Focus and Concentration are Central to a Good Technique?

[mynameisdavid]

Hello,

Is focus and concentration central, indeed crucial to a good technique and that which acts as a conduit for true expression to be communicated when playing the piano?

I find that when I play, the inner critic commands a significant space in my consciousness preventing focus and concentration on what I am actually playing having dominion - the result is wrong notes, not expressing the music note by note and not actually being fully engaged with music making - too busy is the inner critic pushing out these faculties!

Please can you give me some feedback, advice or practical ways to help resolve my problem?

Thanks in advance!

Kind regards,

David - London.

[go12_3]

I think developing good technique requires focus and concentration...to focus is center of interest;  concentrate is close attention.    It depends upon the pianist and how much time and effort that he wants to put forth into learning good technique which involves continued practicing the correct way and making sure posture and relaxation is important for good technique.  Practicing slowly can make us focus more upon the passages and increase concentration.    No one can just sit and automatically play piano with good technique.  There has be a teacher to show how to play well and then it's up to the student to focus upon what is being taught through practicing and that can take a few years.  Good technique needs to be ongoing throughout our lives as we are learning pieces that can challenge our ability in playing.   

[gardenvarietycynic]

It sounds as though your problems are less physical/technical and more a psychological matter of what Barry Green (after W. T. Gallwey) terms "Self-Interference". Those inner murmurings of criticism that often get in the way of an otherwise potentially substantial technique, performance, etc. 

https://www.innergameofmusic.com/index.html

The Inner Game of Music. Buy and read this book.

[faulty_damper]

I agree with GardenVariety's suggestion for The Inner Game of Music; it's a good book!

Normally, people who are high self-monitoring are doing so during playing but not during practice.  Practice is the investigation as to the most effective way to do something and then repeating it until it becomes effortless and ingrained.  When something is effortless and ingrained, there is rarely a wrong note even though self-monitoring is high.

I'd suggest you also look into your practice techniques.

[mynameisdavid]

I have just taken your advice and purchased 'The inner game of music' - I will let you all know how effect the book is once read!
Kind regards,
David Williams - London.

[thphaca]

Well I would partially say yes... Concentration and focus is essential purely for developing technique, but as far as performing a learned piece, the execution shouldn't be difficult once you've moderately tuned your technique. I always thought I would never get very far with piano because even when I focused my hardest, repeating a passage just never seemed to progress me. Eventually, I found out that through technical excercises, everything could be played seemlessly. It's a heck of a lot better than staying stuck on that one measure for 3 months...

[mynameisdavid]

I have been doing more technical exercises than before - interestingly, I returned to a peice I played over 12 months ago, before I had embarked on scales and technical exercises - what I can say is that I play the same piece with more ease and accuracy than before - demonstrating that your feedback is of merit! - Thanks for confirming that technical exercises can be valuable!
Kind regards,
David - London

[dorfmouse]

Hello,

Is focus and concentration central, indeed crucial to a good technique and that which acts as a conduit for true expression to be communicated when playing the piano?

I find that when I play, the inner critic commands a significant space in my consciousness preventing focus and concentration on what I am actually playing having dominion - the result is wrong notes, not expressing the music note by note and not actually being fully engaged with music making - too busy is the inner critic pushing out these faculties!

Please can you give me some feedback, advice or practical ways to help resolve my problem?

Thanks in advance!

Kind regards,

David - London.

I think you might find this article on the Musical Fossils site relevant and useful;
https://www.musicalfossils.com/mem.html
Go to "Memory Lapses". I know your question isn't specifically about memorising but the author discusses the the interference of words - your inner critic - in the practising process, and suggests some practical methods of countering this problem.

[lostinidlewonder]

Discipline in your approach to music is critical and I believe this encompasses Focus and concentration. Doing something when you do not want to do it, how often do we make excuses not to do work and put it off till later? But this matter in the thread seems more direct, it is talking about being overly critical while practicing our music. This is a problem that exists strongly in people who have a good ear for music, they know exactly how a passage should sound like but their hands do not follow as they would like them to.

You have to learn to simply listen to yourself and stop comparing yourself to others. Listening to too many peoples playing can be good but if it effects you or inspires you all the time to play the piano, you could be drawing your inspiration to improve from a non-genuine source. You should play for yourself and for your own pleasure and stop comparing. Once you break this hold you may draw inspiration from higher sources, perhaps your own love for life and the craft of music!

[mynameisdavid]

Dear lostinidlewonder,

I am struck by your words of wisdom? - I am going straight to the piano after having written this to enjoy myself at the piano!

Thank you ever so much!

Kind regards,
David.