Piano Blog

The Person Playing the Piano

In every task, the subconscious and conscious mind have specific roles to play, and a confusion of these roles can lead to less-than-optimal results. 

In ideal piano playing--where there is effortless flow-- the simplest way I can state it is this: the subconscious mind sends information up, the conscious mind "OK's" it. In other words, the conscious mind simply monitors, but does not judge or ask questions. (Is this a drastic simplification? Yes. But it does the trick.)

One of the distinctive mental features of performing under stress is that the conscious mind tends to kick into overdrive. It asks questions rapidly, tries to take over the playing process, and generally raises a big fuss. Unfortunately, the conscious mind has a very narrow bandwidth, and is actually unable to handle the incredible amount of information and physical tasks required in the playing of the piano. 

Pianists usually take one of two approaches to this problem (I suggest both). First, they train themselves to focus on something other than the actual playing of the piece. Usually they focus on the sound they are creating (instead of, say, the hitting of particular notes). With training, this is a great technique. Of course the problem is that any lag in focus and the conscious mind jumps right back in to trouble-maker mode.

The second method is to train the conscious mind to be aware of every single aspect of playing before performing. This method subsumes techniques such as mental practice, ghosting practice, analyzing, knowing the piece in sections, etc. The idea here is to allow the conscious mind to be active in the playing process, but so thoroughly prepared that it isn't overwhelmed by hyper-activation and can, in fact, relax. (The analogy might be something like taking a test on material you know inside out.) Ironically, this conscious preparation allows the conscious mind the resume its role as (intelligent) monitor. 

The next logical question of course is: OK but how do you know when the subconscious and conscious mind have been trained appropriately? After all, the big problem is that people play just fine in their living rooms, but have so much trouble in lessons and performances. How can they prepare for this correct mental functioning? And to that question I say: wait for part two.

To be continued . . . 

Video Recording for Music Lesson Checkups!

Hey y'all!

So a totally different format today. I'm going to do most of my talking off the cuff in the below video. The subject is: using video and audio to "check up" on students and give them tips during the week. I woke up today to several e-mails from students showing me their mid-week progress, and I'm just about to give them some feedback.

It's a great way to practice and its really fun too. Enjoy the video:

Persistence, Repetition, and Simplicity

A teacher once told me that the reason we repeat ourselves so much is the hope that someday our students will listen. Perhaps this isn't the most creative teaching technique, but anyone who has been teaching for a long time can identify with the sentiment.

Why do we teachers feel this way? One reason is that the most important concepts--the ones that really stick--are often the the most general. Even today, I found myself speaking for an extended length of time, only to realize that what I was saying boiled down to: "Listen to each phrase and play it beautifully". These simple ideas might seem general to the point of absurdity, but they take years to flesh out, and demand constant repetition if they aren't to be lost in the details of day-to-day practice.

As evidence of the effectiveness of general principles, I can associate every influential piano teacher I've had with one, maybe two, guiding ideas. Here's a short list off the top of my head:

- Listen to Yourself

- Create a Beautiful Sound

- Practice Intelligently 

I owe a great deal of gratitude to the teachers who mercilessly instilled in me these ideas. The first teacher who got me to really listen to myself did so through a combination of insults, unpleasant language, and threats. It wasn't fun, or even nice, but it changed my playing. It's easy be seduced by complexity--especially when you've been teaching the same thing for several years-- but the most effective teaching often comes from keeping things simple. 

I Don't Want to Practice Piano

"What do I do when my child doesn't want to practice? "

Piano teachers hear this question a lot. I think it implies a more fundamental question: What is the nature of a child's wants and desires? 

The answer to this question can lead to two different parenting approaches:  One approach holds that every moment and decision of a child's day must be scheduled and controlled. The other approach says that a child should be allowed to do however he or she feels on the whim of the moment. 

