A Piano Lesson on Short Prelude #4 in D Major by J.S. Bach

Madeline Salocks

When I think back to my college days and all the time I spent studying the piano with noted master teachers, I’m immensely grateful for all the insights they gave me into interpreting the music of so many of the great composers of various periods of Western classical music, from Baroque to modern. But, when it came to any discussion of technical matters, most of these teachers were, surprisingly, at a loss for words. Even if I asked specifically what to do (physically) about a tricky passage, they couldn't seem to help, other than to tell me to just practice more. It was as if they assumed any difficulties that didn’t melt away with clarity of conception and sufficient reps were simply due to physical limitations, and one had to just push through somehow. Actually, it was true that technical improvement did come along with refinement of musical interpretation, because I did find that the more I lived with a piece and understood what it was about musically, the more some of the technical issues would resolve themselves. To convey the conception, I’d automatically start applying more pressure here, less pressure there, moving more quickly to this note, more slowly to that note, grouping a series of notes with a hand gesture, etc. And when it came to the hard parts of a challenging piece, I did push through somehow, arriving at solutions more or less unconsciously by “hook or crook”, but those parts often still remained uncomfortable. In defense of these teachers who all but ignored discussion of the technical side, I believe they were probably "naturals" and had never needed to give much thought to exactly how they navigated the notes.

They also might have thought I'd had more technical guidance earlier on than I had. In my beginning and intermediate level piano-playing days, technical guidance amounted to this: 1. Go by the book and use the fingering in the score (the editor knows best), and 2. Keep your fingers curved. Well, yes, maybe generally, but what I didn't realize was: 1. Sometimes the fingering in the score was more appropriate for the editor's hand than mine (not to mention there are sometimes multiple alternative fingerings to consider), and 2. Sometimes keeping my fingers curved hindered me.

It wasn’t until I was already very far along in advanced piano studies that I had the opportunity to take some lessons from a magnificent teacher whose lessons helped me gain a much more conscious understanding of the variety of gestures possible for greater ease in playing the piano. He always said, “It should feel good.” This seemed so simple, and yet, I’d never actually thought about it. After working with him, I began looking for ways to make the uncomfortable parts more comfortable in a much more deliberate way, rather than waiting for solutions to come by "hook or crook". I also became more aware of more subtly uncomfortable parts that I might not have noticed and given attention to before. A world-class performing artist, this teacher very likely was just as much of a natural as my other distinguished teachers, and his suggestions for interpretation were just as invaluable, but he’d also clearly made it his business to understand the how-to side and to teach it effectively.

If only, at an early stage in my piano playing, I could have been introduced to the idea that “it should feel good!” If, from an early stage, I’d known that there’s often an easier alternative to the way I initially happen to play the notes, I’d have saved a lot of time and felt more comfortable in the process.

If I could go back and talk to my earlier piano-playing self, I'd ask myself to consider some general ideas for any given section of music:

Fingering is important. If something feels awkward, one possible fix is to try an alternative fingering to what's in the music or to what you've initially decided on. Also, when considering fingering, keep in mind that there are different places on any given key to press it.
But it's not all about the fingers. The way your hand, wrist, forearm, upper arm, and even torso, is situated can make a difference too.
Move into new positions soon enough so you’re set and not “playing catch-up”.
Generally try to avoid tension and aim for freedom of movement. And along with this idea, it bears repeating--it's not all about the fingers. You'll be less inclined to tense up if you actively engage your hand, wrist, forearm, upper arm, and even torso.
Don’t get stuck; keep things moving (physically and mentally).
If something is uncomfortable to play, you might think it will stay that way forever, but that’s probably not true. Most of the time you can find movements and positions that will make it feel more comfortable. When you find a solution to playing a hard part, it might even become one of your favorite parts.

Then, I’d ask my earlier piano-playing self to consider some specific ideas when exploring possibilities for making a hard part easier. The following is just the beginnings of a list, but it includes a few of the common adjustments I’ve found helpful.

Would the hard part be easier …

if your finger(s) were further in on the keys, or further out?
if your wrist were higher, or lower?
if your wrist were angled to the left, or to the right?
if your finger(s) were flatter, or more curved?
if you covered more notes in a group?
if you made a gesture with your wrist over a group of notes—down-up, circular, pivoting left or right, rotary?
if you leaned to the left, or to the right?
if you pushed in from your arm, or pulled out?
if you played a note with the knuckle of your thumb?
if you moved to the note or group of notes sooner or in a more relaxed way?
if you made a preparatory gesture before playing the note(s)?
if you slid your thumb or finger in or out as you played a note or notes?

