Imprinting | How piano skills are built

‘Imprinting’ is a piano practice system used to achieve rapid cognition and coordination, taught to me by Toronto based piano teacher Frank Falco. It is a structured way of learning skills and new music at the piano through a system of repetitions. This valuable practice tool promotes comprehensive retention of both logic and co-ordination to the point it is imprinted to mind. Within your practice, there may be actions that are quick to imprint or take weeks or months to acquire fully.

Imprinting not only assists in rapid learning but also highlights whether or not something has been cognitively and physically retained. If you only partially imprint skills this directly jeopardizes playing with precision, especially when increasing tempo, altering dynamics, playing in an unfamiliar environment or with a fatigued mind.

Imprinting : Passages and Phrases

Whether you are learning a musical lick, a piece of music in gradual small phrases, or a specific chord progression this imprinting technique promotes retention, co-ordination and precision;

Imprinting Step Sequence :

1. Identify the musical section. The smaller the musical segment the better.

2. Dissect and define correct notes, rhythm and fingering for left and right hands

3. Choose to either imprint first isolating separately in the left and right hands or hands together. If you choose to imprint hands-together and precision falters, then it is recommended to first imprint hands-separately.

4. 18 Repetitions: Repeat the action at least eighteen times consecutively.

5. 6 Retrievals: Repeat the action six more times, though this time in between each repetition take your hands off the keys and touch you knees. Retrievals will further solidify retention as well as solidify your ability to navigate the keyboard and find your hand position for the phrase promptly.

6. If any mistakes are made at any step, the repetitions for that step should be taken from the beginning. Remember,  mistakes indicate that the content and action have not been imprinted correctly, and further repetitions are needed. Make sure you learn from the mistakes rather than ignoring the red flags.

Imprinting : Chord Progressions

This imprinting technique is beneficial when preparing to play progression of chords. Whether it is for a pop song or jazz standard, being able to rapidly coordinate your hands through the chord changes will enable you to pay closer attention to the singer or instrumentalists that you are accompanying.

COUNT DOWN principle – used for chord and voicing progressions and changes:

1. Identify the chords/voicings

2. Define correct notes and fingering

3. Chord Recognition : Work out exactly how each chord is voiced and where each hand and fingers are positioned for each chord. Work through the chord sequence, making sure the changes are fluid.

4. Start at a six-beat count and play through the changes, holding every chord for six beats. Make sure you are looking ahead, scanning forward and preparing ahead of time for chord changes.

5. Once you play through the chord sequence in full, correctly repeat step three. This time hold each chord for five beats.

6. Continue playing through the sequence through four, three, two and one counts. 

7. If any mistakes or hesitancy arise, stay on that particular count until the sequence is fluid.