mental practice?

[LVB op.57]

On these boards, I've heard people talk about mental practice several times. Could someone describe to me exactly what this is, and how you go about practicing mentally? Also, how effective has it been for you? Thanks in advance.
                                            -Steve

[Allegro con brio]

Hello Steve,
When I think to "mental practice", 2 things come in my mind:

1 - Walter Gieseking learned "at the table" by  heard the scores that he will play. The specific work at the instrument came after.

2 - Glenn Gould used a mental practice in totallity. I have his complete articles (3books) in french translation (I don' t know if it's published now in english) and in a 1980's interview he explain how he worked the Brahms' Ballades: after to have learned by heard the score (a one reading was enough !) all the work about tactile learning it was done mentally too
 ! During about 15 days he was working, playing mentally the 4 Ballades anywhere (driving...). And it's only the day of recording that he was playing "physically" piano.
I could to write a few more about this subject but it will be a bit too hard for me to exprime in english. Sorry.

Best wishes

[nicko124]

Hello Steve,
When I think to "mental practice", 2 things come in my mind:

1 - Walter Gieseking learned "at the table" by  heard the scores that he will play. The specific work at the instrument came after.

2 - Glenn Gould used a mental practice in totallity. I have his complete articles (3books) in french translation (I don' t know if it's published now in english) and in a 1980's interview he explain how he worked the Brahms' Ballades: after to have learned by heard the score (a one reading was enough !) all the work about tactile learning it was done mentally too
 ! During about 15 days he was working, playing mentally the 4 Ballades anywhere (driving...). And it's only the day of recording that he was playing "physically" piano.
I could to write a few more about this subject but it will be a bit too hard for me to exprime in english. Sorry.

Best wishes

I have to admit that i see mental practice as something that is very far off my experience and skill. Before i start learning a piece i do look through it a few times and listen to a reording. However i look for patterns that i will be considering when learning it.
I don't think i have enough discipline or experience to see the piece and imagine the keys being played on the piano and than play it. I can see how it is possible but what would restrain me is my emphasis on body memory for playing something really well. I would'nt have this using memory practice. I hope to look into it in the future but for now i feel content in sticking to other methods.

I hope that Bernhard (or someone else) will step in and give you the link/s for the thread/s on mental practice as i can't remember them. I have read these threads and although it seems a good methods i don't think i am ready to undertake it.

[bernhard]

Have a look here:

https://pianoforum.net/smf/index.php/topic,1825.msg13858.html#msg13858
(Accommodating practice times – 10 minute sessions – some mention on mental practice)

https://pianoforum.net/smf/index.php/topic,1894.msg14707.html#msg14707
(mental practice –  Glenn Gould interview)

https://pianoforum.net/smf/index.php/topic,2458.msg21365.html#msg21365
(Mental practice – tips for fingering)

https://pianoforum.net/smf/index.php/topic,4322.msg40260.html#msg40260
(mental practice)

https://pianoforum.net/smf/index.php/topic,4954.msg46883.html#msg46883
(mental practice)

Best wishes,
Bernhard.
 

[UncleBEn210]

Hey just while we're on this subject again,
I was wondering if it's possible to do harm through mental practice,
that is , if done incorrectly.

Thanks,

UncleBen210

[abell88]

Sure, especially if you carefully memorize the wrong rhythm, notes, fingering, etc. I think because mental practice involves such concentration, you need to be doubly careful that you are practising correctly.

[xvimbi]

Hey just while we're on this subject again,
I was wondering if it's possible to do harm through mental practice,
that is , if done incorrectly.

I mentally practiced Hanon, now I have MTS (Mental Tunnel Syndrome).

Sorry, I couldn't resist. It sounded like a good idea for a Gary Larson cartoon.

[nicko124]

I mentally practiced Hanon, now I have MTS (Mental Tunnel Syndrome).

Sorry, I couldn't resist. It sounded like a good idea for a Gary Larson cartoon.

This is interesting because does it mean that with Hanon you should sight read each excersise. Or does it mean that you need to look at the excersises to jog your meory on what is involved. A lot of proffesionals play through the whole 60 minute excersises to warm up (as the book claims).

[xvimbi]

This is interesting because does it mean that with Hanon you should sight read each excersise. Or does it mean that you need to look at the excersises to jog your meory on what is involved. A lot of proffesionals play through the whole 60 minute excersises to warm up (as the book claims).

It was a joke. I never practiced Hanon mentally. I never even practiced it physically (sections of it, yes, but certainly not as a whole.)

[UncleBEn210]

I mentally practiced Hanon, now I have MTS (Mental Tunnel Syndrome).

Hahaha.

They should set up an institute for people who have been mentally/physically injured by Hanon.

[Phillip]

Mental practice techniques are useful for preparing for exam sightreading tests.  I did an exam recently which required sightreading a one-page piece, and allowed 1 minute to look at it (you were allowed to try out sections).  I found it more useful to spend the time looking through the piece twice and imagine playing it, and tested this technique out with a stopwatch book of sample exercised provided by the exam board in question (London College of Music and Media).  I got 18/20 in the exam for that so the technique seems to work.

Phillip

[greyrune]

I really want to try this however i can't sight read.  Is there any way that you can practice mentally without being able to hear a peice before playing it.  Does just going over what you can already play help at all?  Any other suggestions?  Also is there any way that with a score and the ability to play a peice, but without being able to look at the score while playing, there would be some method to learn sight reading without actually being at the piano?

[xvimbi]

I really want to try this however i can't sight read.  Is there any way that you can practice mentally without being able to hear a peice before playing it.  Does just going over what you can already play help at all?  Any other suggestions?  Also is there any way that with a score and the ability to play a peice, but without being able to look at the score while playing, there would be some method to learn sight reading without actually being at the piano?

Take it one step at a time. In one of the earlier threads, Bernhard pointed out such a master plan. Start with a piece that you have memorized and that you can play and hear in your mind. Play through it, first HS, including imagining the sound and going through the motions (even physically). I just recently did this for the first time. It's difficult enough, particularly at speed. The funny thing was that I had problems exactly at the same spots where I had problems when playing the piece for real. Turns out, I didn't know the piece that well after all. I think that is a good start. What you are asking for is actually the last, and most accomplished form of mental practice, i.e. looking at the score for the first time and being able to play it, including sound imagination and going through the right motions, in your mind.

In another exercise, you could memorize a piece without ever playing it, then listen to a recording and go through the motions mentally. Ideally, this requires flawless technique, i.e. perfect correlation between sound and required motions. But even if it's not, the feedback you get will allow you to improve any of the involved aspects. Or don't bother memorizing the piece, just listen and read. You don't have to take a whole piece either. Work on a section or a phrase. I expect any of these exercises to be beneficial for all kinds of aspects, e.g. for sightreading. Mental practice can of course also be applied for things that are not piano-related.

[ehpianist]

Mental practice is definitely the way to go, it will solidify your knowledge and self-confidence with the music so that you have fewer reasons to stress during performance.

All of Bernhard's suggestions are excellent.  I would also add that when imagining the music in your head you not really ONLY on picturing your hands or the keyboard (as this is still relying on a type of muscle memory) but also picturing the notes on the score, the dynamics, the slurrs, etc.  As he said, it requires A LOT of mental effort, probably more than most people put into physical practicing, but the results are VERY noticeable, and it gets quicker and easier the more you do it.

I also recommend you buy My Lessons with Kumi by composer/musician/lecturer Michael Colgrass (available on Amazon), which provides dozens of mental excercises that will prepare you for a public performance.  Everyone I have recommended it to has found it enormously useful.

Good luck!

Elena
www.pianofourhands.com