I disagree with both approaches, because I think they both deny the fundamental nature of what a child is. A child is a potential adult, but not a fully formed adult. A child is in the process of forming values, learning his or her likes and dislikes, and forming a full psychology. 

So what does this mean? 

A child's values and psychology aren't completely formed. This means that a child's decisions and emotions will often be at variance with his long-term self interest. For example, a child might want to eat sweets and candy all day. Or she might love the piano but not feel like practicing because it requires too much effort. In such cases, the parent is obligated to reduce the number of sweets, or encourage or even mandate practice.

On the other hand, a child's values and psychology aren't completely plastic. Although he isn't an adult, he does have some nascent values and psychology. To deny this fact, or thwart early attempts at self-discovery is to invite serious problems down the road.

For example, if a child has a clear preference for drawing or some other activity, and yet you deny this in favor of hours of daily piano practice, you're heading for disaster. In a case such as this, an "I don't want to practice" isn't an out of context whim, but rather the correct response to a value contradiction imposed from the outside.

The answer then to "What do I do if my child doesn't want to practice?" is: "It depends." If your child has other interests, and has had piano imposed from the beginning, you should consider letting her explore. If your child enjoys practicing in general but needs a day off, then let her chill out. If your child loves music but won't practice because of the effort involved, it could be time to find some creative motivation or be a strict parent. If your child doesn't want to do anything, it might be time to look for someone more qualified than a piano teacher for advice.

Keep it Simple

Playing a musical instrument is a complex task. Almost anyone could practice on a daily basis. But without guidance, there's a good chance this practice won't be beneficial in the long run. 

When a child learns to walk, for instance, he gets immediate feedback as to whether he's doing something incorrectly. (That is, he falls down.) But often the feedback you get with a musical instrument isn't so easily interpreted. You might play the right notes in the correct order but at the same time use your muscles or your mind in a way that hinders progress down the road.

But let's assume you're getting good guidance and the technical elements are more or less in place. There's an unavoidable fundamental to playing: automatization. You simply don't have a choice but to make the physical elements of playing automatic.

What does this mean? Repetition. 

The devil is in the details. They are important. But don't lose sight of the foundation of good practice. To become truly facile, you have to move to the level of the automatic. Watch any number of great musicians over time and you'll observe this simple common denominator: tireless, intelligent, repetition of the music.

Don't let details bog you down and sap your motivation. Keep it simple, over and over again.

Music Studio How-To

Now for some shameless self-promotion!

Over the last few years, I've been asked the same question over and over: How do I get started in my own teaching business?

I can really empathise with this question. I know firsthand how hard it is to start a music studio.

Are you like me when I started teaching? 

I had zero students, nowhere to teach from, zero income (but lots of debt), no prospective students and no idea how to start. 

It was a long road that took me where I am today: I can't keep up with student requests. I get to set my own hours, control my vacation time. I don't have to put up with a nagging boss or coworkers. And best of all I don't have to deal with rush-hour traffic because I work from the comfort of my home!

Not too shabby. 

So then what is the answer? How do you start a music studio?

I've earned my fair share of free dinners trying to answer this question. The truth is: its a BIG subject. Way to much to cover in one evening. And way too much to cover in this blog post. So I I won't try.

I'll do something better. 

For free, and with zero obligation, you are invited to join my Piano Studio Handbook list. This group is for those serious about starting a successful and fulfilling teaching business.

I'll use this list to send out *in depth* information for music teachers that I wouldn't post in normal pianoblog posts.

There's zero obligation to signup, and you'll receive answers to your questions like:

How do I get students? - Where do I start teaching? - How do I handle my first lessons? 

Emails will be packed with answers to any question you can think to ask. And I HOPE that by helping you, I can save you the many years of trial and error that I went through to build up my teaching practice.

If at any time you decide you want to stop getting tips from me, un-subscribing is simple and I *don't ever* share contact info from any pianoblog readers with outside sources.

