Four string players came to my studio several years ago for some coaching. They said they had “learned” a movement of a Brahms Quartet in a week, and they sat down and played it for me.
Although they had “learned” the notes, I could instantly tell that they weren’t really hearing each other or connecting to the music.
I asked them to play a segment slowly in pairs, noticing the sounds coming from their partner’s instrument. It was wonderful to watch these gifted musicians really focus, and it was obvious that they were really hearing it in a way they hadn’t before. I then had them play the segment in threes, listening in the same way. And finally, all four of them played the segment together. They were stunned by how the music now felt and sounded. It was moving and beautiful.
What are we doing when we “learn” music, if we’re not really taking it in fully with our ears, so that we truly feel it? That’s our job as musicians – to experience music deeply ourselves so that it can flow through us fully and reach the hearts of our listeners. I’ve heard countless students play with great depth of feeling when they practice this way.
Here’s a video of a pianist who worked with me, showing the difference it made for her to sing the left-hand part of a piece while she played the right hand.
If you’re a non-pianist and you’re practicing a piece that has an accompaniment part, you can still use this approach. I worked with a cellist who was having trouble playing a passage in tune, and I asked her to go to her keyboard and block out the harmonies of the accompaniment, while singing the cello line. When she played the passage again, her intonation problem was gone.
You may say, “But practicing that way takes so much time!” Yes, it takes time. But if you try it, you’ll find that it’s the shortcut to the expressive freedom you’re really capable of.
Plus, it gets easier the more you do it. And after a while, you start to feel a hunger for really experiencing those beautiful sounds on the page. It becomes a habit – like noticing you want to brush your teeth
You can start with a short bit of music. Experience for yourself the magical transformation that happens.
You can do it! And I’d love to hear what happens for you.
I wish much joy and freedom in making music.