Lionel | A Workable Practical Guide to Piano Playing

Dedication to Overcoming Trouble and Difficulty in a Pianist’s Career

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The Magic Touch…

It gives me great pleasure that Wallace Tate has produced this record of my teaching, a task that has never been attempted before. I heartily endorse The Magic Touch, and hope that pianists will find it both an inspiration and a practical help on their musical journey.

Emeritus Professor Lionel Bowman

Stellenbosch University.

May, 2000

The above are the words of Lionel Bowman, a man whom I hold a great respect for, not least due to his dedication to resolving a deeply troubling issue that he experienced in his late thirties and early forties.

Many pianists have experienced similar problems, over their playing careers, to varying degrees, and I should note, this can apply equally to laymen pianists as well. It is not only an issue for the professional player.

In Lionel's case, he found the pain so debilitating, and the discomfort so great, that he temporarily gave up the piano. However, unlike many who may have given up for good, he took the time and opportunity to study the anatomy of the hand and arm, as well as the fingers, and experimented with various techniques, till he established the 'Bowman Method' that he had been using and teaching ever since.

Whilst it was initially intended only as a way for him to play gain, he found that the sound of the result of his playing was better, and he was able to play pain free as well. Once he then taught the method to his students, their playing had improved as well, and many were able to avoid the problems he had experienced himself.

This was a great inspiration to himself, as well as his students. The work, written by Mr Wallace Tate, a retired Director General of the West Australian Music Board, as a result of countless visits by Professor Bowman to Western Australia, was created as a means to convey the Bowman method to as many pianists and teachers as possible.

The presentation is presented as a manual, substantially illustrated, as well as accompanied by a DVD or online video series. The material is very well presented and aimed at all levels for all piano players. Naturally, the absolute beginner may find it difficult, but there is where the assistance of a good teacher will pay handsome dividends.

To learn more, see the Manual below.

How Can I still Play the Piano After Experiencing Tendonitis and Other Hand Injuries?

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It is not uncommon for professional, or serious, regular pianists to experience various hand injuries over the course of their piano playing days. This is particularly problematic for people who may have small hands, and who play complex works, such as the Rachmaninov Concerto Number 3, and so on. However, this problem is certainly not confined to only classical pianists, or even professionals. These various injuries can affect just about any pianist, casual or professional, from time to time.

The most typical injuries include tendonitis, and wrist strain, mostly as a result of either not having sufficient strength built up in their fingers and hands, as well as other playing issues such as correct position at the piano. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but a common list of problems, as I have mentioned earlier.

For some piano players, the thought may even have crossed their mind to give up playing, due to the repetitive injuries. Whilst this is an extreme option, there are other ways to reduce the injuries, and actually end up by playing better. One method that has been proven by many students after being adopted is the Bowman method.

Professor Lionel Bowman was a distinguished piano player, at the peak of his career around his late thirties, who had developed very great problems with tendonitis. After having to actually stop playing for a number of months, while his hand healed, he took the time to actually study the anatomy of the hand and arm, and created his own method of playing the piano. His style has enabled him to become a better teacher, and his crowning achievement through this process was that he not only was able to resume his playing, but succeeded in helping others play better, with less incidence of injury as well.

The Bowman method encompasses the strengthening of the fingers, as well as an overall approach to muscle coordination. Far too many people start to play the piano a certain way, and find that, over the years, their discomfort increases, due to the method of playing that creates tension and stress in the joints as well as fingers.

One aspect of the method is about sitting in the right place, with reference to the notes being played. As an example, the hips need to be loose, in that for certain parts of the score, the pianist will need to sit right, or site left, and even sit back, to allow the wrists to become lower then the keys. By moving the hips, so the pianist's body is in front of, and at right angles to the keyboard, will minimise the stress on the wrists as well as muscles of the wrist, and tendons.

It can often aid the pianist to make specific notes on the music score, like sitting right, or sitting left, as this will aid the pianist to achieve an optimum posture and comfort. This comfort will translate into relaxation, and thus, a better overall sound as well as reduced injuries.

This technique needs to be practiced, and actually, it can be beneficial to start learning a new piece, rather than trying to relearn an already known piece of music. The best proof is in the action, and seeing for yourself.

Are you able to store your piano performances for future listening? Have you been having trouble recording your piano performances, for the long term? Not only can you record your performances, but also gain an enhanced comfort and improvement in your playing, with less stress and injury. To learn more, see The Magic Touch.

Introduction to The Magic Touch

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Between 1978 and 1985 Lionel Bowman paid a number of extended visits to Australia, to give concerts, master classes and individual lessons to a large and enthusiastic following of piano teachers and students at colleges, universities and conservatoria. Participants in these courses were impressed by the extraordinary beauty and technical superiority of his performance, by his inspirational power, and by his unique skill in imparting the secret of these qualities to others. In response to frequent requests for published information and instruction and the obvious need for a more permanent record of it, Professor Bowman and I discussed a plan for me to compile the essential material of his teaching as it now appears in this book.

The contents have been gleaned from vast quantities of notes and audio and video tapes taken from his lecture demonstrations, master classes, workshops, and numerous consultations with him.

Although the manual is not addressed to beginners, teachers will find the relevant procedures invaluable in the instruction of pupils at all levels. Many points of technical and musical interest may be extracted from the book. Nevertheless, the content should be considered as a whole, and studied and practiced accordingly. Although it may have some special applications for pianists who have particular problems now, it will help others to avoid developing such problems later in their playing lives. In addition to this therapeutic effect for all pianists, the miracle is that the Bowman approach also produces a more beautiful sound than that which can be produced by more physically demanding techniques.