If you're really serious about getting started the right way,  sign up below! 

 

PS - If you're reading this in your blog reader and don't see a signup form above - just visit the actual post!

Things Mean Piano Teachers do Just to Be Mean

Why am I such a mean teacher?

One of my favorite things to do is have my students transpose small pieces and exercises into different keys. This is usually met with a fair amount of resistance. But, I insist, it is one of the BEST ways of really understanding the keyboard. I always say: you want to be able to play in more than one key don't you?

In fact, all my children learn their 5 finger positions ASAP so they can move a simple piece to every major and minor hand position on the keyboard.

Quick break.

I finally made it back to the gym today. I could have done a bunch of isolation exercises on my legs. (These are exercises that work very specific muscles.) Instead of did a few sets of squats. For those of you who don't go to the gym: squats suck. They work about every muscle in your body at the same time. Afterwards you feel like you want to die. BUT they're awesome. You work everything and you get HUGE. (No, I am not a big muscle man.)

Back to piano.

Here's why I brought up squatting. Transposing is like the squat of the piano. (Or maybe the deadlift.) If you select a couple measures with some smarts, you can work your technique, your ear, your understanding of theory, and your musicality. All at the same time. 

As they say at the gym: crush it.

We are Human

"You do feel emotion don't you?" I once asked in exasperation. I couldn't stand one more soulless note. Especially not in late Beethoven.

"No." She replied.

This student did not last long. 

We are human -- there are thoughts, feelings, and deeply felt life experiences. We carry this into art. 

Today we seem to be in the business of producing thousands of piano-robots; automatons who can play the right notes in the right order in an emotional vacuum disconnected from their own lives and experiences. 

Scriabin gave the following advice to Horowitz's mother: "Your son will be a great pianist, but please, let him be an overall cultured man, and make him understand not only music, but other important aspects of life. There are the arts of painting, of philosophy, of literature. Only then will he be an all-around musician."

The Successful Piano Student

What makes for long term success at the piano?

I sat down a couple days ago and worked out that I've taught many thousands of piano lessons. Thats a lot of teaching, and a lot of students!! After a while, you can't help but see patterns and trends; who is successful and who gets frustrated and gives up.

My students range in age and ability quite a bit, from 4-year-old beginners to very advanced high schoolers and advanced musicians. If I were to pick *one* factor that predicts success at the piano, regardless of age and level, it would be this:

A Regular practice time that is adhered to every day; e.g. "30 minutes at 3:30 every day".

If you're a parent, you can add a second crucial element:

Active parental involvement in every practice session.

Yes, there are a lot of other factors that play into piano lesson success, but assuming you've got a decent piano teacher and some level of ability, these two things are the best predictors of long-term success at the piano.

Happy piano lessoning!

 

Pressure

Sort of a rant?

Stress is a scary thing. In the right amount, a bit of stress can really motivate, but just a bit too much of it can lead to disaster. An athlete under the right amount of stress excels, but under too much pressure he crumbles.

The same is true at the piano. I don't mean just in performing, but also in the process of learning. Sometimes serious students expect too much. I think many young students could be pushed more, but there are some cases where this is the reverse; the pressure from parents or teachers becomes obsessive and overbearing. The child is not "good enough" unless he or she wins a competition or plays perfectly.

Ironically, this pressure often leads to burnout, poor performance, and even complete rebellion or shutdown.

Why is this necessary? Why do we have to beat others to prove our worth? (What the hell does beating others have to do with music or art?) Why does self-worth rest on how accurately you can play a Mozart Sonata? What kind of message are we sending to students or children by telling them they aren't good enough because of a memory slip or a wrong note?

Don't get me wrong, I'm all about new levels of achievement, aiming for your best, improving. There's a reason its called fine art - high levels of playing don't fall into your lap. 

But when music becomes all about stress, pressure, not messing up, and comparing oneself to others we lose interest in the music, because it isn't there anymore.