Intune Music

PART 9 | COMMUNICATE EMOTIONS
Music and emotion are deeply connected, and learning how to communicate the expressive nature or characteristics of a piece starts with being able to play the notes with confidence. So often, students move on from a piece when they can play through it reliably, without giving much thought to the musical intentions they wish to communicate. But getting the notes, rhythm and fi*****ng correct is just the beginning!

Take your song or your performance to the next level by thinking about the expressive elements:
• Does the song have dynamic contrasts? Volume plays a vital role in musical expression.
• Are there articulation markings, such as staccato, legato or accents? Perhaps you could add your own!
• Balancing the melodic line with the accompaniment is also important for accurately portraying the mood or character of the piece.
• What is the purpose of the song? Does the music tell a story? Is it a suitable tempo for people to dance to?

If you aren’t sure where to start with your own pieces, listen to other recordings, or watch videos of pianists playing expressively for inspiration. Reflect on how the song makes you feel, and how the musical elements are used to achieve this. Watch how the musician moves their body and hands to emphasise dynamics and articulation. Then, think about your own pieces from this same perspective. Write your musical intentions down and include musical elements and physical movements to achieve the same, or even opposite, effects.

Don't miss the next post in the series where we talk about how all five senses play a part in music!

IMPORTANT DATES | A reminder to mark your calendars for the following:

• Term 2 lessons finish by Friday 26th June (week 10)
• No lessons during the school holidays, from Saturday 27th June to Sunday 12th July
• Term 3 lessons commence Monday 13th July (week 1)
• Eisteddfod music submissions due on Stardom by Friday 17th July (we will email families about this in the coming weeks)
• "Christmas in July" themed Piano Party on Saturday 25th July
• Instrumental Eisteddfod from Monday 3rd to Saturday 8th August (specific dates and times for the PIANO sections are TBC)

PART 8 | LEARN FROM THE PAST

Making mistakes while you’re learning something new is inevitable. It’s what you do next that determines whether these errors stop you from trying again, or motivate you to do better next time. The best thing you can do is not to be discouraged, but to choose to learn from your past experiences and use them to understand how to improve!

Some people may feel keen to move onto the next challenge, rhythm, technique or piece, after playing it correctly once. However, having a good understanding of your music, and developing good technique, requires reiteration. Developing the fundamentals through repetition or revisiting previous songs, allows you to avoid making unnecessary mistakes.

Mistakes do happen though, and it is then that you must reflect on what you did wrong, and how you can fix it next time. Perhaps you were playing too fast, didn’t have your fingers in the correct place, or were too focused on playing the right notes to consider the rhythm. When you make a mistake, don’t let it overwhelm you or lead you to think you are a bad musician. Remember that you are learning, and that this is ultimately an opportunity to improve! Go back and try again, and when you get it right, play it a few more times to solidify what you’ve learnt, and to feel confident in doing so.

We hope this week’s post was a good reminder about reframing negative experiences into positive ones! Check back next time to read about communicating emotions through music.

PART 7 | FIND SOLUTIONS

Anything worth doing is rarely fast, and never easy. If it were, we’d all be accomplished musicians. One of the critical areas of practice is finding solutions to problems that arise.

Let’s say you are someone who struggles to find time to play your instrument between your weekly lessons. Is there no way you could find 20 minutes each day even if that needs to be two 10-minute sessions? Do you have everything laid out in your practice area ready to go, to make the most of your time? If the barrier is not wanting to make too much noise in the house, have you thought about getting a pair of headphones? Have you got a list of things you can do without your instrument, such as counting and clapping the rhythm of a piece, or reviewing theory?

Another example is not being able to play a piece fast enough. Have you checked your hand position? Is your technique strong enough to play at that speed? Have you played a wide enough variety of music to accomplish tempo you’re aiming for? Can you use a metronome, gradually increasing the tempo each time you play the piece?

Asking yourself such questions, instead of identifying the problem and letting it stop you from progressing any further, is a great way to start thinking of creating solutions.

Tune in next week for insight into learning from your mistakes.

PART 6 | STRIVE FOR ACCURACY
In addition to setting goals, maintaining good habits and refining technique, pianists strive for accuracy when they spend time playing their instruments. However, merely repeating a passage is not the most effective way of achieving precision. While repetition is important, using tools such as metronomes, and incorporating other practise habits, also contribute to a student’s progress.

Whether it’s accuracy in the finger placement, notation or rhythm, students should always strive to improve. Breaking down sections into bite-size chunks, practising slowly, and listening back are sure ways that will help. As an example, vocalising a rhythm, then clapping it to a metronome, before even attempting to play the notes on the piano, allows students to understand the rhythm correctly, so that they can then focus on playing the right notes.

Choosing one element to focus on, and feeling confident about it before incorporating something else, is a good way to learn a new song. It is hard to correct errors once we have practised them, so breaking down something unfamiliar or challenging into small steps makes a big difference in the long run.

The "You Won't Learn This in your Music Books" series continues this term - keep an eye out for our weekly posts! Next week's instalment features tips on finding solutions.

PART 5 | BE MINDFUL
It's all too easy in the modern world to get distracted – the feeling of sitting down to play your instrument, but your mind being elsewhere, is probably one that we are all familiar with. But in order to learn anything, you need to be fully focused and engaged.

To accomplish any goal, you need to believe that you are up to the challenge. Learning an instrument isn’t easy, but doubting yourself won’t help at all. The words that you read and say to yourself end up being the words that you believe. Instead of saying, “I can't” – two simple words, which can be so destructive – tell yourself, “I’m just learning, but I will get there” or, “I will take a break and then I try again. I know I can do this!”

Being gentle and patient with yourself isn’t always easy, but it essential in order for you to build other traits, such as motivation, confidence and resilience. Evaluating your thoughts and beliefs is just as important as evaluating your musical skills when playing piano. Mindfulness and musicianship go hand-in-hand, and you must regularly ask yourself whether your thoughts and actions are helping you move towards achieving your goals.

PART 3 | LISTEN AND LEARN
Listening to audio recordings of the pieces you are learning is a great way to improve your own playing. There are a number of ways to utilise recordings:

1. Listen to a professional pianist play the piece, and focus on one element or aspect at a time (e.g. melody, bass line, dynamics, expression, tempo). Understanding how the song should sound first can help your own accuracy when it comes time to play.

2. Record yourself playing the piece and make note of the areas in which you could improve. Focus on these in your next practice session, then record yourself again to hear your progress. It can feel a bit strange to watch or listen to yourself play an instrument, but this is a very useful tool, and it gets easier the more you do it.

3. Watch a YouTube video of a pianist playing your chosen piece, and pay attention to their body language. Do their hands move gracefully over the instrument when there are slurs written in the score? Do their fingers bounce and spring off the keys when there are staccato markings on the music? Do they lean in and out from the piano to enhance their dynamic expressions?

No matter how you choose to use recordings in your own musical journey, doing so regularly will help to develop your listening skills, and in turn, your own playing!

Keep an eye out for our next post in this series, for tips on flexible practice habits.