When we think of tension in piano playing, we correctly label this as negative – it is a thing that hampers us and our objective should be to locate its source and then eliminate it. This tension might be physical or mental, or perhaps a bit of both! Inadequate or inefficient technique, or incorrect use of the body manifests in physical tension. Mental tension (such as stage fright, exam nerves, etc.) may have its origins in the mind but it soon becomes very apparent in our breathing and the tightening of our arm muscles, the wrist and our shoulders. If we are particularly apprehensive, our legs may also tighten up and this affects our whole system. Adrenaline gets pumped into the body and this alters the way our muscles feel and the way we respond physically to what we perceive as stress and danger. When muscles tense up our ability to move freely across the keyboard is compromised, often severely. This leads to all kinds of clumsy and uncoordinated errors until eventually we can no longer play.
Poisonous Pedagogy
Unfortunately, many teachers (including some with excellent reputations at the top of the profession) teach by shaming the student, making them feel inadequate and inferior. Once worn down and confidence eroded, the idea is to rebuild them in the image of the teacher. This sets up unhealthy dependency and a host of psychological problems. I am not suggesting this is deliberate cruelty on the part of the teacher, because this behaviour is usually unconscious. The teacher is simply passing on like a hot potato the way they themselves were taught. Despite the quality of the information we might get from such a teacher, nobody needs to be subjected to this treatment.
If you had teachers who made you feel incompetent and useless because they focussed only on the negatives in lessons, and delivered instruction in an abusive way, then how can you hope to feel empowered, confident or good about your playing? You will likely carry that teacher around inside your head and everything you do will feel stiff and tight, like walking on egg shells. Nervousness, insecurity, anxiety and mental stress will translate directly into physical tension. It is a foregone conclusion that you’ll mess up, and sooner rather than later!
Do you remember the recurrent theme from the BBC series Keeping Up Appearances, where Hyacinth Bucket’s domineering and intimidating presence causes such panic in her neighbour Elizabeth that she cannot be trusted even to hold a teacup without spillage or breakage? (Watch the first minute of this…)
For many young pianists at the start of their playing career, a barrier to security in performing is not physical limitations but psychological issues. There is often a lack of self confidence and they believe their playing is somehow off the mark, missing something or even totally wrong. They need a teacher they can respect who will mentor them, validate and inspire them and act as a mirror for how they sound by giving honest and supportive feedback. With this seal of approval, they can get up and play and magic can happen. Without it, performance can feel frightening, risky and full of self doubt. We can sit on the stage and feel that everyone out there is judging us, and harshly! “No, that’s much too slow!” and “You would have thought after all that practice you could get that run more even” are the sort of thoughts that go through our mind.
I once had a teacher who, when she visited me in the green room before a concert, held my hand and urged me to “go out there and make sounds that nobody has ever made before!”. What a lovely way to make your student feel empowered, and special.
It is vital to keep a positive mental attitude around our practising and performing, and not to tolerate the destructive antics of egocentric teachers. There are plenty of others who will support and encourage you in the process of building you up as a pianist and as a musician. I suggest you seek them out.
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The late Walter Bergmann once advised – ‘In performance,forget the notes – just play the bl—y music !’Helpful in its way, especially if nervousness continues to afflict you even when you have a thorough knowledge of the score . Having had two principal teachers who had daunting personalities, and for whom ‘not bad’ was the most encouragement my efforts usually received, I know how true it is that ‘you carry your teacher around with you’.I know exactly the Hyacinth Bucket effect !
Thank you Kenneth. I really like that Walter Bergmann quote, it sums it all up perfectly! I think it is an attitude of mind, almost a decision we make when we go onstage to play. I have written about this in an old post, called Cavaliers and Roundheads https://practisingthepiano.com/?p=1414
What are some of your thoughts in regards to how one becomes a better performer? There is a difference between practicing and practicing performing – other than simply getting as many performance opportunities as possible, what are your suggestions for prepping students for playing in stressful situations?
Such vast questions, certainly outside the scope of a comment. I have written extensively about all these issues, you might want to try a search at the top of my blog. There will be lots that comes up!
Thank you, Graham, for writing on this crucial matter. (“I know you prefer a beaker, Elizabeth.” – love it!)
Thanks Paul. A lot of people who come to me have a Hyacinth in their heads. I wish they would leave her at home, she’s certainly not welcome here!
I have vivid memories of an end-of-semester performance examination where I had the misfortune to be playing the same piece (Debussy’s Clair de Lune) as one of the school’s best piano technicians. My technique was much shredded in direct comparison with the other student’s (fairly enough, hers was and probably still is much more solid than mine)- but the end result was that I felt about 2 inches tall, and like I never wanted to play the piece again. It was, ironically, the other student who restored some of my confidence. As we were walking back to the dorms she told me “When you played it, I heard moonlight. I never feel that when I play it.”
It’s the loveliest compliment I’ve ever had on my playing, and still one of my favorite pieces in my repertoire – even if I do struggle with technique.
The other student showed a lot of grace with her comment, and it’s true that we are vulnerable when onstage. Clair de lune is indeed a much-loved and much-played piece, but then it fully deserves to be! It’s beautiful from start to finish.
[…] Some Thoughts on Mental Tension (Practicing the Piano) – Graham Fitch muses on how important our mindset is in music practice. […]