How to play expressively

[Nana_Ama]

This seems to be my biggest problem.  I know it's extremely important part of music... But whenever I play something for my teacher I think it's fine but it's only becuase I don't really hear myself playing... I either hear the piece how my teacher played it or while I'm looking the music I think that's how I am playing ... For instance if it says forte I think I am playing forte but in reality I am not.  Do you have any suggestions as to how I can eliminate that problem?   Also how can I play more expressively?  I try so hard but I have no clue... I lack this in every piece I play.  

Thanks in advance.

Nana :-/

[Clare]

I think most people have this problem; i.e. they think they are playing something one particular way and then someone points out to them that it's not at all how the player perceived it.
Also, probably the thing a teacher will say most (except for "practice more!") is "Listen to your playing!"

The first thing you need to do, of course, is get a very clear idea in your mind of exactly how you want everything to sound. This is the most fun part, and the most important part. You can do this by analyzing the piece, listening to different recordings and comparing them, thinking of a story to go along with the piece when you play it, etc.

That's all the hard work done! Now, you have to make sure that you can play it the way your mind plays it. If you already have a grand vision of how you want to play the piece, many things will come out naturally and you won't have to work on them as long as you stick to your grand vision. But there will be parts you will have to work on to make them shine too. This would be where you have to think about how physically you have to play things to make them the way you want, using hand position, etc. Also, how will you shape this phrase? Will you stretch time? What will the dynamics be? All kinds of stuff. After working hard at getting these ideas worked into the way you physically play the piece, it will come naturally because it's sort of built in to your playing. Then when you perform the piece, you can sort of play around with it and then it will really come alive.

Also, the best ever thing to do is record yourself playing. Then will know exactly what you sound like. It's a real eye-opener.

OK. I hope I helped a bit. I think I need to take some of my own advice, actually!

[pies]

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[Nana_Ama]

I think most people have this problem; i.e. they think they are playing something one particular way and then someone points out to them that it's not at all how the player perceived it.
Also, probably the thing a teacher will say most (except for "practice more!") is "Listen to your playing!"

my teacher helps me fix it but on my own I don't know how that's all lol.

The first thing you need to do, of course, is get a very clear idea in your mind of exactly how you want everything to sound. This is the most fun part, and the most important part. You can do this by analyzing the piece, listening to different recordings and comparing them, thinking of a story to go along with the piece when you play it, etc.

...Also, how will you shape this phrase? Will you stretch time? What will the dynamics be? All kinds of stuff. After working hard at getting these ideas worked into the way you physically play the piece, it will come naturally because it's sort of built in to your playing. Then when you perform the piece, you can sort of play around with it and then it will really come alive.

hm...
"stretch time"?? like keep the pulse?

Also, the best ever thing to do is record yourself playing. Then will know exactly what you sound like. It's a real eye-opener.

OK. I hope I helped a bit. I think I need to take some of my own advice, actually!

Yes, well I'lve never tried recording hehe that sounds good.  
Thanks sooooooo much you have no idea how much I appreciate your comments Clare.  LOL I'll have to post this next to my piano to remind me lol.  Maybe part of my problem could be that my piano sounds like crap and some keys as well as the pedal dont work.

Pies

i usually don't follow the expressive terms written on my sheet music, i interpret whatever i'm playing in my own way and add my own unique touch to it.

I guess I do that too sometimes.

Thanks for all of the advice guys!!  

[Shagdac]

Nana...I think I understand what you mean. Let me ask you this...when you are alone, and play the same piece, is it different? this is only for myself personally, but I have found unless I KNOW the notes, inside, outside, forwards and backwards....there isn't going to be much musicality to it. What I mean is....until I feel like I can stop concentrating on the score...I can't really put that much feeling into it. Once I know the notes, dynamics, etc...and can play it easily, then it's easy to put more feeling into it. Usually by the time I have learnt a piece I have it memorized, and without having to look at the score, the interpretation comes much easier. Prior to that, (for me anyway)...it's hard to put feeling into it when I'm concentrating on hitting the right keys, should I be loud or soft, fast or slow, pedal or not, stacatto or legatto, etc, etc, etc. See what I mean?

Hope this helps.

S

[Shagdac]

Sorry, I wanted to mention one more thing Nana....Today I had my lesson. I finished the last 2 pages of a piece I had been working on for some time. I don't have it perfect..but before I played it I told my teacher.."This will not be exactly right, but I feel i have the technique down...next week i will try and play with feeling but I cannot concentrate on both at the time, till I know it better". My teacher was fine with this, and I actually played it exceptionally well, I think because I "warned" him first! hahaha. Anyway, I would definately tell your teacher what you are experienceing and see what they suggest.  I cannot imagine an instructor wanting you to put the correct amount of feeling into a piece, before you have even become comfortable with it!

S

[janice]

I totally agree with Clare, that you should record yourself.  It truly IS an eye opener!  Also, you should think about listening to as many recordings of a particular piece as possible.  By doing this, you will not only hear other interpretations of it, but you will sort of "break out of your rut".  Meaning, that you will help your brain "forget" your own interpretation and this might "free you up" to truly "hear" yourself.  Just a thought.  Also, try this--do you have access to a keyboard?  If you do, then try playing the piece in silence.  Practice this MANY times.  I think it just might help for you to NOT hear yourself.  Then that might clear up the how-do- I-WANT-to-sound and the how-I- TRULY-sound dilemma.

[Saturn]

I used to have this problem a while ago.  I'm not sure exactly how I got rid of it.  All I know is that as I continued to play piano, started listening to lots of recordings, and started being more aware of my playing during practice sessions, the problem eventually went away.

my teacher helps me fix it but on my own I don't know how that's all lol.

What you need to do is figure out what your teacher does to "fix" it.  What does your teacher hear that you don't?

Your playing should be guided by your ears, not your fingers.  You need to be aware of every sound you make at the piano.  And also, be aware of any silence that is there when you're not playing.  It's absolutely essential to develop this sensitivity to the sound you produce.  Once it is developed, your playing will adjust itself to match your conception of the way the piece should sound.

This assumes that you do have some conception of the way you want the piece to sound.  Listening to recordings helps a lot for this.  You should be able to look at the score for a piece (a piece you already know) and "play" the piece in your head.

Clare's suggestion of recording yourself is very good.  The first time you listen to a recording of your playing, you'll likely say, "My God, I didn't know I sounded that bad!"  Then you'll just need to learn to hear and recognize that when you play, and you'll be doing all right.

- Saturn

[Clare]

you'll likely say, "My God, I didn't know I sounded that bad!"  

- Saturn

Ha ha! usually, I find that the opposite is true (though not always  ). Often, I'll listen to a recording of me, and think, "Phew! It sounds way better than I thought!" Mostly because when I'm playing, everything seems so complex and laboured like I'm struggling to remember all the physics of how to get the sound I want, but of course anyone who is listening won't feel that at all. So sometimes listening to yourself can be a relief! Also, listening to a recording of yourself can be useful because something you thought was terrible actually sounds nice and something you thought was nice sounds awful.

Nana_Ama, you said that you don't know how to fix things on your own. The solution is to experiment. Find the right hand position you need to make the phrase sound the exact way you want. I find that often I will experiment but still not know how to get something to sound the way I want. Then I ask the teacher. This means you can get more things done in the lesson because you've worked out as much as you can on your own, and you don't waste time because you have specific questions.

But the moral of the story is, as Saturn says, learn to play it in your head first!