Tips to help bring out the best tone when playing the piano

There is a pianist from the past, Artur Rubenstein. His playing was characterised by the most beautiful tone. Rubenstein gave every note importance and make melodies truly sing. The result, as you can hear below, was truly exceptional.

Chopin Nocturne Op. 9, No. 1 in B flat

Here are some tips to achieve a beautiful rounded tone:

    Relax, check your posture.

    Play with the pads of the fingers rather than the tips. Aim for a warm ‘buttery’ tone effect when doing this.

    Listen carefully. Listen attentively to the sound you are producing and adjust your touch accordingly.

    Play with a variety of touch. Experiment with different levels of pressure to bring out the full range of the piano’s sound.

Rubenstein was ‘honest’ when he played. He searched for the composer’s meaning, and endeavoured to produce what the composer meant us to hear. He didn’t ‘throw away’ notes and gave them all full value. Can you practice to achieve this?