How to Play the Piano - Eurhythmics, Solfege and Improvisation

"Dalcroze Eurhythmics" is an approach to musicTHE HUMAN BODY!
education based on the premise that rhythm isTo this end, the daily practice of scales and
the primary element in music, and the source forarpeggios is indispensable.
all musical rhythm may be found in the naturalTHE REASONS FOR TRAINING IN RHYTHM
rhythms of the human body.The aspects of music that make the most
The total method consists of three parts:definite appeal to the senses are RHYTHM and
1. EurhythmicsMOVEMENT.
2. SolfegeRhythm and dynamic energy are entirely
3. Improvisationdependent on movement and I find their best
Emile Jaques-Dalcrose, while a professor ofmodel in muscular systems. ALL degrees of
Harmony and Solfege at the Conservatory oftempo can be experienced, understood, and
Music in Geneva, discovered that many of hisexpressed with the body.
pupils, although technically advanced on theirKINESTHESIA: The Missing Link
instruments, were unable to feel and expressDalcroze postulated that whenever the body
music.moves, the sensation of movement is converted
1. They couldn't deal with even the simplestinto feelings that are sent through the nervous
problems of rhythm.system to the brain which, in turn, converts that
2. Their sense of pitch, tonality, and intonationsensory information into knowledge.
was defective.The BRAIN judges the information and ISSUES
3. They possessed a mechanical rather than aORDERS to the body again through the nervous
musical grasp of the art of music.system. The brain converts feelings into sensory
4. They couldn't hear the harmonies they wereinformation about direction, weight, force accent
writing in their theory assignments.quality, speed, duration, points of arrival and
5. They were not able to invent simple melodiesdeparture, straight and curved flow paths,
or chord sequences.placements of limbs, angles of joints, and changes
6. Their lack of sensitivity created problems inin the center of gravity.
their individual performances.These orders are given to protect YOU from
Dalcroze spent his life inventing ways to help hisinjury and to find the most effective ways to
students develop their abilities to feel, hear, invent;move through the mental phenomena of
sense and imagine, connect, remember, read, andattention, concentration, memory, will power, and
write; perform and interpret music.imagination. Today this process is called the
Dalcroze's thoughts went beyond the subject of"kinesthetic" sense. We all have it... which is why
music teaching.you don't walk into walls!
1. What is the source of music? Where doesTo hone your kinesthetic sense, YOU MUST
music begin?practice scales and arpeggios SLOWLY!
HUMAN EMOTIONS are translated into musicalStudents, young and old, have achieved success
motion.in playing the piano through carefully crafted piano
2. Where do we sense emotions?teaching methods that are connected in a
IN VARIOUS PARTS OF THE BODY.constant spiral of learning:
3. How does the body express these internal1. hearing to moving;
feelings to the external world?2. moving to feeling;
IN POSTURE, GESTURES, and MOVEMENTS of3. feeling to sensing;
various kinds: automatic, some are spontaneous4. sensing to analyzing;
and others are the results of thought or will.5. analyzing to reading;
4. By what instrument does a human being6. reading to writing;
translate inner emotions into music?7. writing to improvising; and
BY HUMAN EMOTION8. improvising to performance. I know it works,
5. What is the first instrument that must bebecause it worked for me!
trained in music?