My exercise idea is based off a choir exercise I did last year that was meant to build listening and tuning skills. To begin, I would play a triad going up and down (do-mi-so-mi-so) on the keyboard in the room. Everyone would need to sing along on a syllable, and on the way down the triad, they would pick a note and stay on it. Then we would do the same thing with another triad, but with the added twist of having to move around the room and find the other people singing your note. Then I would do the same but with a dominant 7th chord. The last iteration would have the added step of balancing the chord, which would mean moving around and adjusting your note so that every group has the same amount of people. Everyone has to pick a different note each time. It’s all done without talking so it means everyone has to really listen to each other in order to communicate and achieve each step.
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My two focuses for the week have been my breathing and my wrists. I’m a piano player, so breathing isn’t the main focus for me when I play, but taking deep breaths is something that helps me concentrate, focus, and calm down. I often take a deep breath before beginning to practice or play. Correctly mapping the size and depth of my lungs has helped me feel more grounded every time I sit before the piano, and it feels like I’m breathing a little more deeply than before. I never realized my lungs extended towards my back, and somehow knowing that makes the breaths I take feel a little fuller.
My studio teacher coincidentally brought my attention to my wrists and their alignment during my lesson this week, so I’ve been trying to be aware of that as well. I’d never noticed how many unnecessary movements I made, and how that often put my wrist at an odd angle. Making sure my wrists are aligned with the rest of my arm is only the beginning. The awareness moves up my forearm to my elbows, and then my shoulders. Since freedom of movement is associated with freedom of expression, I’ve been trying to make especially sure I’m not holding any tension in my shoulders that might extend down through my arms. I’ve never moved my arms much when I’m playing, but apparently that’s something that’s encouraged. Keeping everything aligned and free is supposed to make a difference in my tone, and as I was practicing on Wednesday night, I thought I could hear a little bit of change. So, I’ll try to be more aware of my arms and how they move and see how it goes.
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December 2019
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