Customer Reviews

Piano Power, A Breakthrough Approach To Improving Your Technique

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Ever the skeptic, I was wary approaching this book, promising its "breakthrough approach" to building piano technique. After thinking about it for months, I finally ordered the book. Let me begin by qualifying this review: While I have read the book, I admit that not enough time has elapsed for me to work on the prescribed exercises in earnest. Therefore, the elusive breakthrough may indeed lurk around the corner. Also, while I disagree with some of Mr. Prokop's conclusions, I am willing to give his exercises a fair chance. On to the review.

The idea of setting the text up like a quasi-mathematical treatise, with "theorems" proposed and "proven," is indeed interesting. However, Mr. Prokop often does not construct cogent arguments to support his claims, and his "proofs" are anything but, completely devoid of logical rigor. When one's aim is to debunk myths about piano technique, it is indeed sufficient to present what mathematicians call counterexamples, which contradict hypotheses, thereby disproving them. However, when making conjectures that form the crux of one's method (such as Mr. Prokop's claim that the extensor muscles, those responsible primarily for the up-stroke of the fingers, are almost exclusively responsible for well-formed technique), much more care should be given toward their support. The end result is that his system is based on rather unconvincing ideas regarding what is responsible for good technique.

That said, there is indeed some worthwhile material in this book. The system Mr. Prokop uses to test certain fingers to determine their development, or lack thereof, seems sound. A brief discussion on the "illusion of speed" is interesting for what it suggests, as is the premise that sub-standard technique is usually due to "problem fingers" bogging down passages. As for prescribed exercises, there are remarkably few to be found in this volume. The bulk of the notated exercises are essentially scale passages and some interval work, which may be useful, but are much more affordably obtained in an inexpensive Hanon volume.

There are some away-from-the-piano exercises, again focusing on the extensor muscles. I again say that I have not given these an adequate trial, so I cannot attest to their usefulness or uselessness.

In short, had this book been about $15 cheaper, I would consider it a fairly sound purchase. However, for its brevity (just over 100 pages) and relative paucity of new information, I believe its price to be unjustified by its content.

This book revolves about the theory that finger control and independence is achieved by strengthening the muscle groups that LIFT the fingers. I think this idea is fundamentally correct. It also contains other useful observations, generally derived from a physiological investigation of the hand and arm, how the various muscles perform various movements, etc. Many of these are also valuable.

To me the best part of this book are the diagrams of muscles, bones, and pictures of the resulting types of movements. I think sooner or later every pianist needs to look into these things. Also good are the ideas on how to improve practicing efficiency. Not all of them are applicable to all people, but certainly most will find at least some of them useful.

On the negative side, I find that the semi-mathematical approach taken (proving and disproving theorems) does not add much to the book. I suppose at best it gives some structure, but it also confuses the reader (at one point he manages to disprove both SITTING LOW and SITTING HIGH at the piano, so that leaves the student with ... exactly WHAT option???).

The idea in this book is not new. In fact, all of HANON, Cortot, Donanhyi, and others, advocate the same method of practice - if you read the instructions under the exercises. Donanhyi (the Hungarian virtuoso) produced a ton of nasty exercises to strengthen exactly the extensor muscle group. What IS new is the physiological reason for practicing in this manner, and this is something worthwhile knowing.

Overall I think the book may be useful for beginning to intermediate (adult) students that have very specific finger strength problems, or more advanced students that want to know more about the anatomy of the hand and arm.

I do, however, think that the price of this book is outrageous. It should be no more than 15 dollars. Also I think the title is misleading. Although it is potentially useful it does not contain a miracle cure for technical difficulties.

As a longtime piano player, I find Richard Prokop's approach to be eminently practical. He illustrates that voluntary movements of body parts are the result of the contraction of muscles. In the case of the fingers, these are the flexor and extensor muscles (along with other muscles). However, a previous reviewer's comment that he subscribes to "the finger strength school of piano playing technique" is inaccurate and misses the point. The emphasis is not on finger strength per se, but on the development of the student's abilities by using methods that relate the peculiarities of human anatomy to the development of piano technique. In this sense the book is brilliant.

