Does how you feel affect your perfomance,

[gorbee natcase]

sometimes I can crush a piece of music with my will, but at other times even if I have practiced a piece too perfection If I dont feel "right" then I dont feel like I am doing the piece justice (to me it is like a mental energy thing) if I am (drained, or charged)

[perfect_pitch]

sometimes I can crush a piece of music with my will, but at other times even if I have practiced a piece too perfection If I dont feel "right" then I dont feel like I am doing the piece justice (to me it is like a mental energy thing) if I am (drained, or charged)

It's kind of a stupid question.... Obviously the answer is yes.

If you've had 2 hours of sleep, still recovering from the flu and have a blocked up nose, there's no way in Hell you will be able to pull the piece of. You have to be in a very good mental state of mind.

[orlandopiano]

If you've had 2 hours of sleep, still recovering from the flu and have a blocked up nose, there's no way in Hell you will be able to pull the piece of. You have to be in a very good mental state of mind.

Don't tell Keith Jarrett that.  Those were pretty much his conditions (if not worse), the day he gave a concert in Germany in the 70s.  Today that very concert is known as "The Koln Concert", arguably one of the most magical, inspired musical achievements in the history of recorded music.

[jeremyjchilds]

Psychology is such a large aspect of piano performance

[arensky]

sometimes I can crush a piece of music with my will, but at other times even if I have practiced a piece too perfection If I dont feel "right" then I dont feel like I am doing the piece justice (to me it is like a mental energy thing) if I am (drained, or charged)

Why must you "crush the music with your will"!!?? Are you playing the piano or invading Russia? I know, sometimes it seems like the same thing . But you're making yourself tired with this crushing, and exhausting your will.

This has worked for me....

Make sure on the day of an important performance, or competition or exam that....

Evrything in that day goes on a straight line to that performance. Don't let anything upset you, don't fight with your girlfriend, wife or family, and train those around you to know that on concert day you come first. Don't get stuck in traffic or on the bus or subway, plan ahead. Pack a bag and put everything in there you might need, extra shirts and underclothes, shoe polish, music (never needed it in 27 years but always take it), toothbrush/paste, bottled water, aspirin, loperamide, pepcids. Eat what seems right, and figure out what that is you should eat before you play, and when(I eat a small plate of pasta and a salad about three hours before, and NOTHING interferes with that). Food is not such a big deal for others, it is for me. One of my students once pigged out at Taco Bell before a recital, boy was he sorry when the nerves hit! Once you arrive at the venue, you are "on"; there will be people there you have to talk to, but once you need to be alone, politely leave and head backstage, they will understand. Think good thoughts, and remember it's only a concert, you will not die or be tortured afterwards, the U.S.S.R. is no more.

Anyway that's what I do, is control the circumstances around me so that I do feel right and can play at my best. I probably seem like a obsessive neurotic control freak(only on concert days , and maybe I am, but that's what I have to do, so I do it. Then there's the psychological aspect, which is different for everyone, I will ask you two questions; WHY don't you feel right? WHAT makes you feel right? Only you know and can answer that, look back at past performances good and bad, and look at what may have caused you to suceed or fail; only you know what that is , though.

I f the problem is simply energy, don't drain your self befor performances! No video games or TV,
sports or strenous activity, sex . No deep thoughts, either, if the weather is nice, get outside, and maybe ( I know I have to) avoid people as much as you have to, they can be VERY draining!
And get enough sleep....

Oh,one last thing, Panzer General   Instead of crushing the music, use your will to crush this negativity that's getting in your way; the music just is, get out of your own way. You'll figure it out.

Humour; when I was learning Pictures at an Exhibition, after I played "Bydlo" my teacher said "for you we call this 'Panzer' ".  I think it sounds more like a Bydlo now, age has tempered the excesses of youth , just a little....

[alzado]

I'm not sure about this "crushing a piece with your will."

About two weeks ago my wife and I were "inflicted" with a young man in a retail showroom testing grand pianos.  He kept moving from one to another, always playing the same piece. 

He absolutely butchered the piece, but he played it fast, and he played it loud.

There were no dynamics in his playing, and there was no interpretive finesse.  It was like hearing a jackhammer at a construction site.  Everything seemed to be "forte," with lots of missed notes.

I sincerely hope he was not "crushing the music to his will."  But it certainly seemed like he was crushing something!

He crushed us, because we couldn't stand listening to him, and abandoned our shopping.

Don't mean to be unfair to you -- this example may not be what you meant at all!

Good luck to you --

[thorn]

How i feel in general definetely affects my performance. I cant play lively pieces very well if im down, likewise if im in a really good mood i cant play anything that has any kind of angry or just negative mood in general very well.

There are also rare occasions where i cant play anything well at all, because im just not in the mood.

