Seymour Fink's Mastering Piano Technique - KU ScholarWorks

Submitted to the graduate degree program in Piano Performance Studies and the Graduate
Faculty of the University of Kansas in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of
Doctor of Musical Arts


The dissertation committee for Seonghyang Kim certifies that this is the approved version of the
following dissertation:
Mastering Piano Technique:
Understanding Basic Technical Movements


Abstract
For many pianists and students, piano technique is regarded as one of most important
elements in their constant pursuit of artistic betterment. Since the Romantic era, numerous
virtuosic works have been composed; in a similar vein, contemporary composers still entertain
the idea of captivating the audience with physically demanding writing. In the meantime, the
piano has been developed with heavier hammers and steel strings for a bigger sound and wider
register compared to its prototype in the Baroque era. Difficult works coupled with heavier piano
tend to create a hotbed of injury, as seen in Schumann, Rachmaninoff and currently Lang Lang.
Even though there exists a handful of theories on piano technique advanced by the like of T.
Matthay, O. Ortmann and A. Schultz, their theories can be difficult to understand, and even less
applicable to piano works for the present day teachers and students.
ale in the
1 Seymour
Mastering Piano Technique contains many detailed diagrams and practical
explanations. Moreover, a video recording is accompanied with the book to better clarify the
contents of the entire book. I would like to introduce this book and apply the technical
movements in it to a selection of etudes throughout this research. I hope this dissertation and my
own videos (a YouTube link on Appendix) can provide some help for piano students and
teachers.