This page © 1997 by Kevin Purrone
C. Tobias Matthay and the Weight Approach
1. Books by Tobias Matthay
a. "Pianoforte Tone-Production." London: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1911
b. "The Visible and Invisible in Piano Technique." London: Oxford University Press, 1947
2. Ingredients of the technique
a. Finger touch
b. Hand touch (or weight)
c. Arm touch (or weight)
d. Resting on the keys or the key bed
e. Muscularly initiated actions
f. Weight release initiated actions
g. Thrusting with curved fingers
h. Clinging with flat fingers
3. Technical Methods of Performing
a. Staccato
1. Describes 18 different varieties [!]
2. Exert the fingers, hand, and arm in various combinations or separately, with
either muscular or weight initiated touch and by accurately stopping the down-impulses
of the finger, hand and arm
3. The arm should be fully poised, with weight suspended until the moment of impact
b. Tenuto (or portamento)
1. There are different varieties
2. The finger does not completely stop its exertion after the note sounds, but
continues slightly on the key bed just enough to keep the key depressed
3. Produce by slightly lapsing the self-support of the arm
4. All components of the technique come into play, in various combinations
c. Legato
1. There are Ten varieties
2. Produced in the same manner of tenuto, except the weight of the arm is carried from key to key
3. All components of the technique come into play, in various combinations
d. Chords
1. Uses the weight of the upper arm (above the elbow)
2. Lower arm is relaxed
3. NEVER uses a stiff drive forward of the whole arm
a. Like a knock out blow in boxing [ouch!]
e. Voicing
1. Focus the weight on the selected note
f. Hand and Arm Movements
1. Arm
a. Four optional techniques
1. Release the whole arm (included the shoulder for singing and chord effects
2. Release just the forearm weight for light effects
3. Exert the forearm down along with the weight release for the loudest tones
4. Drive the upper arm forward and exert the forearm downwards--strictly avoided
except for special effects [ouch!]
b. Two compulsory techniques
1. The Poised Arm
a. Fully poised arm (weight suspended)
b. Partially poised arm (weight partially suspended)
2. The Rotative Arm
a. The forearm rotates slightly toward the finger that is playing
g. Touch
1. Three types, describing what part of the apparatus is used
a. Finger touch alone
1. Loose hand
2. Self-supporting arm
b. Finger touch with hand touch behind it
1. Weight of the hand behind the fingers
2. Self-supporting arm
c. Finger touch with hand touch and arm weight
1. Weight of the arm behind the hand and the fingers
2. Use finger touch when the passage is too rapid for hand touch
3. Use finger and hand touch when the passage is too rapid for arm weight
4. Use arm weight much as possible, but only if the passage can be performed with it
h. Tone
1. Achieve good tone by correctly judging the speed of the
hammer stroke of the keys
a. The proper combination of finger, hand, and arm touch (depending on the passage of
the music) will produce the proper speed of the hammer stroke
Continue with: Vladimir Horowitz