Although the book is not focused on the development of virtuosity, it will be found, that through the use of correct muscular procedures, the playing of al passages becomes workable and comparatively effortless. Thus, the student is able to play more comfortably and musically.

No sound, or series of sounds, is ever played without conscious effort while learning. Every sound is controlled with musical intention in slow motion. The way of teaching is essentially one of conscious musical activity through muscular control. Thus, relaxation in this method equals control – not as the word implies, flop.

Over a period of some ten years, I have taught these techniques to teachers, individually and in groups. Gratifying successes resulting from the application of these musical and technical practices have been reported:

(a) by teachers who found the approach creative, rewarding and satisfying, even when working with pupils previously discouraged by seemingly insurmountable technical hurdles;

(b) by pupils at all levels who found to their delight that they could produce sounds of the quality of professional pianists and play with ease and ever-increasing technical capability, musical awareness, and depth of meaning, and who found themselves looking forward eagerly to lessons as a continual source of encouragement, discovery and fascination;

(c ) by parents appreciative of sudden and dramatic development in the quality of their children's playing and in their attitude to lessons and practice.

I shall be forever grateful to Lionel Bowman for his kindness, patience and generosity in showing me these technical and musical procedures which have given me access to a new world of pianistic joy and inspiration. I am thankful that through other dedicated teachers I have been instrumental in sharing this experience in turn with their pupils. If my endeavours through this book are successful in assisting some of that vast army of perpetually striving pianists, I shall be well rewarded by the realisation that a great debt has been paid.

Many pianists suffer pain and injury resulting from unsound practice habits; this is indeed regrettable. Any sign of strain should be heeded as a timely warning and remedial action taken

without delay. The following is pertinent.

As a young student, Lionel Bowman practiced with considerable discomfort, as he persevered to overcome the problems imposed by a narrow hand span. Nevertheless, he continued to practice and build a formidable concert career. Eventually the pain became unendurable. The years of physical abuse had taken their toll, causing irreparable damage to ligaments, tendons and muscles.

After this crisis he evolved a series of exercises in muscular coordination founded on the elementary principles of anatomy. He based his teaching on these ideals, and this enabled him to slowly adopt the new ways himself. As a result of these natural and correct procedures, Lionel Bowman felt completely comfortable physically and playing became easier, the tone quality improved immeasurably, and he and his students became fearless, instead of fearful of performance.

Furthermore, he became aware that what we call relaxation in playing should be described as control. This fact will become clear to students as they understand what follows in this book. In very general terms, we are trying to help the average to talented pianist through a set of simplified muscular exercises, to find the way to artistic fulfilment.

–

Can I Overcome Hardship in my Life and Career?

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I think this is an important questioon to ask ourselves, time and time again, when difficulty strikes, as inevitably, we can all suffer from set backs from time to time.

As you are no doubt only too well aware, the difference between the winners and the losers, to use a term, is the mindset we apply, as well as our creativity…

What do I mean here?

Well, whilst I am going to refer to Lionel Bowman as my subject in this example, there are countless people who have mixed sheer determination, creativity, and opportunity to turn an otherwise seemingly bleak situation into a benefit, not only for themselves, but for others as well.

I was greatly privellaged to be given the honour and opportunity to transcribe the manual on The Magic Touch, or Therapeutic Techniques for Pianists to an electronic format

In so doing, I was able to learn about the human spirit in overcoming adversity, and that lesson alone, if for nothing else, was worth its weight in gold.

However, being a piano player, either for pleasure or professional gain, the impact of this manual compounds itself greatly, and provides a light to all pianists experiencing pain and difficulty in playing various complex works. This can greatly enhance the difficulty that many people with small hands may also be experiencing.

Mr Wallace Tate has successfully taken a complex subject matter, and explained it in a readable, and relatively easy way to understand. This skill, in itself is a rare gem, and I can thoroughly recommend the manual to all serious piano players.

Having learned the piano myself, I could certainly have benefited from this information many years ago. The bonus fact, however, is that it is not too late to implement the techniques created by Professor Bowman. The book, apart from a learning tool of great value, is testimony to man's ability to overcome all difficulties, no matter how seemingly hard, at the time. It also has benefited countless students to massively enhance their playing technique, and resulting sound at the keyboard.

The Benefits of Learning from Someone Who Has Been There

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I understand the title to this entry may seem a little vague, but in effect, it becomes clearer with further reading.

What do I mean?

Well, in the case if Lionel Bowman, he is a classic case of someone who was a dedicated, and convincing pianist, at concert level.

In fact, it would be accurate to say that he was at the peak of his career, in his late thirties.

Unfortunately, he experienced a set back, in the form of a hand and arm injury, through sprains, and difficulty of playing, as his hands were relatively small.

Whilst he still played the piano well, he often ended up needing medical assistance to help heal the injuries in his hands.

For many people, this may well have signaled the end to their career, but Lionel was no ordinary person, prepared to give up at the first sign of resistance. In fact, he turned what could have been a professional disaster into a gain, not only for himself, in that he was able to continue playing, but also for countless numbers of others.

He managed to develop a technique for playing the piano, that not only allowed him to play pain free, but actually enhanced the sound of his playing. The method involved the strengthening of the fingers, and a modification to the technique that he approached the keyboard with. The result was The Magic Touch, expressed in written form by Mr Wallace Tate, himself a past Music Examinations Board Director in Western Australia.

Professor Bowman has been able to bring the very best of a terrible and painstaking journey to light, in the form of a manual and instructional video to help others improve their playing skills. Whilst the professional pianist can certainly gain from the lessons, the techniques are also very valuable for the teacher as well as more junior student, in that the application of the correct technique early on will mean not having to relearn a method that works, and unlearn another.