Then, I’d suggest applying a few of these ideas to a short intermediate level piece such as Bach’s Short Prelude #4 in D major.

Played by the author (apologies for the phone-recorded audio and videos below as I wrote this article during COVID)

This piece has three voices, and the main theme, or a variation of it or a portion of it, is almost always going on in one of the voices, in the right or left hand (or, in the case of its last appearance, starting in the left hand and moving into the right). The theme, beginning off the beat and ending on the downbeat of the following measure, comprises a series of sixteenth notes that generally ascend and then descend at the conclusion of the phrase. Initially it’s presented in the top voice in the right hand, and then, like a dialog, it’s presented in, or “answered” by, the bottom voice in the left hand as imitative counterpoint (starting on the dominant note as is often the case in traditional contrapuntal style). The other two voices, when they don’t have the theme, mostly move in slower notes, with a few exceptions, providing contrapuntal lines resulting in harmony.

Now for the detailed technical suggestions I’d offer my earlier piano-playing self, measure by measure. And note that I have relatively small hands, which, when stretched to the max, only reach a ninth. Some of these suggestions might not be as well suited to someone with much larger hands or very long fingers. And, indeed, anyone reading this might just want to take what’s helpful and leave the rest.

Measure 1

Right hand

Beat 1:

To begin, angle your right hand slightly toward the right—to anticipate the stretch to the second beat with finger 2 on A.
Use a slight down-up-down-up wrist motion—to stay loose, and not to play from the fingers alone.

Beat 2:

As you play the first three sixteenth notes, gradually pull the thumb along under the fingers—so it’s prepared and in position to play the second A.
As you play the second A, quickly prepare finger 3 over D—so you’re comfortably ready at the start of beat 3.

Beats 3–4:

Cover the notes and circle up and around with your wrist as you move to the downbeat of measure 2—to help shape the end of the phrase and avoid the notes sounding too individual.

Left hand

Beat 2:

Slide the thumb to the A with a pull of the hand—to avoid the tension caused by moving just the fingers.

Beat 3:

As you play the A with the thumb, prepare finger 3 over the E—for good anticipation so you’re ready for beat 4.

Beat 4:

Use a down-up wrist motion, and just before the second measure, angle your hand to the left to prepare for the octave stretch coming—for easier, more relaxed positioning.

Measure 2

Right hand

Beats 2–3:

Use a down-up motion on the A to the B in the inner voice—to avoid the tension caused by moving just the fingers.

Left hand

Beat 1:

Use a slight rotary hand motion on the first three sixteenth notes leading to the fourth sixteenth note—to avoid the tension caused by moving just the fingers.

Beat 2:

As you go from thumb to finger 2 on E to F#, throw your hand over in a quick but relaxed gesture—for good anticipation and to avoid tension.

Measure 3

Right hand

Beat 4:

Circle your wrist up and around as you lead to the downbeat of measure 4—again, to help shape the end of the phrase and avoid the notes sounding too individual.

Left hand

Beat 2:

Pivot your hand so it’s angled slightly to the left in preparation for the thumb on D—so you are in a better position for the subsequent notes in the measure.

Measure 4

Right hand

Beat 1:

As you change from finger 2 to finger 3 on the downbeat F#, with wrist up, pivot your hand around so it’s angled to the right before playing the D, and play the D in the middle of the key, close to the outer edge of the C#, with your wrist dropped back down—to be in a better position for the next notes.

Beats 2–4:

In the inner voice, slide the thumb down from the C# to the B, and then quickly prepare finger 2 over the E coming on the fourth beat—so you’re comfortably ready on the fourth beat. Similarly, as you play the B in the inner voice on the second half of beat 4, quickly prepare finger 3 over the E coming on the downbeat of measure 5.

Measure 5

Right hand

Beat 1:

Pivot the hand slightly to the left when playing the thumb on A—for easier positioning of the D and F# coming

Beat 3:

Use a slight down-up wrist on the D and G moving to a slight down wrist on the F# as you initiate the new phrase—to both emphasize the separation between the end of one phrase and the beginning of the next, and for general flexibility.

Left hand

Beat 2:

After playing the thumb on the E, move it over the G as you’re playing D to C with fingers 3–4—so you’re set for the third beat.

