"An awesome contribution..."

-- William F. Buckley, Jr.

Think of all the things you have done with your hands today: washing, dressing, eating, etc. All of these actions seem commonplace, because we possess the remarkable feature of opposable thumbs.

Playing the piano, however, is different -- not only from a myriad of life activities, but also from playing other musical instruments. Playing the piano, in fact, is one of the few things in life which requires the thumbs not to act in opposition to other fingers, but to act in concert (no pun intended) with them. To access the dexterity and sensitivity in the thumbs, to bring the thumb muscles into delicate balance, you must do something to offset the restrictions imposed by the piano: an exercise specifically for the thumbs.

Bach and Paderewski, among other keyboard giants, stressed the fact that the thumbs were the most important finger in playing the keyboard. This book teaches you how to improve the way your thumbs are used, and provides a complete picture of exercises for all the other fingers as well -- including solving Shumann�s famous dilemma about the constriction of the fourth finger, to give your piano a �singing� sound. You have only to try it to feel the dramatic difference this technique will make in your touch.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Larry Greenfield has had several careers.

For many years he taught Kindergarten and other levels up to Community College. As a teacher, he was mentioned about in Nat Hentoff�s book, Our Children Are Dying.

As a Clinical School Psychologist, Larry again worked with various age groups, from Kindergarten to High School.

Now in retirement, Greenfield is involved with theater groups and has a part-time career recording voice-overs. He has also written about a new approach to creating power in one�s voice.

Finally, Larry has always made time to play the piano, and for thought and experimentation. Years of exploration have have culminated in this book. If you try Greenfield�s excercises, you will be astounded by the improvement in the beauty of your playing.

How to Make Your Piano Sing Like a Violin ISBN-10: 1-58832-018-9 ISBN-13: 978-1-58832-018-6 Retail: $17.99 U.S. Edition: First Specs: 6 x 9 Hardback (4-color) Length: 108 Released: May 2001 Subject(s): Music