Adding Passion to my piano playing.

[randompianist97]

Dear Reader,

I have been playing the piano for 5 years now. I am told my technique and rhythm is fine. However, I do not have one thing, conveying feeling and emotion in music. I see many people are able to do this and I remain envious.

I know that saying 'you can't teach passion'. I know the passion is in a room inside of me, I just need some help unlocking the door to it. So I am asking if you may be able to help me. Thank you for your time.

Kind Regards,
Kristina Shuey

[larapool]

This may sound very cheesy, but have you ever been in love?  The ups and downs that come with that are unbeatable with regards to bringing out the emotion in oneself, in my opinion.

I've also found that it helps to envision some kind of scenery or story to go with the music.  For example, Chopin's Raindrop Prelude... every time I play this I imagine some very dreary, rainy day with a very sad man shut inside his house, and the quiet/heavy midsection being a little bit of sunlight shining through the clouds before it returns to being dismal and gray.

Everybody's different, though... see if that works for you at all!

[iansinclair]

Lara's absolutely right.  And I would add -- if you are still young (say not more than early to mid teens) you really shouldn't be too worried about not being able to easily express your feelings and emotions yet.  Give it time and relax!  But do allow yourself, whatever age you are, the time and relaxation to be aware of your passions; your emotions... your feelings.  And do allow yourself to express them, not just in your music but in your life as well.  (within reason, of course!!!).

I might also add you are not alone -- I have heard all too many musicians -- not just pianists -- over the years, of various ages, who either didn't have a feeling side -- or who kept it carefully walled off from their music making.  Technically superb they may have been, but what they were creating wasn't music any more than the directions for baking a cake are great literature.

[pianoplunker]

Dear Reader,

I have been playing the piano for 5 years now. I am told my technique and rhythm is fine. However, I do not have one thing, conveying feeling and emotion in music. I see many people are able to do this and I remain envious.

I know that saying 'you can't teach passion'. I know the passion is in a room inside of me, I just need some help unlocking the door to it. So I am asking if you may be able to help me. Thank you for your time.

Kind Regards,
Kristina Shuey

For me I never have had a problem putting feeling into music. What I do is make the piece I am playing be about me. The technical side is not disconnected from the emotional side and thus practicing dynamics is how I connect the score to my emotions.  Once you get to know the notes and technical execution. practice the dynamics with over emphasis. Make the FF parts way louder than the PP parts or vice versa.  Try NOT using the pedal or adding pedal to certain parts. Anyhow, it works for me

[pianoplunker]

For me I never have had a problem putting feeling into music. What I do is make the piece I am playing be about me. The technical side is not disconnected from the emotional side and thus practicing dynamics is how I connect the score to my emotions.  Once you get to know the notes and technical execution. practice the dynamics with over emphasis. Make the FF parts way louder than the PP parts or vice versa.  Try NOT using the pedal or adding pedal to certain parts. Anyhow, it works for me

One more thing is when I am listening to music I make it about me as well.  It makes it easy to cry, shout, or jump and dance, whatever

[larapool]

I never thought about making the music 'about' myself -- that's a great idea, actually!  Personalization is key for making a piece truly unique, I suppose... time to experiment a little bit with those dynamics and tempo markings!