Hello,

I am having difficulty, especialy with my left hand, in being able to play staccato scales without tension. I would be very interested to hear how other people teach this.

Thankyou

Try detaché rather than staccato ie "brushing" rather than "stabbing".

Is there enough freedom in the wrist?

Also, I know it's boring, but are you trying to do it too quickly? Start slowly, using the "gaps" between notes to relax the hands.

- Do the staccato scales slowly at first. Practise hands separately.

- Keep the hand and arm loose. Avoid creating the staccato effect by bouncing the hand or arm up and down. Too much hand and arm motion can cause tension.

- The hand and fingers should stay on the key surface. Use finger staccato. Imagine you are scratching the key surface with each finger, i.e. move the fingertip slightly toward the palm. Be sure that the finger motion is not exaggerated.

- Consider a detached articulation and avoid making the staccato too short.

- The wrist may bounce slightly if it is relaxed, but do not rely solely on the wrist to produce the staccato.

- Think of the whole scale, ascending and descending, as one very long melody. Be sure to have the arm move along gently, guiding the hand. This would make the scale sound more musical.