NOVEMBER 16, 2009

My blog entry talked about unrealistic, elaborate goal-setting.  I believe it is one of the biggest causes of our disappointments in ourselves as players. 

When I work with my students, every week, I talk about practise strategy.  “What is your plan for this section?  Why is this section really giving you trouble?  Why is that phrase ’stuttering’ instead of flowing?”

I have them verbally outline for me the process they need to go through during the rest of the week to make that part of the piece work.  I’m not concerned about them “logging time”, but about being clear in what they want to be hearing with the piece by the time they finish each practise session.

NOVEMBER 14, 2009

Attending a student performance a couple of evenings ago, I thought about how often I use analogies of driving a car — since most of my students are teenagers and do, or are preparing to, drive. 

One student’s performance reminded me of the highest accident rate for drivers being within a mile of home, due to the anticipatory and relaxed state of mind.  Her performance was going beautifully, until what I know to be the last page of the piece.  Mistakes began creeping in…nothing too major, but things that, based on the performance to that point, probably wouldn’t have normally happened.

All of us need to keep that in mind when performing: stay with the piece until the end mentally and emotionally, making it a performance which is “good to the last note”!

NOVEMBER 12, 2009

     As I ran my scales this morning in warm-up, I thought of how much I used to really press the keys.  I had never thought of dropping my fingers into the keys from my wrists.  I believe now that I was working entirely too hard!

     Now, I believe that I lead much more with relaxed wrists, thinking of my wrists and the base of my hand as a sort of “upper body” when it walks, keeping good posture, and thinking of the fingers as more like legs.

     I use this analogy a lot with my students.  While they find it really amusing, they find it works quite well for their keyboard movement.  Just a different perspective, I think.

NOVEMBER 11, 2009

     And my buzz-word for the day is: choreography.

     Wow…are we dancing?  At the piano, yes! I think about every movement between every note.  I measure when to put what hand where, to help my accuracy in performance.  For years, I struggled with my accuracy….I thought it was strictly due to lack of paying attention, but it was really because I hadn’t mapped out each critical move beforehand.  It doesn’t guarantee perfection, but it sure moves you a lot closer to it!

     Today, my student and I were working on her Debussy together, and when I had her line her right hand fingers up much earlier over her notes and chords while the left hand was arpeggiated, the accuracy was much improved.  It was terrific to see how much more secure she felt with that section of the piece.

NOVEMBER 10, 2009

     My advice today is…believe it or not…to have fun performing.  When we performed in concert this morning, I certainly did. 

     The key to doing that lies with the preparation.  I think everyone who has performed with any regularity has had concerts to which they went prepared, and those where their preparation was really deficient. 

     Our confidence lies in our preparation, and only that….because there are no guarantees, and there is no such thing as the perfect performance.

     “P.R.E.P.”… Prepare, relax, and enjoy performing!

NOVEMBER 9, 2009

     We tend to be really tough on ourselves when we practise.  I know I get really impatient with the process sometimes.  

     When I find myself doing that, I pinpoint the main thing that I really want to change (improve) about that piece during my practise session, and figure out how to make that happen.  I really ask myself what I need to do mechanically to get the sound and/or technique that I want.  As I tell my students, “You want to make sure that your piece has changed for the better by the time you get up off the bench.”

     But I would start with one thing.  Lists can be overwhelming!

NOVEMBER 8, 2009

     One of my students is working on a Bach Gavotte.  She came in to her lesson with the piece memorized beautifully, except for a very small section, and up to tempo. 

     After she finished playing it for me, I told her she had done wonderful work on it this week.  Then, I asked to do something: play it at half tempo, from memory.

     Again, everything went beautifully — except for the same very small section.

     It made me think about the practise techniques we all use.  This student has become a recent convert to slow practise (she is a transfer who came to my studio a few months ago).  It really helps me a lot, and is helping her, to switch back and forth between up-tempo and below-tempo practise…even when we think we “know” a piece.  I really think it helps to build a more intimate relationship with it, like you would with a person.  It is difficult to start the habit, but it’s one I will never break!

NOVEMBER 7, 2009

     I was watching one of my students play her scales 4 octaves this week.  As I studied her head and neck position, I thought about the fact that she is in that “growth spurt” stage, at 11 years old.

     When she finished, I asked her if her mother is ever telling her to “stand up straight”.  She rolled her eyes, laughed and nodded.   I laughed with her, and told her, “Well, Ms. Arens is telling you the same thing.”

     It is amazing how, when we lean forward with intensity at the piano in any way, our first impulse is often to lead with the head and bend at the neck.  To get better breath support and body function (including strength),  your head and neck need good alignment. 

     I am always encouraging my students to check for this, and check it often myself!

NOVEMBER 6, 2009

     I love the opportunity this page affords me…to save someone else out there the struggles I have had with technique and performance philosophy. 

     I think of the phrase “It’s all in the wrist.”   This week, I was watching the wrists of everyone in the studio very carefully.  Where are your wrists when you play?  Years ago, mine were so low compared to how I have them now.  But these days, I think of my fingers “falling” from my wrists when I play, rather than at an even level and “pushing forward”; and it has really helped create more ease in my playing.

     Try lifting your wrists a bit….even a quarter of an inch can make a huge difference….and “dropping” fingers instead of “pushing” them.   It has helped my students, and me.