“No matter how hard I practice, I still freeze up onstage. I must not have what it takes.”
“I keep trying to play this piece more expressively, but every time I try, my arms get tight. Maybe I should use more forearm rotation to bring out certain notes.”
You might have your own particular frustrations that you’ve been trying to get past.
The Art of Practicing® offers a different approach to trying hard: You learn new physical, mental, and sensory techniques that get to the root of your problem and acturally solve it.
Read Sam’s story:
In his lesson one day, Sam was trying to bring out all the voices in a complex, contrapuntal segment of a Chopin ballade. He focused hard on using different amounts of finger pressure to make each voice come out clearly. But in spite of how hard he tried, he remained frustrated with the results.
His playing reflected his frustration. It sounded tense and unclear, instead of freely expressive. I could tell he wasn’t hearing all the voices.
I asked him to sing one line at a time while he played another line. This process took a while, because he had trouble hearing many of the notes. But when he finished the work, he was amazed at how effortless and satisfying his playing had become.
What exactly had happened?
When Sam focused on listening, his nervous system could serve him more fully. Neurologically, his sensory neurons could inform his motor neurons, so his fingers received a clearer message about how to move.
In other words, because he was using all of his abilities, his hands could naturally bring out every line clearly.
Sam had never experienced playing that way before. It was a joy to see him discovering what he was really capable of doing. And it sounded so beautiful.
This is one example of how the Art of Practicing® goes directly to the source of musicians’ problems. Often, what’s missing is some key information about technique that allows them to freely express what’s inside of them.
Would you like to get my take on what ingredients are missing in your playing? I invite you to schedule a complimentary consultation to learn how you can break through to more freedom and confidence.
Warmly,
Madeline
P.S. Here is some additional help:
1) you’ll find a lot of helpful information about instrumental technique in chapter 6 of my book, The Art of Practicing.
2) Try the Performing Beyond Fear exercise for a super-efficient prep before performing — or even before practicing.