about "feeling" the piece

[burbankian]

Hello everyone, this is my first post, sorry if my grammar is bad, as English is not my first language

I'm currently 20 yrs old, I first played piano back on August of 2011. I have a question regarding about feeling the piece...

sorry if this is irrelevant, but I think this is a part of what I will be asking. I was born in a family of engineers (my dad, my grandfather, my uncle, etc.), before learning piano, I was set to be a Chemical Engineer, but due to my asthma, my doctor recommended me to try a different course. I accepted what the doctor said, and I took Accounting. during my 3rd year in the course, I got into depression.

My father decided to let me stop going to college, and said that If I want to, I can take Piano Lessons, I was very distraught (I don't know if that is the right word) back then, so I accepted his offer and took the Lessons.

that's pretty much it, I took the Lessons back the on 2011 August, I have no musical background ever since I was a kid, I was the type of person that gets fascinated inside my father's Laboratory than go outside and play sports, I'm pretty much an Introvert.

my Lessons lasted from 2011 August to 2012 February, (the reason I stopped taking lessons, is that I decided to go to college again and take Pharmacy). I didn't really thought of playing the piano when I was a kid, but my teacher told me that I'm very good, and a very fast learner. that statement made me proud of myself that's what really pushed me through. my motivations back then was to make my teacher proud. since I wasn't going to college back then, all of my time was dedicated to the piano, I finished Hanon's 60 finger Exercises for the first time back in October 2011, and ever since then, before I entered college again, I would practice exercises 1-60 2x-3x times everyday, the very thought of finishing it back then was bliss for me.

My technique is very good, but, like I said before, I was more of a "scientist" than a musician. I tend to rationalize lessons than feel them, my teacher tells it to me on a number of occasions, he usually says "relax your shoulders, you look like a robot playing" and "don't think too much, just play it". during our final session, he asked me to play Mervyn Warren/Mandy Moore's "Only Hope". after I finished playing it, he said that "I should get in touch with me", he said that I still don't feel the piece, and to be honest, I think he is right, it's like a played the piece for the sake of playing the piece.

I'm in my second year in accounting now, my teacher left the school March 2013, I decided to visit him one last time, we talked about things that happened, not really relative to piano, but it refreshed my memory, I have decided then that I would continue my music after I'm done with Pharmacy. but the keypoint is, I don't feel the pieces.

I'm sorry for the very long post, but my question is, to everyone, Can you train emotion?
What do you do to feel the piece?
Is there anyway I can improve my emotion towards the piece?

I want to continue music, not just piano. the only time that I really felt a piece is when I'm playing Yiruma's "Kiss the Rain". but I also want to feel other pieces.

Is there anything you may recommend me to do?

PS. about my "depression stage", I'm well over it .

[nystul]

A lot of expression comes from a refined touch and kind of shaping the music through the little changes in dynamics and tone.  The dynamic that is marked on the sheet (if there even is one) is just a general idea.  But each phrase or musical idea has it's own character which is usually not written on the page but left to your interpretation.  Listen to a good singer or violin solo.  Often phrases will build up to a climax point and then taper off again.  It's not a huge change in dynamic but just a subtle little thing.  Try to sing the melody or imagine in your head some ideal version of it and just feel when it should build and when it should taper and try to allow that to happen as you play it.

On a larger scale, try to understand the piece of music.  What was the composer going for?  When there is some marking, don't just take it as a literal instruction but also ask what the composer trying to tell me about the emotion of the piece.  These things aren't always obvious or necessarily something with a "correct" answer.  As you practice a piece and get more familiar with it, you might change your mind about what it is supposed to mean.  But the point is you have to try for something deeper than just getting the right notes at the right places.

A lot of youngsters sound emotional largely by mimicking the teacher or the recording.  They don't necessarily need to understand or analyze what they are doing.  If you are like me you probably can't help but analyze everything before trying it.  But there is value in listening to good performances and trying to capture the same kind of vibe in your playing.

[iansinclair]

I sort of hope this is an answer to what you are asking: one can't really "train" emotions.  However, one CAN allow them.  We all have them, to a greater or lesser extent -- but some people have arrived at a position where it is very hard for them to show them -- lots of ways one could get there, but growing up in a family of engineers is surely one of the best!

Now I'm not an advocate in any sense for the "let it all hang out" school of emotional over kill.  That doesn't help either.

Nystul has some very good comments.

I'm sorry to say that I don't have any tried and proven methods, though, for relaxing and allowing yourself to feel your emotions -- other than assuring you that they are there.

