Maintaining concentration?

[slane]

Hi,

  I've always had this problem with playing the piano, as soon as it gets the least bit easy my concentration wanders and then I start making mistakes. My mind goes all over to things like "I wonder what so and so would think of my playing" to "What should I make for dinner" and "would Mr darcy marry me if I play this well?". I've discovered that if I sing along with the music that  helps but then I start wondering what I must look like!
I told a musical friend about this problem and he was all "But how can you not concentrate? You'll make a mistake otherwise!"

  So how do you guys maintain a zen state of concentration, totally focussed on the music?

ta
-s

[m1469]

"would Mr darcy marry me if I play this well?"

exxxccuuuuussseeee me, but have you ever actually met Mr. Darcy?  In my humble opinion, he is definitely worth the distraction  .

But, to answer your question, honestly I couldn't tell you.  Sometimes I am incredibly concentrated and sometimes I let something throw me off.  I have to say, though, that there seems to be a direct relationship for me between worrying about what other people think or might be thinking, and how well I can stay focused on the music.  Ultimately, it *is* a choice that we make.

[slane]

Oh you're right. 75% of the distractions I listed are wondering what someone thinks of me. If I can get rid of those thoughts i should be perfect >75% of the time.
Obviously I'm playing with the wrong motivation! Its all about the music.
I should be thinking like Nodame: "I'll enjoy playing so please try hard to listen".

[m1469]

I've thought about it just a bit more now, because something *has* been changing for me regarding that within the last couple of months (the last month has been especially noticeable).  And, part of it came clear to me that, in my case, it seems to also be linked not *just* to the musical images (or preparedness) that I'm building through mental practice, but the practice of mentally practicing is building or expanding my ability to concentrate, as well.  To be capable of thinking very very deeply and focusedly, even for 10 seconds, and in that time to cultivate an intense musical image, starts to build that mechanism who can think/be like that at all.

For a long time I've thought "we practice our attitudes about music and practicing while we practice our music" ... but, this is more defined than that.  I'm still working on it, but my advice would be to practice utter focus in very small portions, building in portion size as you are able to accomplish it in the smaller ones.  It's like a muscle you have to build and cultivate and develop, until all you have to do is "turn your gaze" and it's just sitting right there, ready to be called upon.

[keyboardclass]

I think it's mostly to do with lifestyle - especially diet.   I cut out wheat, that seemed to help a lot.

[slane]

Acutally KBC .. I'm gonna give that a go. After I posted here my brain got even more full of strange people criticising me. Even Daniel Barenboim was in there giving advice and I remembered I go like that when I haven't had enough fish oil, so I gave that a go and I was better. Coincidence perhaps. Also I feel much better when I don't eat bread but that might only be because I eat more nutritious things instead, but either way it makes a difference. So tomorrow ... no more wheat!

[keyboardclass]

Quinoa's a grain worth looking into though I tend to eat a lot of almonds instead of wheat.

[silph]

just throwing this out there, but i wonder if meditation might help with concentration?
granted, i've been trying to learn meditation (without a teacher) for a while, with only minimal success. but if you have someone close to you willing to teach you (or if you're willing to learn under a teacher), then maybe it's worth a shot?



as for being in a "zen concentration" in the music, i had found in the past (when playing french horn) that the more i invested emotionally into the music when practicing, the easier it was for me to be "hypnotized" when actually playing the piece through. that is, even the "easy" parts of a piece, i'd spend lots and lots of time on, enjoying and savouring the intervals.. perhaps memorizing it.. and definitely developping a "feeling" or "story" or personal attraction to that part of the piece. then, even though it's an "easy" section of music, it had so much emotional richness that i knew i discovered before, that i would find it easy to "sink back into that state of being in love" with that section of music ... thereby increasing concentration

don't know if that helps, but that was my experience for what it's worth.