Employing logic and theorems, Mr. Prokop gently but convincingly presents a refreshingly clear case for simple and natural exercises designed, yes, for strengthening the fingers, but much more: How do our fingers naturally work when playing a passage? How and why are the muscles of the wrist, fingers and thumb used, and what techniques are necessary for exercising them? How is muscular development essential to technique? What are the relative advantages and disadvantages of large, medium, and small hands? How does synchronization relate to the development of technique? What is the proper positioning of the elbow and hand? What steps should be taken to avoid injury? How much practice is healthy and how much rest is necessary for optimum development? Is it possible to improve one's piano technique away from the piano? Should pianists drink more water? (Again, from a practical and physiological point of view!)

Prokop debunks many of the myths about piano practicing and playing that have plagued and frustrated both students and teachers for generations, by applying reason to experience. He is impressively well prepared in his arguments; backs them up with ample references; and illustrates with extraordinary conciseness the physiology of the hands, wrists and forearms in playing the piano. But most of all, he explains his subject, as only an excellent teacher can, with compelling logic.

This book is a gem for those of us studying piano and living in the real world.

I have been playing the piano for most of my life. Since recently resuming serious piano study, I have been searching for the seemingly elusive secret to improving my good-but-not-great technique. I believe I have found it in the remarkable "Piano Power." Mr. Prokop's explanations of how to achieve better technique are refreshingly simple. His theories make sense, and more importantly, his exercises really work. At first, I was a bit skeptical about his argument that piano technique can be improved by doing certain exercises away from the piano, but after incorporating them into my routine, I am convinced that my technique is improving rapidly. Friends who have recently heard me play have confirmed this, with no "fishing" on my part. For those of you who are already satisfied with your technique, this book would be of little interest. But for we pianists who are still travelling the long road to superior playing, "Piano Power" is indispensible.

This is actually quite a flawed technique book, especially about the up-strokes and down-strokes thingie. For more information about this, pls. read "Modern Masters at the Keyboard" by Harriette Brower. "I avoid excessive high-finger action. Some teachers make so much of the up-motion, I make more of the down.......And no doubt the effort to lift the fingers high is the cause of much of the strain that prevents a pure legato" Another GREAT book which counters these theories is "On Piano Playing" by Gyorgy Sandor, a pupil of Bela Bartok. He demonstrates that building muscle strength has nothing to do with playing the piano, and all techniques are a matter of co-ordination. I guess this is true, because if you look at the masters who played when they were REALLY old (most memorable being Moritz Rosenthal who took 7 minutes to walk to the piano stool and sit down, and took just 53 seconds to play the Chopin Minute waltz). Don't tell me he still has firm and strong muscles in his fingers. I guess the convention of "finger strength" has been around too long and it's time we scrap it.....

I have yet to read a book on piano technique that can compare with Piano Power. The author's ideas are innovative, thought-provoking and at times quite revolutionary. Mr. Prokop is to be congratulated for his unique contribution to the field of piano pedagogy. For the purpose of clarification, there are 106 pages in Piano Power with 14 pages of exercises for strengthening the extensor muscles of the fingers and wrist. (Mr. Prokop demonstrates clearly that these muscles are in the forearm and not in the fingers). There are also pictures throughout the book that serve as apt complements to the text. I scanned Piano Power from cover to cover several times and was unable to find the statement, "Every clean downstroke of a finger is preceded by a preparatory upstroke," alluded to by another reviewer. A more observant reader--after carefully reading Theorem I on p.10, and footnote #2 on page 93--would realize that this statement could not possibly come form the author. This book is very detailed and requires slow and repeated readings in order to fully grasp its meaning and content.