Beat 4:

With your hand angled slightly to the left at first, slide out slightly as you play the B where you switch fingers, and, think of semi-circling around as you play the group of four notes making up this beat and the first beat of measure 6—to make positioning easier for the F# with finger 5 in measure 6 beat 1.

Measure 6

Right hand

Beat 3:

Make the finger switch 1–5 on the E quickly and then stretch the octave to prepare for the lower E—for good anticipation, and also to allow yourself to focus on the left hand.

Left hand

Beat 3:

Position your wrist up slightly—so the thumb-under movement is more efficient.

Measures 8–9

Both hands

Through this sequence, which is based on a fragment of the main theme with the hands alternately answering each other, prepare each position, covering the notes—for good anticipation.

Left hand

For the octave down in the left hand, spread your hand to prepare the low note a split-second before you need to play it—for added security.

Measure 10

Right hand

Beats 1–2:

Rather than lifting it, slide your thumb from the tied over F# down to the D—for a more fluid motion.

Beats 3–4:

As you move the thumb from the D to the C#, pivot in—so you can more easily play the A with finger 4 switching to 5.

Measure 11

Left hand

Beat 4:

Prepare and cover the three sixteenth notes and the downbeat of measure 12 with the fingers in on the keys—so your thumb is closer to the F# it needs to play on the downbeat of the next measure.

Measure 12

Right hand

Beat 1:

Angle your hand slightly to the right—so it's easier to play the notes in beat 2.
Slide your thumb in as you play the A—because, looking ahead, you will need to play your thumb on F# in beat 2.

Beat 2:

As you play the D with finger 5, quickly cover the next three sixteenth notes—so you are comfortably in place to play that inner voice.

Measure 13

Left hand

Beat 2:

Instead of using fingering 1–2–1–2, you might try 1–2–3–4, after which you bring finger 3 over finger 4 (along with angling the hand to the left) to play the C# at the beginning of beat 3—for a smoother hand gesture to match the overall gesture of the phrase.

Measure 15

Right hand

Beat 4:

As you play the sixteenth notes with fingering 3–5–24–3 and then land on the downbeat of measure 16 with finger 5, position your wrist up and circle your hand around (angled left, then angled right), and as you pivot on finger 3 on the last sixteenth note C natural, tuck finger 5 under—to make the B on the downbeat of measure 16 more comfortable and secure.

Left hand

Beat 4:

Angle your hand slightly toward the left—to make the notes of the first beat of measure 16 more comfortable to play.

Measure 16

Right hand

Beat 1:

Pivot right to left around finger 5 and prepare finger 3 on the G—to make your position in beat 2 easier.

Beat 3:

If you're connecting the A in the top voice on beat 2 with the G on the second half of beat 3, try the option of playing finger 3 switching to 5 on the G instead of playing finger 5 directly on the G—to avoid the awkward movement of finger 5 crossing under finger 4.

Left hand

Beats 1–2:

Angle your hand far to the left so that the side of finger 5 is lying on the key, and prepare and play the C in beat 2 with a very curved finger 2 on its left side—otherwise, with finger 5 holding the low D whole note, playing the left hand's top voice would cause more tension.

Beat 3:

As soon as you play the B with your thumb, anticipate finger 2 on the Bb—so you’re there with ease.

Beat 4:

Use a down-up wrist to push off the G and extend the gesture to arc down and land on the low D on the downbeat of the next measure—so you move forward with flow.

Measure 17

Right hand

Beat 1:

On the second chord, you can choose to play both lower notes (A and G) with the thumb—a slightly easier movement from the previous chord than if you play them with 1 and 2.

Beat 3:

You can play the E in the left hand with the right hand–it might be more comfortable than the ninth stretch in the left hand which is holding down the low D. As long as the theme doesn't sound broken up.

Left hand

Beat 1:

Play the A in on the key—so it's easier to play the C# with the thumb.

Beat 2:

You can play the sixteenth note D in the inner voice with the left hand—since the thumb just played it in beat 1. This might be easier than playing the D in the right hand. Again, as long as the theme doesn't sound broken up.

Beats 3–4:

Move back out on the keys—to more easily play the E on beat 4 while still holding the low D.

To say these suggestions are granular and numerous is an understatement. And of course they could always be further refined, and plenty of alternatives could be discussed. You probably wouldn’t put most pieces under the microscope to this extent. But giving some thought to the physical gestures that work out well in a short piece like this helps to at least plant the idea early on that there are ways to make piano playing more comfortable.

If you find any of this helpful, I'd like to hear from you. (madelinesalocksatgmail)