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Dear Teachers,

There are many pedagogues and systems, and some advocate curled fingers, while others swear by flat finger techniques.

What are your views? Is there a place for BOTH techniques rather than curled versus flat?

Personally, I find melodic lines played better with flat fingers, while crystal clear fast passages are played better with curled fingers. I have been taught both techniques by different teachers.

So what are your views and beliefs?

Thanks!

Maybe you read this thread? http://www.pianoworld.com/ubb/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?/topic/2/20075.html#000000
Fingers should be naturally curved. Curled or flat is for specialists who know what they're doing.

KBK,

Thanks!

I agree with what you say - the curved (Chopin's method) finger is what I usually use. This naturally "curved" finger is classified by my current teacher (who probably has Russian training) as close to "flat fingers," which she heavily criticized.

I was taught by my previous teachers to use the "curved" fingers. One previous teacher also taught me to use the curled fingers as well, but only for selected passages (looks like the "curled fingers" in Leschetizky's method). But my current teacher swear by the curled fingers!

That is why I'm pretty confused now!

If you can play Chopin with the appropriate relaxed (curved) hand then you can go ahead and curl away for Bach. Adding tension is easy (and uncomfortable) releasing it can take years.

I think there is a big difference between flat fingers which still have a slight natural curve and flat fingers which are dead straight or even bend back at the last joint. If you straighten your fingers out completely you will feel your wrists become stiff. You can't articulate fingers like that. What happens is you start to compensate by pressing harder. This is incredibly bad but very common in those who don't know any better. Lots of people compensate for weak fingers in all sorts of unusual ways.

Curled fingers are good for pieces which are finger based. All those intricate passages with detailed articulation you get in Baroque and Classical repertoire.

Thanks again KBK and Chris!

That was very helpful. I know that when it comes to various systems of teaching, it can become a sensitive issue. I am now trying to imbibe both system and make use of each for different kind of pieces. I guess only time will tell ...

Why choose between the two. How about somewhere in between with firm, yet flexible fingertips (pads).

Relatively flat fingers, with a natural curve--I encourage my students to play this way, and I noticed most good professional pianists play with relatively flat hands. Even myself, with curled fingers (especially the extremely curled ones I sometimes see--could reach less than an octave. With relatively flat hand, a comfortable 9th, the flat hand has much less tension too.

Meri

Thanks musiclady. I noticed that too

I was taught to play with curled fingers and a lot of tension, and developed severe tendonitis in my 20's. Finally went to Dorothy Taubman and began learning how to play with the natural alignment of the hand using in and out movements in white note keys to avoid curling. (moving out to the long fingers and in to the short fingers in (mostly) white key scales.) Both curled fingers and overly straightened fingers produce tension which reduces speed and fluency.

pomona,

When you say in and out movements are you kind of "sweeping" with your fingers on the keys?

Interesting observation. In the 18th century keyboards were played with curled fingers that's why legato was not the norm - they couldn't reach the leaps, instead changing hand position..

I think people tend to ignore developmental pedagogy where this topic is concerned. While both approaches are obviously successfully applied by excellent pianists, the curved finger approach is preferable for student pianists. It gives the hand a more natural shape, supports the development of a bridge, and promotes the strengthening of the fingers. From a developmental standpoint, flattened fingers are less natural and do not help develop a strong bridge and fingers.

This is one of those cases in which pedagogy is different than practice. In practice, flattened fingers have their uses - there are tone colors and articulations possible with flattened fingers that are not accessible with a curved approach.

One must use both, depending upon the circumstance. I can't imagine playing Chopin, Op 25, No. 1 with curved fingers, nor could I imagine how one would play something like J.S. Bach's Fantasia in c minor with flat fingers. Add to that that we are all hinged slightly differently. What works for me will not necessarily work for you.

My children are taking lessons and they're being taught to play with curved fingers, shaped like the letter "c". I'm told by the conservatory where they are studying that this is the correct way.

Personally I think the teaching of technique is so highly individualized and opinions or so different that there is no one right answer... well I may think there is... but how can one discuss something and say, this is the way it should be done, when it so subjective.

I guess it comes down to how well students play with the technique that is taught to them as well as how many are able to continue progressing while not getting injured.

It was the correct way throughout the 19th century. Chopin saw it differently, he believed the hand should lie on the keys as it appears when hanging arms at your side. Check this out, though I disagree with some of their ideas: http://www.youtube.com/watch?gl=GB&hl=en-GB&v=_ydx84Sp1rc&feature=channel_page

The terminology we're using here is curved (natural) vs curled (shaped). Curved is healthy and for Chopin and after. Curled gives you plenty of tension, but is how Bach and Mozart played. I was taught to even play Bach and Mozart with the natural curve - I wouldn't teach children differently. When you have near-zero tension and you know what you are doing then you can by all means experiment.

Although I wonder what kind of action the instruments they played on had. Did Bach ever see a piano?

Bach tried a piano at Frederick the Great's court and said the action was too heavy. Later on as Silberman improved the action he was more impressed. His youngest son, JC Bach, had the piano in mind when publishing his Sonatas. Mozart played on a piano with about 5mm keydip and extremely light action (more or less no resistance). But lightness is not the point of the curl. Even with no action curling up the fingers is full of tension especially all down your sides.