Some years ago, when I was around 16 and just started playing for a year, I had a very bad technique and wanted to improve. I practised for a long time exactly the same kind of exercises as in this book. But my technique does not improve at all -- sometimes it seems to improve a bit, but in the long run it doesn't help-- because these exercises are working against our goal! I regret about the time and effort I invested on these exercises. Let me explain the truth about this book (and many others).

The book stays on the surface of the vast pool of piano techniques we find in the literature. And even on that surface it stays with the classical finger school-- the school is not altogether bad, but simply imcomplete. Indeed you find some successful cases, but the matter is: how many, in terms of percentage? Horowitz did not follow this school. He did not even practise technique separately. He did not practise techniques by intentionally strengthening his fingers-- these are simply not necessary. Yet he is one of those pianists famous for his virtuous technique. When he is 70, he can play much better, and produce a more powerful sound, than most young pianists with very muscular hands.

The finger school is not bad in theory, but it lacks practical value. Its practises ruined many pianists and flourished some. Their point of view is incomplete and sometimes wrong. But this book further over-simplifiy things!

Indeed there are some minimal requirement for your hand, but practising the way described in this book is counterproductive-- for example, while lifting fingers do happen in playing piano, doing so intentionally or even forcefully as encourage in this book may create unnecessary tension in the hands, or making the structure collapse. This will hinder you from playing smoothly and powerfully, largely weakening your "piano power". Finger-lifting exercises can be useful, but not in such a simple way this book suggests.

The crucial part of piano playing is the organizations of our body parts. An old man without strong muscles can still play well(like many old pianists) , while I know some men with strong fingers cannot play a simple scale well with some years of practising. Our fingers muscles needs to be activated, but exercises like those in this book can only help you very little, if at all. For many people, they are harmful and can ruin their technique.

As a graduate in mathematics, I would also like to point out the author's attempt to convince its reader by pretending to be proving some "theorems". The author is simply using these mathematical terms to scare those who are either afraid of or admire mathematics; and to cover his problematic arguments with such terms. Some assumptions (which is sometimes only implicitly stated) in his argument are simply wrong. In fact, we cannot "prove" an empirical fact in a mathematical way, (namely deductively.)

The best book on piano technique, so far, is written by Alan Fraser, "Craft of Piano Playing: A New Approach to Piano Technique", especially for those who treat piano playing seriously. There you could find the required exercise for activating the muscles in your hands, which are created with a reason. And more importantly, you will learn the real technique, the real secret between a good and bad technique, not the external movements or the simple-minded "muscle-building" appraoch described in this so-called "piano power". You can learn the external movements easily -- everyone can-- but it doesn't help much for you to really play well.

Nowadays there are more and more such boasting (with title like "improve your IQ/reduce 20 pounds in 7 days", etc) but unpromising books appearing in the market. Buy this (and other similar) book if you are satisfied just with reading useless and unproved "theory"; and get excited about a never-realizing dream of getting a power technique.

It's everything I could have hoped for, a logical exposition of the simple tasks necessary to strengthen the ability to play the piano. A nice, well-outlined, relentlessly simple and logical look at the problem of technical development at the piano. Theories should be tested by how well they predict or provide a game plan to create or recreate a phenomena. Piano Power is a tribute to this view of theories. The author is content to have his theories live or die, by whether they work. In art, this is very rare.

This book confirms everything I learned about piano playing from my Kyriena Siloti, whose father Alexander studied with Liszt. It also confirms my own intuitive understanding of the efficient mechanics of playing the instrument as they relate to the laws of physics and basic principles of nature's functioning. A tremendously valuable aid to one's development as a pianist!

Prokop has laid out the principles of great piano technique in a way that teachers frequently fail to do, either because they do it naturally themselves and don't know how to teach it, or because they lack technique in their own playing. Regardless, it's an essential part of a pianists practice and should be paid close attention to. -Thanks Rick!