A Ginormous Problem for Most Folks!
One vacation many years ago, I spent my time wading through a dry-as-toast tome called "400 Years of Keyboard Technique." I recall vividly what it taught me, namely that "proper" fingering depends utterly on who is the authority figure at the time being considered.
This is bogus. Especially since the "new kid on the block" usually makes his rep by trashing the ideas and even name of the last dude. Especially since none of these people knows what YOUR hand is like! And that's the hand you need worry about.
Oh, they likely know some generalities about it. Namely, that your thumb is probably on the inside of your hand and is shorter than your fingers. What they can NOT know is specifics.
Thus, all my fingering info is generalities and that's all it can be. I've seen many, many things in my 25+ years of teaching all ages - like the guy whose right index had been cut off. He simply no longer had one.
It's hip these days to speak of how there are learning styles - and there ARE, not discounting that. However, until such time as we can trigger sounds with those differences, the human nervous system (you know, the one that controls the hands themselves) had better be almost the same in every person.
Luckily, it is. How do I know? Well, I have taught hundreds of people of all ages. Honestly - all ages.
None had been all that different, nervous system-wise. Also, there is the evidence of education in general. The most radical educational method is not designed to teach each person differently, even though each person is unique!
As I said, lucky!
This series of essays will focus on fingering, - what I've learned about it over the years of teaching. It's a huge problem for most folks. Those who don't have trouble with it are called "prodigies" and I'm not one of those elite types!
Have a particular question for me? Email me directly and I will answer it: danstarrorg410@gmail.com
