Steve wrote in from the newsletter and asked
Question: I am working on Roland Dyens 20 Letters, letter #2. The melody is all stems down played with the thumb. Give me an exercise to train individual fingers and thumb to have separate volume as the different voices emerge.
In this little video I go through an exercise that I found very useful over the years for teaching and for myself! It exercises giving different weight to each finger in a systematic approach. It is a very simple exercise but quite a challenge to do well!
Cheers,
Simon
The following practice notes summarize Simon’s demonstration in the video.
Find a section in the video
- 1:08 — Set up the D-major chord
- 1:35 — Bring out the thumb
- 2:13 — Bring out the ring finger
- 2:40 — Work on the inner voices
These links open the relevant moment on YouTube.
One chord, four different voices
This exercise is about choosing which note the listener hears most clearly. All four notes sound together, but one is more prominent. Simon uses a D-major chord on strings 4, 3, 2 and 1, assigning one right-hand digit to each string:
- p — thumb: fourth string.
- i — index finger: third string.
- m — middle finger: second string.
- a — ring finger: first string.
Begin with the bass and the top note
- Play the chord as a block, sounding all four notes together and as evenly as you can.
- Repeat it with the thumb’s note louder than the other three. Keep the other notes audible.
- Return to an even chord, then bring out the first-string note with the ring finger.
In the demonstration, Simon prepares the digit carrying the chosen voice a little more deeply into its string before releasing the chord. Watch that small difference in preparation and compare the resulting balance. The task is to change the relationship between the notes, rather than making the entire chord louder.
Bring out the inner voices
Next, try emphasizing the index finger and then the middle finger. These inner voices are more difficult to bring out independently. Simon’s own demonstration includes imperfect attempts, so treat this as a listening and coordination exercise rather than expecting an immediate result.
Before each repetition, decide which voice you want to hear. Play the chord, listen to what actually happened, and repeat with a clear intention. You can then cycle through the thumb, index, middle and ring finger in turn.
What to listen for
- Can you hear the selected note above the others?
- Are all four notes still present?
- Do they begin together, as a block chord?
- Can you change the prominent voice without losing control of the remaining notes?
The musical purpose is the one in Steve’s question: a melody may sit in the bass or inside the texture, not only on the top string. Practising control of each voice gives you more choice about what to bring forward in a piece.