Keep Your Wits About You: How to Stay With the Music

Do you feel it’s much easier to play at home than for your teacher?  (Of course you do!)  The secret to performance is obviously learning to bridge that gap between what you can do with no pressure versus what you can do when under a little pressure. 

First of all, please know that a healthy dose of nerves is good.  A bit of nervousness heightens the senses and helps with performance.  

Everything can and should be practiced, including performance procedure.  You can practice going deeply into your mind, which will allow your body to stay grounded in your music.  There’s a major step beyond this, of course, which is to stay with the music while also connecting with your audience.  But today, we’ll focus on how to keep your wits about you.

Anxiety is rooted in the fight or flight response.  It may seem obvious that focusing on the music while performing (instead of getting distracted by fear) ensures you activate the parts of the brain that help you relax your body and play more beautifully.

Playing piano naturally engages all five senses

• Smell, perhaps of the room.  More helpful will be the awareness of your breath.  It’s important to breathe.  Avoid holding your breath while playing.

• Sight:  the living score and the piano keyboard, the light of the room

• Sound:  the music, or perhaps, silence; the sound of the room in the background

• Touch of the Keys: the literal playing of and feel of the keys

• Grounding of the Body:  the foot on the pedal and the feel of the ground underneath your feet, the sitting and shifting of your weight on the bench, the overall feel of your body

• Taste/Mouth:  Not so much, taste, but the deeply embedded memory of the count on your lips or the memory of perhaps having sung along with the melody

Nervousness at the piano frequently manifests as shaky (even sweaty) hands, and sometimes a shaky right foot at the pedal.   You can help your body deal with stress by practicing bringing your full attention to the music.  

Recommended Performance Preparation for Adult Piano Students

PART ONE

Practice Going to the Piano 

• Sit in a chair at least several feet away from the piano.  

• When you’re ready, go to the piano.  Will you enter the bench from the left or the right? 

  • If you enter from the left, you will naturally face your audience before sitting down.  Smile and acknowledge your audience

  • If you enter from the right, you will have turned your back to the audience to sit down on the bench.  It’s important to first turn to your audience, offer a genuine smile, and then sit down.

• Smiling, even when forced, signals to the body “Relax.”

Practice Getting Comfortable on the Bench Without Feeling Rushed

• Is your bench centered?  The center of the piano is between the notes E and F just to the right of middle C. 

• Rest your hands in  your lap.  Check that your shoulders are relaxed down.  Gently rest your right foot on the damper pedal.  Do you feel you are too close to the keyboard?  Too far away?  Adjust your bench forward or back until you feel comfortable.

• Is your bench at the right height?  Should it be adjusted up or down?  Do you need a little cushion, if not?

• Keep your hands in your lap and remove your foot from the pedal.  Simply sit at the piano this way, practicing how you will feel prior to playing. Breathe.

When you’re ready….

Practice Going Away from the Piano

• If you exit to the right, you will naturally face your audience.  Practice standing up.  Perhaps you’ll want to gently place your left hand on the piano as you smile at your audience and pause to acknowledge the audience and, perhaps, applause.

• If you exit from the left, you should turn and face your audience, perhaps holding your music while  smiling at your audience.

• IMAGINE the feeling of having played well and being content with your performance and your audience

• Avoid making negative comments or frowning. (No matter what!) Even when practicing at home, practice smiling. This is very important.

Now, go through these same three steps two more times.  Please don’t rush.  This is important work. 

PART TWO

Practice Getting Started

• Keep your hands in your lap while you go through the following mental checklist

  • Place your right foot on, or next to, the damper pedal

  • Look at the score.  

    • What is the title of the piece?  What is the sentiment?

    • What is the opening tempo?

    • What is your time signature? 

    • What is the key?  Do you have sharps or flats?

    • What is the opening dynamic?

  • Listen in your mind’s ear to the sound of the opening phrase.

• When you’re ready, look at the piano keyboard.  

  • Where will you place your hands?

  • What will the opening phrase “feel like” underneath your fingers?

  • What is the tempo? The articulation? The essence of the music?

• Take a deep breath in and then slowly exhale.

• IMAGINE playing the first phrase, without actually playing it.  

  • Keep your hands in your lap.

  • Look closely at the music. 

  • Listen intently and imagine feeling utterly comfortable while playing.  

  • Allow the music to guide you.

Practice Ending the Piece

• Turn to the last section of your music.  

  • What is the tempo?  

  • What is the dynamic?

  • What is the key signature?  

  • What is the essence of this ending? 

  • Where will your hands be when you begin this ending phrase?

• Take a slow deep breath in, then out.  

• Now, IMAGINE playing the ending, without actually playing it.

  • Keep your hands in your lap.

  • Look closely at the music while doing this.  

  • Listen intently and imagine feeling utterly comfortable while playing.  Allow the music to guide you.

• Keep your hands in your lap and imagine you've now finished the piece. Feel happy and content with your performance.

• Smile to yourself. Count to three slowly while smiling.

Repeat each of these items (mentally practicing the beginning and mentally practicing the ending) two more times.  Please don’t rush through these steps.  This is important work.

Remember, while performing, you’ll want to continually “return to” the music.  In you daily work, t’s good to practice starting at various points in the music. Immerse yourself in your music and listen intently. Maintain awareness of your breath.  Keep company with the music.  Allow it to guide you.  Stay grounded in your senses –  sound, breath, sight, touch/feel. 

Smile! Prepare as best you can and then allow yourself to enjoy performing your music. You may find you can learn to play as well for others as you do for yourself!