Studying and Practicing Without the Instrument

For a choir (or orchestra) conductor, it could even be the parassi. In my opinion, with the right approach, it could also add value to the instrumentalists.

Various treatises have been written on the powers of the mind, some of a scientific nature and others of an esoteric nature. I have happened to read both types. Some experiments on twins literally struck me, and I will report one that intrigued me more than the others.

Two twins placed in two opposite wings of a research institute. The first was looking at a painting of birds, the second was sleeping. In the morning, the second had dreamed of birds flying. An experiment that was successful in 80% of cases... Incredible.

If you think about it, our entire body is commanded by the brain. At a cognitive level, therefore, mental exercise—especially regarding motor coordination—is fundamental. Even I, when I am not at the piano, mentally rehearse the movements of a piece I am studying; this, besides giving me confidence, helps me in executing those gestures needed to achieve the type of sonority I am looking for. On the other hand, I find it useless to move my fingers if I am practicing mentally; it is all in the head, so why move the fingers?

I am mentally open to using techniques from other instruments to improve the execution of certain virtuoso complexities (see, for example, the trill crescendo and diminuendo fingered 2 md, 2 ms, in Liszt's second Hungarian Rhapsody, where it becomes very convenient to use percussionist techniques and widen the elbow—in this exceptional case where a percussion-like technique is almost specifically required), however, I am somewhat against widening the elbow; I consider it an aesthetically ugly gesture (many call this movement "chicken wings") pianistically speaking, and of little use in normal pianistic gestures. I don't see why one should use the shoulder muscle and the trapezius to lift the entire arm if it is enough to lift the forearm with the consequent lifting of the wrist. The movement is much smoother, the correct position of the fingers and hand shape are maintained, the possibility of making entries parallel to the line of the keys is maintained and thus errors are minimized; even the sound is affected, producing a sound that is not timid but not aggressive either.

thanks for the tip TheSimon, even my teacher was telling me these days to accentuate the "chicken wings" less eheh (in drummers it's an appreciated movement, but we use fingers and not sticks)

Yesterday during work (I hope none of my bosses are in this forum ahah) I tried to perform a hypothetical routine of exercises:

mental and mechanical; since mental ones can be very subjective and perhaps difficult to explain, I wanted to take advantage of your experience regarding exercises to be performed mechanically.

In particular, I did (without the instrument):

Ex Related to Drop and Bounce movement

-all-notes-played-repeatedly in groups of four, first with the hand and then with individual fingers (with the help of the forearm)

-forearms resting completely on the knees and only wrist movement up and down

Rotation Ex

-middle finger kept pressed and wrist rotation with fingers 1 and 5

Articulation Ex

-the first 10 Hanon preparatory exercises

-legatos 2 by 2 (fingers 1-3 \ 2-4 \ 3-5)

-mobilization of fingers 4 and 5 while keeping the others down

I want to specify that none of these exercises are pushed to the limit of stress, but they only serve as additional mobilization.

Since I have recently approached technical piano movements, I wanted to ask you for an opinion and obviously some advice on this extra-time "work"

I am a friend of a good drummer and in the drumming world there are plenty of reinforcement and movement exercises that can be practiced away from the instrument, and I wanted to understand how we pianists could engage ourselves in this sense

I am just returning from Frankfurt, where I also had the opportunity to visit the Steinway House. It was 5:00 PM and there was no one there except for the sales assistant, who was very kind. I asked to try out some instruments. Five wonderful Model B's, a magnificent grand piano, and also an A, a Model M, and a small Model O. Naturally, all were brand new and perfect. The sensation, while trying them, only served to confirm my conviction that simply "thinking and realizing" is enough. Any muscular tension only serves to "distort" the intention, and there, with these wonderful instruments, I was given proof of this. Therefore, I agree with developing the "mental" aspect to the fullest and... if necessary, doing everything physical (exercises) that favors our "tension-free" energy. Thus, I am increasingly opposed to "strengthening" exercises that do nothing but desensitize our refined musculature, altering its proprioceptive ability to receive correct brain messages. From "strengthening" and "repetitive training," one can even suffer permanent damage. One can forever lose the healthy judgment that allows us to evaluate the correct relationship between muscular input, intensity, and sound duration.

