Technique Series: 2. How do we really play softly?

How can you cultivate a secure technique in students which enables them to play softly with confidence at the piano? Playing softly in performance can be a scary experience for student pianists (and professionals!) who need to know that they can play on right to the edge of the piano's sound, whilst also being sure the note will project and won't fall silent. In this video, Kris Worsley demonstrates some fun and engaging ways to develop a technique for soft playing right from a student's earliest lessons (you'll need a glass of water and a ping pong ball!), and explores the importance of this technique for more advanced students. He also opens up his piano to find a playground inside, and explains how this playground can help even a young child feel calm, relaxed, and completely at one with the piano.

Kris Worsley, Principal Tutor of The Piano Teachers' Course UK

Kris Worsley is a widely published music lecturer and researcher, who leads courses in music history and analysis at the Royal Northern College of Music, amongst other places. He is one of the newest members of the Principal Tutor Team at The Piano Teachers' Course UK.