5 Things You Might Not Know About Abby Whiteside

2. Whiteside devised ingenious, unorthodox tools so that all could play.

She identified central tenets in technique, common in the most talented players, which were often overlooked in conventional pedagogy. Chief amongst these are the roles of the upper arm, torso, ears and emotional connection. She was openly critical of any aspects of technical orthodoxy that neglected these. She believed that the fingers must cede control of power and dexterity to the larger levers, the torso and the ears. She devised many ‘set-ups,’ ‘patterns,’ and activities, such as ‘splashing’ on random keys and improvising, to empower all pianists to play to their potential.  

3. Whiteside tested her tools on Chopin’s most notorious études.

She believed these were the ultimate barometer of technique, owing to their idiosyncratic repeated patterns and figurations. If anything impedes the technique, one can barely complete a few bars without tensing up unduly. Whiteside highlighted elephants in the practice room such as the common practice of isolating the hands and fingers from the flowing whole-body coordination and of trying to attain virtuosity without the crucial role of emotional engagement. She believed many to be practising essentially irrelevant coordination. Her tools focus on rebuilding more instinctive, ergonomic practice habits.

4. Inspired by dance, Whiteside centralized the ‘emotional rhythm’ in technique.

She coined this term for the flowing state invoked by the performer’s authentic connection to the music, combined with the activity this awakens in the torso. Such activity could be overt swaying or ‘bouncing’ against the sitting bones or simple alertness, as in the tennis player receiving a serve or the ‘athletic tension’ between dancers. She believed attempting to attain velocity and exquisite musical control without activating this central component was akin to trying to perfect swimming technique by playing golf.

5. Inspired by jazz, Whiteside prioritized playing by ear.

She believed this invoked a simpler, more direct, efficient coordination than playing predominantly by sight, rote, or ‘muscle/motor’ memory. Without the middleman of the score, the fingers are directed economically by the ‘aural image’ of the music in the mind’s ear. A central aim in practice thus becomes to take the music ‘off the page’ when starting with the score, such that one can hum it in the inner ear. This can be a journey for pianists who have become accustomed to pushing down keys in response to primarily visual cues, although the rewards are great.