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 enlarge | Author: Alan Fraser
Creator: Sonya Ardan
Publisher: The Scarecrow Press, Inc.
Category: Book
List Price: $39.95
Buy New: $35.51
You Save: $4.44 (11%)
New (18) Used (6) from $35.51
Avg. Customer Rating:  7 reviews
Sales Rank: 251923
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 448
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.2
Dimensions (in): 8.3 x 5.5 x 1.1
ISBN: 0810845911
Dewey Decimal Number: 786.2193
EAN: 9780810845916
ASIN: 0810845911
Publication Date: June 2003
Shipping: Eligible for Super Saver Shipping
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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| Customer Reviews:
| Showing reviews 6-7 of 7 | | « PREV | | |
Finally a theoretically and practically sound approach August 13, 2005
36 out of 37 found this review helpful
I am a piano player from Hong Kong who was attracted to world of classical music, yet start learning piano at an old age. (15, which is normally considered too old for a good technique) Having drawn to different schools and still having no improvement for 4 years, I somehow gave up playing piano. At that time, I can hardly technically manage to play Mozart's sonata, not to say my favourite Beethoven, Chopin, Rachmaninov, etc. I have to say my hands are commented by many as suitable for playing piano, stretching a 11th. But they just don't work for me. From my various failed attempts, I somehow learnt to recognize what is useless for me. I read many books on techniques written by some of the greatest masters, as well as conversations with great pianists like Horowitz, but still find these completely useless, at least completely useless for improving technique which they are supposed to discuss. There is a book which discuss application of Alexander technique on piano technique which I find quite insightful, but again throughout the whole book of hundreds pages, I find very few practical advice: most of the materials is theory which sound very well but I cannot implement on my hands.
Until I saw the homepage of Alan Fraser then I know I can resume playing piano. I just keep improving after I got the book. Obstacles and problems for many years are solved one after one. I am not qualified to describe his method, just go to the homepage of the author for the philosophy behind
http://alanfraser.faithweb.com/
Just a word of warning for some potential readers: this book, while highly practical, is not an easy reading. And it is not an ABC piano playing book. The author aims to tackle technical problems on classical pieces like Lizst, Scriabin, Rachmaninov, which you will heard in a piano concert. It is for those who want to improve their technique in the long run, not for those who want to start playing piano. While the author explains everything fully, there is always a danger of underestimating the depth or do not understand at all of what the author wrote, particularly for those who are quite new to piano. But if you really understand what he means and follow completely and carefully (the exercise require your full attention and self-awareness)his exercisesm you can CERTAINLY expect a breakthrough in your technique!! (unlike other book on piano playing which ultimate rely on luck and the so-called "talent"--just as if you didn't read them)
Insightful view into the mechanics of finger activation June 24, 2004
26 out of 27 found this review helpful
Alan Fraser's book, which reveals the relation of good, legato-based, piano playing to Tai'Chi walking, offers an excellent insight into the art of "activating" the fingers. This technique, in which the fingers are strengthened and trained to function properly, relieves the arm of undue tension, and allows the pianist to produce a greater variety of tone and dynamics.
After purchasing this book and trying some of the exercises, which, by the way, are a little on the uncomfortable side if one's hand is not trained properly, I did notice a change in the way I played. My tone was meatier, and I had more control over articulation, dynamics, and color. Some of the exercises may have brought a little discomfort, but after practicing them for a period of time, the soreness disappeared and I could feel my hand and fingers participating correctly in my playing mechanism.
This book offers many valuable insights into playing piano and the real use of the hand and fingers. If you think you need it: buy it! If you don't: buy it! It will tell you if what you are doing is right or not. Also, the book gets an A+ in terms of understandability---Fraser will not leave you in the dark! Everything is explained fully, and the concepts overlap often. Altogether an excellent and incredibly informative book!
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