I might add, though, that one famous pianist -- might have been Rubinstein? -- was said to have said that one shouldn't even try to play a Chopin Nocturne until one has been really in love with someone, and I'm kind of inclined to think he was right!

[keypeg]

Just a thought.  I don't know if it will go in the right direction for you.  In life, are there times when you have something to say to others?  Supposing that you are sad or disappointed about something, and you want someone who is close to you to know that this is how you feel.  What about when you feel strongly about something - it is important to you, you are passionate and want someone to know that it is important?  Or you are angry?  I'm thinking that "feeling" isn't it, as much as "expressing yourself" and having something to say.  Then - how do you say it?  When you listen to a passionate speaker - an actor, an orator - his voice goes louder and softer, he speakers faster or slower, he changes the speed of his words, he emphasizes a word, pauses before an important word and makes you wait for it.  Some of this comes from what you feel inside, and some of it has been learned by the orator or actor.  If you are sad, your voice will naturally be lower and slower.  If you are angry, your voice naturally becomes loud, and "pressed".

2.  Like Nystul said, these same things (faster, slower, pausing, louder, quieter) are the actual elements that are used to impart emotion.  Musicians use these elements deliberately, knowing what kind of effect they will have.  The purpose of technique is actually so that at a first level you can play the right notes at the right time, with some control.  After that, you want technique so that you can use it to create effects.  If you want to play quieter and quieter, in order to give a feeling of mystery or sadness, then you have to be able to play quieter.  Technique gives us that.  And then we also want to know when to play quieter - understanding the music, some ideas of theory and similar help us with that.   These things are technical, which comes back into your world.

I'm thinking that it might help if your teacher - or a(nother) teacher - were to show you the technical side of creating feeling in a piece.  Where are the phrases?  Will you make one phrase louder than the other?  How fast do you want to play this?  What notes will you emphasize?  A teacher good at this may also have you listen to good pianists, and tell you what to listen for.  What is this pianist doing?  Where is he slowing down?  What do you feel, and how does he seem to be imparting this feeling?

I think what we want at the end is to merge our natural ability to feel / express ourselves, with this artificial thing, and playing becomes a blend of the two, in a shifting balance.

[m1469]

Can you train emotion?

Some people believe it can be trained, yes.  

What do you do to feel the piece?

You don't just "feel" a piece.  You "train" your emotions so as to be capable of calling upon a certain emotion at a certain time, depending upon what the piece is supposed to be expressing.  It's similar to acting out a role.  

Is there anyway I can improve my emotion towards the piece?

Yes, train it.  Even that which people call "inspiration" can be trained.  

[burbankian]

thanks for the input guys, I can do dynamics, but it's limited

I only have an entry-level keyboard at home, no touch response, so I can't really be expressive on it...I think...

I also tried to stop myself from listening on youtube, or any other sites I can hear a music I'm trying to play, I thought that it would make my playing lose it's autonomy. I listen to live though. I guess I'll try and listen to others play to take in general concepts of a piece.

I'm also now, watching movies at least once a day, mostly sad/romantic movies, I wish it would help.

and also I was thinking, back when I was still in depression, my therapist prescribed me drugs, for sadness I think? I think it is a factor, just a thought hehe

thanks everyone

[hfmadopter]

thanks for the input guys, I can do dynamics, but it's limited

I only have an entry-level keyboard at home, no touch response, so I can't really be expressive on it...I think...

I also tried to stop myself from listening on youtube, or any other sites I can hear a music I'm trying to play, I thought that it would make my playing lose it's autonomy. I listen to live though. I guess I'll try and listen to others play to take in general concepts of a piece.

I'm also now, watching movies at least once a day, mostly sad/romantic movies, I wish it would help.

and also I was thinking, back when I was still in depression, my therapist prescribed me drugs, for sadness I think? I think it is a factor, just a thought hehe

thanks everyone

I'm sorry but you absolutely have to upgrade that keyboard if you want to begin touching on emotional expression in piano and in music related to piano. You have the emotions inside of you, they are masked, that's probably part of what your depression was about in fact. You have a whole learning process ahead of you, a wonderful exprience awaits you but not on that keyboard.
David

[keypeg]

You don't just "feel" a piece.  You "train" your emotions so as to be capable of calling upon a certain emotion at a certain time, depending upon what the piece is supposed to be expressing.  It's similar to acting out a role.  

This sounds like what is done in method acting.  Is this what you are describing essentially?