The Secret to Expressive Piano Playing 

Thanks, Wim. excellent. This channel is becoming an important part of my musical training. By the way, the technique is not limited to keyboard. The same principles apply to playing guitar. I had learned about wrist rotation a while back from a Steinway training video. It works wonderfully for playing the guitar, but I never understood why. Thank you for the explanation. Again, excellent video.

Thanks, it benefits me a lot. It is rare that accomplished musicians like yourself share so much. Please know that your generosity is highly appreciated

Just to let you know, this is the video that started me on this channel! I'm so glad I stumbled upon all this!!

Hello. Despite the pretty picture I use, I'm a 65 year old man, and my lessons began in 1961. One "Secret to Expressive Piano Playing" that I conceived and have used to my own satisfaction, has been to play, imagining that my audience is a three or four year old, or several! As I try to make notes and sections "clearer" to them, I naturally emphasize accents and crescendos more than I would otherwise. And thanks for your video!

I thought I would never never live to see a video on your Erard!

I've never had a lesson like that in my life, apart from "holding the orange"... bless my four (late) piano teachers, I was not even close to the prodigy that they deserved.

I don't have a piano, but what you teach me gives me more respect to pianists who have to learn this process. Thank you Wim for your teaching.

This is great stuff which reinforces principles even for those that are seasoned keyboard players. My early teacher was all about finger movement and position, which was both a blessing and a curse. While attending a master's class a few years ago, the pianist said I played with fingers that are too curved and I played too "classically" with my fingers in the front of the keys! She insisted I play "inside" the keys, which I found hampered my movement because I got stuck on the black keys. Taking her thoughts into consideration, I can see where playing inside the keys can have a nice effect on some music, but it's not suitable to everything, but it sure doesn't feel right to me. Going forward I can see these short "Keyboard Tips and Tricks" videos as an excellent series which can lead into a much larger program and of course as an introduction to the Basic and maybe an Advanced Keyboard technique course. For those interested in additional work with finger independence, I recommend Alloys Schmitt exercises. As always take these in moderation and always practice with a relaxed arms, hands and wrists.

Amazing tips, thanks Wim. It is incredible how just relaxing the finger after playing each note makes such a big difference!

This was so helpful, thanks!

Thank you, this was a very helpful brief lesson. I could hear the improvement right away. It was also more fun to play this way.

Great video and I bought the course, really good!

very valuable information and clear explanations, thank you very much

This is really helpful.

Great video! Thanks for the lesson, I found it very helpful.

Thanks Wim, for giving us your very helpful advice and insight into keyboard principles

You are always inspiring. Congratulations for another great video!

I'd love to hear more from you on the Erard Wim. Perhaps even performing the same pieces in two different ways... one on the clavichord, followed by one on the Erard. You could then discuss the differences in interpretation / technique etc. Daz :)

This lesson is great for me as a beginner

Thank you for posting these. Like what Mauris Van Handel said, your lessons and recordings are an important part of my training too! I'm self-taught and your videos are very helpful to fill gaps in my learning! :)

Muchas gracias. Siento no tener un ingles fluido para agradecerle todo su trabajo, pero Bravo, muy bien !!. Su curso me parece claro y muy útil.

*Your channel is one of my favorites! I hope to share with you my music soon! This is one of your best videos in my opinion Wim. I loved it! Greetings from Mexico!*

Lots of great points, great video!

thanks wim that was very good

yess!!!! The lovely Erard :)

Very nice.

Thank you very much for this video. I completely agree that these are the basic principles of good, healthy and expressive keyboard playing. On two aspects I have a slightly different view. In order to achieve constant alignment of arm and fingers I think lateral motion has to be initiated from the elbow and not so much from the wrist (while I am very much advocating free wrist movement) while the shoulder is completely relaxed but the arm not hanging but freely moving. Secondly I think a slightly flatter handshape as achieved by putting the hand on top of the three black keys as Chopin suggested is more natural, it might however not work very well for clavichord.

..thanks yet again Maestro...

I really couldn't resist desire to try this technique and I actually bought an upright piano to recommence practising again almost from the beginning. Totally life changing. I would definitely purchase the full lesson later on. Though, in my opinion, for most beginners immature wrist moving technique may end up low wrist position every time. It could be a difficult thing for them.

I know this is not what you'd normally play, but I'd love to hear Schumann Faschingschwank on the Erard!

Wim,Vielen Dank!! Excellent points on principles.

Did you know that Paderewski preferred the Erard? That was the piano he debuted on in Paris and her preferred it to Steinway due to its light action.

Maybe by "fixed wrist" they meant: "with stable height wrist", which is not exclusive with relaxation of the wrist; this stability is important since your weight on the keyboard through the finger, when one use the arm, will determine both sound and effort. Horowitz is very stable and relaxed ie., within a range of heights, and not too dynamically changing. The circle movement is important for relaxation, for learning, but it the focus on this should be left behind when playing.

To paraphrase the renowned philosopher Yogi Berra, “Playing the piano is ninety percent mental, and the other half is physical.” Wim seems to believe that playing expressively is all physical, all technique. And while it’s true that one must have the technical tools, the musical conception is upstream from the execution. Without a clear idea of what one wants to express, all the technique in the world will not yield an expressive performance. So yes, have a sound technique. But as Yogi might have said, “If it ain’t in your mind, it’s never gonna be in your fingers.”

2:27 there were also an explanation for staccato 😋😘

A profound video with great pianistic gestures. You said something, I believe about using your wrist as a divider? Please explain what exactly that means and please expound upon this metaphor. THANX

I don't understand...how does this man have only 6000 subscribers?

Please don't slap me, but I'd like so much to hear you playing "Solace - A Mexican Serenade" by Scott Joplin on your Erard. :-P

Leuke video papa! 😚

How I am wishing to have a copy of your subtitles, in order to make the Russian translation for my friends!

Mr. Winters, what do you use to keep your Erard so lovely and Shiney??? 😁