique. Elementary-Advanced. Level: Grades 1-10. Book. 46 pages. Published by The Frederick Harris Music Company. (HS1) See more info...

2. Clarity. Have you heard a perfectly executed 4-octave arpeggio lately? They are becoming rarer and rarer these days, to the chagrin of many an RCM examiner. Spending time on these technical exercises can teach you to listen to the details of playing necessary for developing an acute sense of awareness that can allow you to be in the moment in all your playing.

3. Comfort. Technique isn't just about the accuracy game, but about incorporating a large number of physical concepts into a whole. Are you comfortable when you play? Where is the tension? Does anything hurt? Working with your teacher in solving these problems through technique can create a basis for a stable and workable playing setup when playing repertoire.

4. Creativity. A common myth about technique is that is is boring. Part of a teacher's job is to make the daily dose into a fun and rewarding part of a student's practice day. Why not bundle basic technical exercises with the learning of musical concepts? Here are just a few ideas:

• Vary dynamics, pp to ff, play with crescendo and diminuendo
• Vary articulations--try playing scales with different articulations and combinations of articulations.
• Vary the order--Arrange the order of exercises by type (ie. octave scales, triads, etc.), key, play them all and note the problems, work only on problem patterns. Warm up with technique or cool down with it. Creating a new experience all the time can eliminate the boredom.
  

5. Confidence. It's performance night and you've waiting backstage. Have you done your work? If you haven't, you may experience the genuine fear associated with performance anxiety and it ain't fun. How to deal with performance anxiety? Do your preparation, both with the specific piece you're performing and the relevant technical requirements, so you can feel the deep confidence of both being able to play both musical works and your instrument with command, clarity, comfort, creativity, and confidence.

Piano Adventures Technique & Artistry Book, Level 1 By Randall Faber, Nancy Faber. For Piano. Piano Adventures. Level: Grade 1. Book. Published by The FJH Music Company, Inc. (FF1097) See more info...