Splashing
In a complete break from the “traditional” approach, Whiteside describes a method she refers to as splashing. The concept is based on a the simple principle of keyboard geography. While stressing a solid, rounded hand position, Whiteside advocates an improvisatory technique of using five finger clusters, firm, active fingers, moving in an improvisatory fashion up and down the keyboard. Using varied rhythms, students are encouraged to initially forego the “correct notes”, while encouraging freedom across the keyboard. Once again, freedom is encouraged within a solid rhythm framework. Any passage from repertoire can be reduced to rhythmic clusters, allowing the student to focus on freedom of movement. Gradually, as the distance and movement across the keyboard is mastered, the correct notes can be incorporated.
Tucking in Tones:
ne of the most helpful techniques that I have incorporated into my teaching across all levels is the concept of “tucking in tones”. Seven year old Jacob came to his lesson with the piece, The Bear, written by Rebikov. He was having great difficulty coordinating the left hand staccato octave F’s with the right hand, to the point of a complete breakdown. Realizing that his difficulty was a result of a lack of the rhythm of form, combined with adequate freedom of the left arm guiding the fingers, I instructed him to leave out the thumb, and play only the fifth finger F with the right hand notes. We practiced together, and I emphasized to his mother that he had my permission to “leave out” half the left hand notes. Our plan was to add in the top F once he became comfortable with the coordinated arm drops on the downbeats. Jacob immediately relaxed once he was relieved of having to “play all the notes”. The following week, after playing the downbeats only, he was immediately able to add, or “tuck in” the top F. Jacob’s success helped me as a teacher assimilate that, we too often waste time assuming that the student is a poor reader. As a teacher, I have too often resorted to pointing to the missed note with the pencil instead of teaching the motion.
Outlining and Scanning a Piece
Sophia Rosoff states, “Outlining a piece is critical”. In fact, many of Whiteside’s concepts are so intertwined, that it is difficult to separate outlining and scanning, from the equally important ideas of tucking in tones and practicing with basic rhythm. I have discovered, however, that using outlining techniques makes for rich and positive opportunities for the introduction of pieces, even with the easiest literature. It encourages students to relax with a new piece, and think musically instead of just about learning notes. It is a relief for students to begin a new piece with this more gradual approach. Once they realize that practicing does not necessarily mean playing all of the notes in each hand, the piece immediately becomes more accessible.
I have come to the conclusion that the notation of rhythm can best be taught by many of the rhythm drills and programs both in book and computer program form. Rather than having students count out loud, I have experimented with introducing new pieces (or sections of larger ones) in the lesson in a practice session. Using outlining techniques allows for a more successful rhythmic pulse. It is true that the students often follow the leader in these sessions initially, but there is equally a better likelihood they will leave the lesson with an inner pulse, a physical feeling that will lend more solid, rhythmically correct results. Every teacher has experienced the exasperation of drilling counting into Johnny, only to hear him return to another lesson counting 1-2-333333-44444! It is frustrating for students to be told they are still not right. It is only when the rhythm is experienced physically that students begin to understand that each half note or eighth note must be in proportion. Like the notes, each individual tone means nothing. It is only in the blending of those tones and rhythms that a musical idea unfolds.
A Challenge to the Traditional Teaching Philosophy
Given Whiteside’s phrase-wise approach, and her strategies for learning in a rhythm, we must consider how we teach the “traditional” piano lesson. Whiteside correctly points out that in all other learning situations, we begin with larger motions. Pre-school children focus on bouncing balls and playing catch. The gross motor movements such as walking, running, hopping and jumping are universally accepted as a prerequisite for reading readiness. Why then, do we insist on teaching “reading” to our beginning piano students with such vigor, instead of allowing students to be rooted in the aural and technical concepts of the instrument? Whiteside maintains that the importance of reading with young students and beginner before they have some coordination at the piano produces harmful effects–note-wise versus phrase-wise thinking and the virtually impossible task of thinking within a larger rhythmic structure and the accompanying physical coordination that is necessary for ease in performance. She came under much criticism for encouraging students to begin with pieces taught by rote, and considerable lesson time should be spent transposing these pieces. Her philosophies would seem to be in alignment with the Suzuki approach. I have found it to be most helpful to begin young children in this manner. I teach the reading concepts separately, particularly the note reading. I find that doing the traditional “reading drills” in short periods until the student can read small phrases of notes is paramount to their long-term reading success.
