History of Piano Technique Development: Methodical Aspect

The history of the development of piano technique has been counting down since the 17th century. The most common keyboard instruments before the invention of the piano were the harpsichord, clavicord and organ. These early instruments had much lighter keys compared to modern ones. Therefore, performers could easily press the keys without feeling much resistance. With the advent of the piano, both the playing technique and the training technique for professional pianists and amateurs began to be reviewed. Musicians, summarizing their own performing experience, wrote treatises, textbooks and manuals, looking for the most effective method of mastering the technique of playing the keyboard instrument. In history, there are two schools of piano technique: the so-called school of “high lifting of fingers” and “playing with all the weight of the hand”. This work is devoted to the history of the development of these schools and methodological approaches to piano training. The views on piano technique that developed in the 18th–20th centuries, which were reflected in the textbooks of pianistsperformers and teachers, help to understand how to perform music of a particular period and what finger technique to use for a perfect interpretation of piano works of the past.