Taught by renowned pianist
Robert Durso
Over the course of her remarkable life, Dorothy Taubman (1917-2013) developed a systematic approach to training the biomechanics of piano playing rooted in observation and experimentation. This so-called "Taubman Approach" – as influential as it has been misunderstood – was the result of decades of discoveries Taubman made when working with students of all ages and ability levels. After witnessing a child effortlessly produce a big sound at the instrument, she made it her life's work to answer the question: what does the child know, intuitively, that we can discover in our own bodies? In this course, Taubman-expert Robert Durso introduces you to the five core principles of the Taubman Approach, and shows how they combine to form a unified mechanism that allows you to play with ease and virtuosity.
What Dorothy Taubman Discovered About Piano Technique
Who was the "Taubman" of the "Taubman Approach" to piano playing? In this introduction to his 7-lesson course on the Taubman Approach, Robert Durso talks about the remarkable life of Dorothy Taubman, what inspired her to spend decades unlocking the secrets of piano technique, and how she helped legions of pianists realize their physical and expressive potential at the instrument.
I. Alignment
A pianist's road to a virtuoso technique begins with a single note. Although one note might seem easy enough to play, this seemingly simple act already requires a series of coordinated motions. In this lesson, Taubman-expert Robert Durso breaks down the principle of alignment, showing how to turn the finger, hand, and arm into a single unit, and use it to generate a sound with ease.
II. Forearm Rotation
Once a pianist has experienced the sensation of playing a single note with a unified mechanism, the next challenge is to move to other notes. In this lesson, Robert Durso clarifies Taubman's often-misunderstood principle of forearm rotation and shows how this movement is the most natural way for human hands to move with a minimum of strain and a maximum of balance and control from key to key at the piano.
III. In-and-Out Motions
It goes without saying that we live in the three spatial dimensions, yet many pianists play as if we inhabit a flatland of only up and down, left and right. In this lesson, Robert Durso shows how critical the third dimension – forward and back, or "in and out" – is critical to a pianist solving seemingly impossible technical obstacles while avoiding injury.
IV. Walking Hand and Forearm
A pianist can learn a great deal from observing how they walk, shifting weight effortlessly between feet in an effortless, coordinated series of planting and swinging the legs. In this lesson, Robert Durso teaches the so-called "walking hand and forearm" – Taubman's principle for moving laterally at the keyboard – and shows how it integrates with the other principled movements to allow even greater facility.
V. Physical Shaping
Piano teachers often urge their students to "shape" their phrases, but this musical goal can only be achieved through a coordinated physical act. In this lesson, Robert Durso shows how the musical shaping of groups of notes in passages of repertoire correlates with a process of physical shaping – curvilinear "waves" that give expressive contours to phrases.
On Chords and Octaves
Chords and octaves are ubiquitous in piano music. Across eras and styles, composers drew on these fundamental musical building blocks to create vast and diverse repertoire. In this lesson, Robert Durso shows how to approach chords and octaves by drawing on Taubman's core principles.
On Fast Playing
Every piano student has to face the challenge of building speed in their exercises and pieces. In this lesson, Robert Durso shows how fast playing is not something achieved by incrementaly increasing the beats of a metronome, but is in fact the norm achieved through the successful integration of the principled movements Taubman discovered.
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Unlock Course →A leading light in the field of piano technique pedagogy, Robert Durso worked extensively with Dorothy Taubman and Edna Golandsky. He developed the teacher training program at the Golandsky Institute that professionally trains teachers in the Taubman Approach.
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