In the Tilt-Brush-Pivot framework (see Lesson 2), the Pivot enables basic ornamentation of pralls and trills. Starting with the base note of the ornament depressed, a Pivot consist of two notes played in quick succession, the upper auxillary and a return to base note. The mechanics for executing a Pivot change depending upon the black-white key geometry of the notes involved. This page will discuss BW Pivots which start on a black key auxillary and return to a white key base note. Other black-white key combinations will be discussed in subsequent lessons.
Consider first a prall on base note A, consisting of the notes A-Bb-A, fingered 232. The pralls consist of a Brush & a Pivot.
Brush: The initial A is depressed via a Brush with finger 2, leaving it sharply bent from the 2nd knuckle and touching the key with the fingertip. Concurrently with this Brush, finger 3 is extended so that it is nearly straight and the wrist is angled so the fingers angle leftward. This angling allows finger 3 to hover roughly over the target Bb.
Pivot: Now, using the tip finger 2 as a pivot, brush finger 3 downward, entraining fingers 4 & 5 and the mass of the right half of the hand together in a rocking motion that strikes finger 3 on Bb and then returns to starting position, reestablishing finger 2 on A. The rocking motion may be assisted by as as-yet unidentified muscle diagonally opposite to finger 2. This motion I designate as a Left Pivot because the finger are angled to the left of the wrist.
Several points to note:
The Pivot mechanics on A above, can be extended to other white notes with black upper auxillaries (C, D, F, G, A) with only slight modification. In the keyboard diagram below, note that each of black keys (Db, Eb, Gb, Ab, Bb) has a geometric relationship to the adjacent white keys that is distinct from the others. Only Ab is directly centered between adjacent white keys. Db and Gb are set left of the center-line, with Gb more so. Eb and Bb are set right of the center-line, with Bb more so.
This geometry requires that finger 3's positioning in a prall vary slightly across the mentioned base notes. This is most easily accomplished by adjusting the leftward angle between the fingers and the wrist.
The Pivot described above can be practiced separately from the prall in which its embedded, so long as finger 3 is extended in preparation. (See the Practice Page for Lesson 3 for appropriate drills.) If finger 3 is returned to the extended position afterward, the Pivot can be repeated indefinitely. This is what happens in a trill. Most Bulgarian trills have the duration of a dotted 8th note and comprise 5 notes (base, aux, base, aux, base) and consist of a Brush followed by 2 Pivots. Occasionally trills are extended further, sounding one base note for each 16th note duration, and executing one Pivot for every auxillary.
When Pivot mechanics are well-oiled, the execution of a trill becomes a smooth & controlled, repeated rocking motion of the hand.
The mechanics above can be adapted for use on B & E, whose upper auxillaries are white rather than black. There are basically two ways to do this:
Approach 1 is what I recommend for the practice page associated with this lesson, so that only a single set of mechanics is used. Approach 2 involves some changes to basic mechanics and will be discussed more in subsequent lessons.
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The practice page for this lessons enables practice for BW Pivots and their associated pralls and trills, both as abstract drills and in Bulgarian melodic fragments.
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