Although many of us learn how to play the piano for our own pleasure, one of the biggest perks and payoffs of learning an instrument is playing for other people. We all know the joy and emotion we feel when we hear a good song. As a pianist, we are capable of making others feel the exact same way when we play a song for them! Recitals provide a great opportunity to do just that. Whether it's your first recital or your 50th, there are still some things that can help you shine on stage at a recital.
1. Song selection: Song selection is very important. Ask yourself what you'd like to demonstrate during your performance. Is it your technique? Your touch? How would you like to make your audience feel and most importantly, what type of song would YOU enjoy hearing? Remember, you'll be playing this song until you master it so it should definitely be a song you enjoy!
2. Play for an audience: If you have any anxiety about performing in front of an audience, it would be beneficial for you to break yourself in instead of jumping in. A good way to test out the waters is to first play for your family. Next you should invite some friends or neighbors over and play for them. You may notice that you are much more comfortable playing by yourself than when you are performing in front of others. If this is the case you should play your piece for your family members, friends etc. on more than one occasion. The more you do this, the easier it will become for you to feel at ease in a performance situation.
3. Song preparation: Any song you are preparing to play in a recital will most likely have been played so many times that you have it completely memorized. Many teachers require students to memorize their pieces however this is not always the scenario. In any case, your song will undoubtedly become a part of you. You want to make sure that you know your song inside out and that your BRAIN remembers the song as opposed to just your fingers. The best way to do this is to play your song VERY SLOWLY. Often times you will find that when you do this, you have to learn certain parts over again. This is actually a good thing because these parts that you're forced to re-learn are actually parts that you don't know well enough. Every time you practice your piece you should play it with varying speeds; full speed, medium speed and very slow. You should always end your practice session by playing your song really slow to correct any mistakes or habits you may have picked up by repetition and memory. Once you are able to play your song perfectly extremely slow, you will have mastered your piece. You should be able to close your eyes and visualize as well as feel which notes are played by what fingers.
4. Take it easy: It is important to take breaks from practicing every so often when you are feeling burnt out. Sometimes the more you play your song, the worse it gets. If this is the case, take a break! Also on the day of and before the recital, take it easy. Especially on the day of the recital, you should play your song once or twice and leave it alone until performance time.
Recitals are meant to be fun so remember that! Relax and have a good time. This should be your primary focus. If you are able to kick back and enjoy the ride, it's almost guaranteed that you'll do well. You have played your song in and out and know it like the back of your hand. If you are calm and in the moment, you will be enjoying yourself and what you've learned will naturally flow through you and you will be a great success!
The author has played keyboards professionally since 2007 with members of George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic, Fishbone, Frank Zappa, Red Hot Chili Peppers and others. He is currently a electronic music producer and film/TV/media composer. He also runs a music school in Orange County which offers Orange County piano lessons.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jason_Johann_Chang
No comments:
Post a Comment