The Well-Toned Pianist
Human, animal, inanimate falling objects—anyone and anything can get sound out of a piano through the simple act of pressing a key, no special technique required. But while creating sound is easy, making it something that others want to listen requires attention to the nebulous concept of “tone.”
What, exactly, is tone? For pianists, tone starts with the idea of creating a specific sound on the piano. We work with keys, hammers, and strings, which means every sound is shaped by how we strike the keys. Classical players usually strive to create what's referred to as a "round" tone--not harsh but rather expressive and warm. Jazz or rock players frequently seek a brighter, less refined tone—one that can cut through the texture of a combo. Much of the time we attempt to create the illusion of a long melodic line through how we connect notes to each other and the ways we work with the pedals and the instrument’s resonance. This allows the pianist to increase the expressive capability of the piano. When a pianist is referred to as possessing a “beautiful tone,” it speaks to that player’s ability to evoke emotions and meaning through how they strike the keys, work with the pedals, and shape their melodic lines. Pianists with a beautiful tone are pianists who give the instrument a voice, not just a collection of pitches.
Beginning pianists of all ages can find the concept of tone difficult to grasp, especially because many people have written about it but rarely agree on how to translate a specific sound into a verbal definition. Furthermore, experienced pianists reference it all the time while rarely defining it for those new to playing the piano. And because pianists of all ages and styles have very strong opinions on what constitutes “good tone,” I’ve hesitated to offer my own thoughts on this topic. It took a reader asking me questions about tone to prompt this post. I offer my thoughts with some trepidation, knowing that anything I write is likely to be hotly refuted by other capable pianists and instructors.
If tone is something we create when we press a piano key, what constitutes “good” tone or “bad” tone? In my opinion, good tone is something that is pleasing to the ear, while bad tone makes one want to get away from the sound. Think of the difference between listening to an experienced pianist play a few notes compared to a toddler slamming their hands on the keys and it’s easy to hear one as attractive and the other as painful. But how do pianists learn to create a beautiful tone when they play?
All tone starts in the imagination of the player. If we don’t have an ideal tone in mind when we're practicing, we can’t hear the difference between good tone and bad. When we know the sound we're hoping to create, we then find ways to use our hands and bodies in the best possible way so we can create it. This is tricky because the basics of tone production are deeply personal and are best taught in piano lessons where the instructor can work with the student on how to use their bodies and imaginations to create specific sounds in specific pieces or musical genres. That said, there are some universal elements to tone production that can be shared:
Body
How close are you sitting to the keyboard? And how high or low is the piano bench?
The best position for the pianist is to sit close enough to the keyboard to keep the elbows slightly bent and to be able to reach all the notes with ease. Bench height is also critical. Sitting too high or too low makes it difficult to use the weight of the whole body when you play.
Are you seated firmly on the bench? Do you have both feet on the floor or are you tucking one foot under and leaning on the keys?
When we’re leaning on the keys or are asking the arms and hands to help stabilize us when we play, two things happen: 1) it becomes much harder to play cleanly because our hands don’t move as easily, and 2) the extra pressure we’re putting on the keys makes the sound become harsh and jangled.
Are you sitting up straight and are your shoulders relaxed?
If your shoulders are hitched up close to your ears, or if you have poor posture it’s difficult to control the sound coming out of the keys. Good tone requires freedom of movement and access to the power of the whole body—something that’s compromised if we hold too much tension or we’re hunched over.
Are your arms relaxed?
Tight arms lead not only to injury, but also to an ugly, jangling sound when we want to play loudly. My university professor, who was trained in the Russian method, always worked with me to use the weight of a relaxed arm to create a good sound. A bonus is that relaxed arms make everything easier to play.
Are your fingers curved?
I’ve had many beautiful, sensitive adult piano students whose musical poetry was undermined by their determination to hang on to their long fingernails, thus forcing themselves to play with flat fingers. Given the varying technical demands pianists must navigate when they play, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all hand position. All of them, however, work well only when the pianist keeps a slight curve to the fingers (even when playing octaves).
Think of the position your hand naturally takes when attempting to grab something. That’s the strongest position for the hand, and that’s why piano teachers everywhere encourage students to play on their fingertips.
Are your wrists even with your arms?
Dropped or raised wrists keep the strength of the rest of the body from reaching the fingertips, thus making it difficult to create a range of attractive sounds. Poor wrist position can also lead to injury.
For more on how to sit on at the piano, check out this video.
How are you using your upper body strength?
Many people (particularly men) use too much upper body strength when they play, the result being a harsh sound—as well as opening themselves up to injury. Think about the upper body as being a conduit for the power that comes from the lower body. Big sound is created by pushing off with our feet (much like what we do when we need to pushing something heavy across a room).
Play around with this. When teaching this concept I used to ask my students to stand up and try to push the piano across the room. A moment later I asked them to sit down and play, accessing the power of the lower body. The effect was immediate and extraordinary. Even small, light pianists can make a huge sound if they know how to play using their entire body, not just their arms and hands. The bonus? The sound is more than just loud—it’s rich and full, and it can be created without damaging tension.
Ears
Listen to other pianists
What do you like? What don’t like? Why? How can you capture what you like in your own playing? The more you listen to others, more discerning you’ll become in your own practice.
Listen to yourself
Are you hearing the sound you’re creating when you’re playing or are you so focused on hitting the correct notes at the right time that you’re forgetting to listen to yourself? It’s valuable to record ourselves playing so we can make sure we’re creating the sound we think we are when we’re performing the piece.
Creating good tone is an endless frontier. The more solid our physical technique and the more carefully we listen, the greater access we have to an enormous pallet of musical colors, and the more beautifully we can bring the music and the instrument to life when we play.
Photo by Massimo Sartirana, courtesy of UpSplash