I completely agree, mental state comes first!!

but regarding exercises, my point was obviously referring to nothing devastating or stressful, but simply to small technical movements that, done while out and about or wherever we are, can "slightly" help us later on the instrument... I used the drumming example just to be understood; I know that in that instrument the muscles involved are quite different, so that is a separate discussion...

Thank you again for your helpful experience and after this little "clarification" of mine, I am therefore asking you if "it is worthwhile" to perform, when possible, small and non-stressful technical exercises outside of practice hours (while out, at work, in the car,...), or if the answers you have already given remain valid

I became interested in this subject some time ago; I find it a fascinating field, cultivated in places like Germany

I am reporting:

Renate Klöppel

Mental training for the musician

Curci EC 11524 euro 19.00

Curci editions, particularly attentive to various aspects of making music (such as musical learning and early years pedagogy), publish an interesting volume written by Renate Klöppel in 2003 on the mental work of the musician. In the volume, the importance of the mental study of music emerges clearly, carried out with the brain and with maximum concentration, rather than being merely mechanical and repetitive.

The mental representation of music is much more important than one might imagine, and reading this volume helps to become aware of it; while someone listening to "Frère Jacques" only hears sounds and the words of the famous song, a musician has by now assimilated the notes do-re-mi-do. A striking example is the episode related to Allegri's Miserere for nine voices, which Mozart heard in the Sistine Chapel and transcribed immediately afterward. The great composer had perfectly understood the structure of the composition precisely because he had exact mental knowledge of it. Why then not work with the instrument in this direction instead of spending an excessive number of hours on exercises that are sometimes deleterious if performed, for example, while reading the newspaper?

The volume is divided into four chapters: the first on the explanation of mental training; the second on how to apply it to music study; the third on the Orloff-Tschekorsky method; and the fourth on stage fright. Tatjana Orloff Tschekorsky, who passed away before the publication of the volume, was a teacher at the Trossingen High School of Music. Tschekorsky's method, mental training in musical education (MTMA, Mentale Training in der Musikalischen Ausbildung), is described in a book for the first time. The volume carefully analyzes all aspects related to playing, from relaxation (RMP, progressive muscle relaxation) to awareness of the musician's movements, up to stage fright, addressed from physical, mental-emotional, and behavioral perspectives. Funny cartoons show a little man who is eventually crushed by an enormous brick of fear! The author also describes drugs used to artificially combat fear, from anxiolytics to beta-blockers, providing precious and intelligent advice.

www.edizionicurci.it

by Susanna Persichilli

...for lovers of German ...

http://www.gitarreim...menttorbost.PDF

http://www.gitarreha...ipMBentzien.pdf

A few years ago a forum member gave me a hand in understanding something about it...it seemed like an interesting field, unfortunately I didn't save the "translation" or the contents...I took it as healthy "reading".

THANK YOU! interesting!

it will surely be part of my library... but first my teacher (after asking him for something to read) assigned me "the history of jazz" by Gunther Schuller in 6 Vols! so I will have quite a bit to do

Very well, you could therefore bring us up to speed on your studies on the history of Jazz by sharing your impressions... It would be a nice thing and moreover it would be very useful for you as well for the purposes of long-term memorization.

I am also reporting this

http://www.musicheria.net/rubriche/?t=Il_training_mentale_di_un_musicista&p=5&f=546

maybe it will be useful

good afternoon, work will give it a read

i instead report this

the exercise is also cute.. worth a try

anyway when I think mentally about pieces\exercises I struggle to concentrate on the technique used (perhaps because when I studied the pieces I didn't pay conscious attention to the use of certain movements) idk

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