[arensky]

Don't tell Keith Jarrett that.  Those were pretty much his conditions (if not worse), the day he gave a concert in Germany in the 70s.  Today that very concert is known as "The Koln Concert", arguably one of the most magical, inspired musical achievements in the history of recorded music.

Yes but free improvisation is diferent from reproducing a completely written out structure, you can "let yourself go" when improvising,it's more about a free stream of conciousness. Not to disparage Mr. Jarrett, who is one of the greatest living Jazz pianists, and has helped break down the walls around classical music by doing both Classical and Jazz.

[jhon]

its inevitable sometimes that your personal feelings will affect your playing either for ood or bad.  but this must be controled simply bec. such is "unartistic." remember that piano playing is a performing arts and arts in general is just an aesthetic representation of reality - in this case, for instance, your real personal feelings, etc...So keep that subjectivity in you as objective as possible in piano playing.  As in any other arts in general, i believe there's always a constant interplay between objectivity (ie, technicality) and subjectivity (ie.interpretation) bec in arts is the only realm where objectivity is subjective and subjectivity is objective.

for example, if youre depressed, dont let your subjective emotions overdo all your playing - this is IRRATIONAL.  rather, learn to leave some space for objetive elements such as technique and the composer's real treatment (ideal) of his piece.  learn to draw a line between the two... 

[piazzo23]

Yes, even Martha Argerich is a musician, not a professional.
Music is an art, it has to do with real feelings, if you start faking it, probably most people won´t notice it, but YOU know you´re not making art.

I think a professional artist is a contradiction.
You can be a professional piano player, but that´s not what we are talking about, is it?

[pianistimo]

this is getting into temperaments.  there are many.  and artists (whether amateur or professional) have differences.  some play more passionately outwardly, and some play passionately inwardly.  the difference is that the inwardly ones are probably appreciated more for their 'understanding of the music,' and the outwardly ones are appreciated for 'emoting the music.'  the inwardly ones hit all the right notes, listen for all the sounds they want to make, and attempt to connect on a musicians musician level,   the outwardly connect on a mass level - and make people jump up for encores - even if they do extra stuff like let their hands fly around.  then there's a few that when the word gets out (which ever one they are) they are adored by critics and mass alike.

you can find out which your students are by asking what their music represents in terms of feelings.  i tend to think in terms of classical drama with beethoven and mozart.  others may think of passionate love letters or innuendos of sorts.  if you hold your feelings to a certain level of preconceived expectation of sound (you are not focusing soley on expression - but also, perfection) you are different than the person who lets go and lets flow.  for instance rachmaninov, to me, was more controlled.  also, richter.  from all i've heard of martha argerich, she's a combo of the two (focusing on technique/sound and also extremely passionate)  then, there's yundi li or whomever that you say 'wow' their just born with the ability to 'let go'  and 'be free' and 'soar.'  horowitz got the critics and crowd, too.

[gruffalo]

I feel that the days and the day leading up to your performance need to be carefully planned out and can tamper with your performance. but in terms of mood, i find playing the piano very stimulating. like once it was my birthday and i went out to a club and didnt go to sleep that night and i was very tired but i had a piano lesson which i really didnt feel like going to but after about 10 minutes i just got into the mood of it. yes if you keep saying to yourself "oh im so tired" or " im so depressed" you wont be stimulated by the music and it will affect the music but if you just release your hands and your mind, you will find that mood. the mood will always be there but you have to combat it, just like how on a stressful day we need to take a moment and listen to beautiful music and we feel a bit better, and that is basically letting the music takeover and that is what you need to do with performance. but for the tips with days leading up to a performance, arkensy is probably more experienced than me and i dont want to give the wrong tips.

[mikey6]

Don't tell Keith Jarrett that.  Those were pretty much his conditions (if not worse), the day he gave a concert in Germany in the 70s.  Today that very concert is known as "The Koln Concert", arguably one of the most magical, inspired musical achievements in the history of recorded music.

Didn't Lipatti record or perform the Schumann concerto a couple of days before he died?

[gkatele]

Because of my goofy work schedule, I frequently have to schedule a lesson on the day after I work a 24 hour shift. Even if it's not 24 hours of straight work, and I sleep at work for 5-6 hours, it's not home, and it's not my bed, and I'm on edge.

Invariably, the next day I play like sh*t. I'm tired, grumpy and I can't perform.

When I'm rested - I am the god of the piano.

(well, at least of MY piano    )

I guess that happens when you're 55 years old.



George

[Bouter Boogie]

sometimes I can crush a piece of music with my will, but at other times even if I have practiced a piece too perfection If I dont feel "right" then I dont feel like I am doing the piece justice (to me it is like a mental energy thing) if I am (drained, or charged)

The answer is yes.