Make The Piano Sing | Beethoven, Chopin, & Liszt Teach Legato
Make The Piano Sing Free PDF | tonebase

Make The Piano Sing

As pianists, we have to work especially hard to play in a legato style. When we depress a key at the piano, the resulting sound immediately fades. Even when we depress the sustain pedal, the sound will eventually die. As a result, we have to find creative ways of achieving a legato sound. This PDF explores how Beethoven, Chopin, and Liszt approached legato playing as performers and pedagogues.

Inside The PDF:

  • Beethoven encouraged his students to make the piano 'sing.'
  • Liszt instructed students to use the 'palm' of their fingers.
  • Clementi used 'finger pedaling' to ensure connected musical phrases.
The best rule is to adhere chiefly to the legato, reserving the staccato to give spirit occasionally to certain passages, and to set off the higher beauty of the legato.
- Muzio Clementi
Quote On Make The Piano Sing

What's inside?

In Italian, legato literally means 'tied' or 'bound.' In music, legato is a term that instructs us to play in a smooth, connected style with no audible breaks between notes. In this way, legato is a kind of articulation, often contrasted with staccato ('detached') articulation.

While we have to master all kinds of articulations as pianists, we are already well on our way to success if we begin by practicing our legato! Start with the following legato techniques:

  • Finger Placement
  • Matching Decay
  • 'Finger Pedaling'
  • Learn More In The PDF!
Make The Piano Sing
Make The Piano Sing
Make The Piano Sing
Make The Piano Sing

WATCH AN EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW FROM ARIE VARDI'S LESSON

Legendary pianist and professor Arie Vardi speaks about how to achieve a beautiful legato, which to him is the 'number one goal in piano playing.' Stay tuned for more lessons from Maestro Vardi and more, coming this Fall on tonebase Piano!

Check out the preview of legendary pianist Arie Vardi's lesson above, and join the waiting list to access full lessons with Vardi, John O'Connor, Garrick Ohlsson and dozens of other world class pianists on tonebase Piano this fall!

Make The Piano Sing

Make The Piano Sing

Make The Piano Sing
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