Learning a new piece involves more than simply processing notes and perfecting technique. While accuracy is important, music that is only a literal reading of the score will feel lifeless. To truly engage listeners, performers must develop an artistic image of the piece – a creative vision that transcends the mechanics.
An artistic image means uncovering the composer’s message as you perceive it and shaping your own expressive ideas. This might involve exploring character, mood, colour, or even inventing a narrative. The clearer your conviction of what you want to communicate, the more naturally it will influence your playing and reach the listener on a deeper level.
Starting out
Before diving into learning the notes of your new piece, spend time reflecting on what you want to express. Ask yourself:
- What is the character of this piece?
- Does it suggest a story, mood, or imagery?
- Which emotions or colours do I want to highlight?
By starting your learning process with your artistic vision in mind, you are building towards a performance that goes beyond correctness – conveying meaning, emotion and individuality that bring the music fully to life.
An exercise
Of course, it does help if the composer has left us with a descriptive title… but in the absence of this, there are other ways to formulate your own artistic image: Close your eyes and imagine a movie screen in front of you. There’s a film playing and your piece is the background music. Then use your imagination to describe what you see on the imaginary screen!
Examples
In this video from our recently launched course on learning a new piece, Graham Fitch shares some ideas for narratives and imagery for a variety of repertoire examples:
Share your Narratives!
We’d love to know what narratives you have come up with for pieces that you’re playing or that have inspired you in the past! Please join our Learning New Pieces Facebook Group where you can gain inspiration from other examples and share your own ideas.
More ideas & examples
The following are some further resources to give you ideas and inspiration for creating narratives and bringing your performances to life:
- A Fantasy Analysis of Brahms Intermezzo in A (Op. 118 No. 2) – Click here for Graham Fitch’s exploration of the touching backstory and his own narrative for one of the most beloved piano pieces of all time.
- Brahms’s Late Piano Works – Click here for a blog post with ideas for narratives on a selection of other late works by Brahms.
- Classical Examples – Click here to watch a video with a personal narrative for the opening movement of Beethoven’s Sonata No 6 in F Major (Op. 10 No. 2) or click here for a workshop recording by Graham Fitch on Haydn’s “English” Sonata, Hob. XVI/50.
- Stories, Images, and Magic from the Piano Literature – Neil Rutman’s best selling book which brings together programmatic, poetic, or imaginative musical images and stories on piano works from the classical literature.
- Going Beyond – Click here to read a blog post by Graham Fitch with more examples of how narrative and imagery can be used to inspire you and captivate your listeners.
- Awakening the Imagination Bundle – Click here to purchase access to recordings and resources for a set of online presentations by Graham Fitch on imagination, narrative and interpretation followed by a showcase of repertoire ideas at all levels, including both popular works and hidden gems.
- Making Friends with Beethoven – Amateur pianist Marie-Louise Curtis tells the story of how she grew to love a work by Beethoven which she initially struggled to relate to by creating a personal narrative.
- Isaac Albéniz Cordoba (A Parable) – Click here to read an example by Anette McAnn featuring her narrative for Cordoba from Chants d’Espagne, Op.232.