Teaching the core reading and rhythm recognition concepts prior to giving the student the first reading primer actually facilitates the process. In spite of the wonderful opportunity this provides for ear training, the rote approach was a challenge to traditional teaching concepts of the late 1920’s, and receives a lack of credence among many in the piano pedagogy community today. As she states in her essay on “Flaws in Traditional Teaching of Piano”, Whiteside reasons, “Tradition has played an important role in the field of music, but does not justify clinging to unproductive tools in teaching” (p. 170)
During my lesson with Sophia Rosoff, she brought up the subject of my young beginners. Mentioning that she no longer taught small children, she recalled her earlier days when she used Whiteside’s approach. She noted that, as she taught the patterns, she always had the music book on the stand. In almost every instance, after teaching the patterned piece, she would point to the page and say, “Now, this is how the piece looks on the page.”
Her initial concerns that the students would not learn to read were not founded. With the book on the stand, her youngest children soon began to translate the patterns on the page, initially by understanding directions of the notes. As ear training developed, they instinctively were able to read by intervals. She encouraged my work in beginning youngsters with the aural sounds and physical gestures first, weaving the reading in when appropriate.
Criticism among pedagogues abounds in consideration of her stand on insisting on daily scale routines and drills. Traditional teaching dictates that “good” teachers instill scales, arpeggios and chord routines. Practically speaking, students seeking to become competent musicians need to understand key signatures, chord patterns, and have a working vocabulary of basic fingering patterns, all of which can be developed effectively with the formal study of scales. It would seem that Whiteside’s criticism of scale routines, Hanon and Czerny exercises stems from how we teach these concepts. One week of critical listening to my students’ technical exam requirements for the Royal American Conservatory Exams gave much credibility to her philosophy.
While my attempts to avoid thumb tucking and get more upper arm ease into scales and arpeggios is making steady progress, most of my students fail to play scale passages with any connection to musical thought. Realistically, I cannot abandon technical routines if I expect my students to have a sound, working knowledge of theory and fingering concepts. I have come to realize that I must encourage them to listen and approach scales as if playing a phrase in a Mozart concerto. Searching for an answer to this challenge, I began playing along, creating a musical, rhythmic environment conducive to my students catching the “musical fever“. Once again, Whiteside’s concerns of the traditional American thirty minute lesson as inadequate to train the ear is well grounded. The requirement of longer lesson lengths has allowed me more time to develop dynamic control and phrase-wise playing of scales. To date, many of my students respond well in the lesson, only to slide back during home practice sessions. I am hopeful that consistent weekly work with a musical approach to technical study will result in developing the best of both the musical and technical growth in my students’ musicianship.
Conclusion
I came to the book, On Piano Playing, well on the path to a more open approach to playing. Having discovered new ways to practice, I have begun to experience the ease off allowing the escapement level of the piano work to my advantage technically. With new freedom comes greater expression and more colorful, artistic playing. Development in any art should be a constant evolution. The greats, from Horowitz and Rubinstein, to Vladimir Ashkenazy, write of their discoveries at the piano throughout their lives.
Only history will tell us whether or not the plague of injured pianists will at last put an end to our traditional methods of teaching and playing. The Abby Whiteside Foundation was founded after her death to promote her concepts and ideals. Her students, such as Joseph Prostakoff, Sopian Rosoff, and Edward Wallowitch, are but a few of her students who have now taught an entire new generation of pianists. It is up to our generation of active teachers to teach and promote the concepts left to us by Abby Whiteside’s former students and her extensive writings. Perhaps the greatest legacy Abby Whiteside leaves us can be found in a candid shot of her teaching pianist Edward Wallowitch in her studio across from Carnegie Hall. Sitting side by side, her left hand was linked with his right upper arm. Her right hand demonstrated a full arm stroke, as her student imitated her physical gesture. She is teaching, not coaching this already accomplished pianist. Active, engaging, positive and pioneering pianist Abby Whiteside has left us her thoughts, struggles, discoveries and ideas–truly the Indispensables of Piano Playing.