On Piano Playing By Gyorgy Sandor [work] -

Published in 1981, On Piano Playing: Motion, Sound, and Expression is a seminal pedagogical work by Hungarian-American pianist György Sándor (1912–2005), a direct student of Béla Bartók. Unlike many technique books rooted in 19th-century finger-centric methods, Sándor’s approach is biomechanical and holistic. He argues that effortless, expressive playing arises from understanding the body’s natural leverage and weight, not from forced finger independence or static hand positions.

A unique feature is Sándor’s firsthand insight into playing Bartók’s percussive, asymmetrical music. He demonstrates how Bartók’s folk-derived rhythms and dissonant clusters demand non-traditional motions (e.g., flat-fingered attacks, arm clusters). The book includes exercises derived from Bartók’s Mikrokosmos and Sándor’s own etudes. on piano playing by gyorgy sandor

Sándor insists that motion and sound are inseparable. He critiques the myth of “finger independence” as anatomically impossible, replacing it with coordinated arm, hand, and finger movements. Tone quality, he shows, is controlled by the speed of the key descent and the weight behind the finger , not finger pressure. His chapters on phrasing, pedaling, and rhythm connect technique directly to musical expression—each motion must have a sonic goal. Published in 1981, On Piano Playing: Motion, Sound,