Why do pianists move

Liszt is my favourite composer :P. Copy Link to Clipboard. Share Post on Facebook. Share Post on Twitter. Share Post on Reddit.

Piano accessories and music gift items, digital piano dolly, music theme party goods, and more! Rickster Yikes! Originally Posted by Veganpilot My stupid music teacher said I have some slight movement but I don't! As far as why someone moves their head when they play the piano, have you ever watched Ray Charles play? When you feel the music you are playing it prompts you to move with the feel or the flow of the rhythm.

On the other hand, if you wish to remain still and stationary while you are playing the piano, there is nothing wrong with that either. As for me, I prefer to move both my head and my body when I play it just feels good for some reason.

Rick Piano enthusiast and amateur musician: "Treat others the way you would like to be treated". Hailun I think some people are having an orgasm! Originally Posted by MrMagic I think some people are having an orgasm! I should have thought of this one! VA Steve Cohen Yikes! Steve Cohen Yikes! Originally Posted by Veganpilot Oh, and my chicken keeps on attacking me when I play piano.

Your chicken lives inside? Maybe she would like you to play something different Show Likes. Our Most Popular Forums. Piano Forum.

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Follow User. Forum Posts. New Topics - Multiple Forums. Forum Statistics. Forums 42 Topics , Posts 3,, Members , Help keep the forums up and running with a donation , any amount is appreciated! Or by becoming a Subscribing member! Subscribe Piano World PianoSupplies. With the advent of radio and recorded performance, music came to be viewed as a purely acoustic phenomenon Thompson et al.

This section considers the playing technique, the movement potential and mechanics of the upper-body segments, the seated position allowing flexible function of the upper body, and the motor skills necessary for proficient delivery of the playing movements. The primary components of the musculoskeletal system are the: bones and joints which govern the direction of movement and shape of the trajectory, and; muscles, which differ in size and shape and endurance capacity, and provide the internal energy to generate movement which is moderated by gravity.

Despite the long-standing theoretical concepts involving the arm, it is only in this decade that performance neuroscientists have had the tools to analyze and quantify their benefits and offer a new understanding of how the upper-limb achieves the movement goals. The research referred to in this paper examined movement organization of the different factors affecting the playing technique.

Muscular activity is the principal driver of the playing movement and an important variable is the inter-muscular difference in endurance capacity which is central to providing an efficient technique, and which varies directly with muscle cross-sectional area, and with the predominant fiber type Herzog, A problem with using the smaller forearm muscles is that they are prone to overuse with frequent and long-duration practice sessions when pianists are practicing for an audition or competition and performing rapid and forceful movements Furuya et al.

The muscular energy needed for a procedure is moderated by gravity , the external force directed downward through the centre of the body where weight is evenly balanced. While playing, the balance changes constantly and gravitational force either increases or decreases the internally generated muscular force needed to make a movement or support a body part.

Gravitational force can be utilized with vertical downward movements such as the downswing prior to the keystroke with a reduction in the finger-key force generated for the key-impact force Furuya et al.

This unit extending from the sternum-clavicle junction mid trunk to the fingers is recognized biomechanically as a kinetic chain because of its action in producing a coordinated proximal-to-distal linked system in which the hand as the terminal segment can move freely thereby allowing versatile hand function including fine motor skill execution Elliott et al. The shoulder motion results in forward movement of the upper-arm, with the forearm being thrust forward and the hand rotating forward, and with the fingers pointed downward to accomplish a more vigorous key depression Kinoshita et al.

This co-ordinated system, in combination with the downward force of gravity means that muscular energy generated by the shoulder muscles can be delivered directly to the keys, and with relaxed muscles, the forearm is in freefall increasing movement efficiency through the reduction of forearm muscle activity Furuya et al.

The long bones of the forearm— radius thumb side and ulna little finger side —rotate about an imaginary axis to turn the hand inwards pronation or outward supination from the mid-line.

The hand must change its shape through the posture of the palm and fingers to strike piano keys in the most strategic way in producing the desired tempo and articulation. The curve across the palm formed through action of the metacarpal MC joints knuckles is very mobile and the palm can be either flat or curved with the fourth and fifth fingers descending to form a semicircle with the opposing thumb, while the second and third MC joints remain rigid Kapandji, , p.

Longitudinally, the fingers curve downward from the MC joints, with the first joint of the four digits flexing or extending according to whether the fingers need to be flat or curved. The curved hand helps the fingers reach different play positions, and the thumb being close to the keys means it can reach out to the next anchor point so the fingers can then move over to a new position. When the hand and fingers are relaxed in a neutral position the fingers maintain a curved posture and with curved fingers on the keys, the fingers are functionally the same length Kapandji, , p.

Producing an efficient technique is reliant on having muscles without undue tension at strategic times, because with the arm free, movement can be produced faster if muscle contraction does not have to be overcome initially Repp, ; Ross and Wakeling, Directional changes in trunk movement such as surging and swaying, which is a fundamental element in expressive playing need also to have the trunk relaxed, with freedom of the neck and upper-back necessary also to facilitate greater ease for arm movements Demos et al.

The natural tonus of the muscles of the shoulder girdle and core muscles of the abdominal wall and vertebral column contribute to holding the trunk upright Steinmetz et al. Strategic relaxation involved in an efficient technique is an unconscious process—a motor skill developed gradually through years of exposure to musical training.

The whole body is involved in creating music by providing the playing actions, and a stable base for unrestricted upper-body movement. With the pelvis anchored on the piano bench, gravitational force transferred from the lower back and pelvis to the feet provides stability for dynamic trunk and arm movements, with the trunk swaying front to back, or side to side Demos et al.

With the trunk inclined toward the keyboard, the shoulder complex is well positioned to apply force to the fingers to maintain a stable position on the keyboard. The reference sitting position is illustrated in Figure 1 below. With this orientation the biceps muscle is slightly stretched Kapandji, , p. As well, the height of the trunk above the keyboard is important in maximizing the energy that can be delivered to the fingers with the forward swaying of the trunk and is very important for females with their reduced skeletal dimensions and muscle mass in comparison with males.

Music performance is a complex sensorimotor behavior that becomes automated through involvement of all motor and sensory areas of the brain through systematic practice with auditory feedback. Pianists depend on highly developed motor skills for the acquisition of the novel motor and perceptual skills involved in encompassing a new score and in manipulating elements of music such as tempo, sound level, and tone timbre Munoz, which are reliant on the organization of multi-joint movements in the hand and arm.

Through constant practice, the playing movements are gradually consolidated into motor programs muscle memories to allow passages to be automatically, and when a movement sequence is repeated over time, a long-term muscle memory is created, eventually allowing it to be performed without conscious effort Riemann and Lephart, The automatic release of successful motor programs is necessary, so that during a performance, performers can trust their memories to work reliably under pressure Chaffin and Imreh, These dual roles are coordinated through unrestricted dynamic postures and movement patterns with the performer confident in letting the entrained motor sequences be produced automatically allowing the pianist to concentrate on the interpretation and expression of the musical ideas, while gaining confidence in their performance Steinmetz, During the early learning stage, practice at a slower tempo is more effective in facilitating movement control through constant feedback involving sensory information from audition and touch.

When the tempo is later increased, movement patterns have greater accuracy through refinement of the movement patterns, and the playing movements are more efficient even though the maximum speed of the finger movements increases Furuya et al.

Muscle memories associated with a certain score remain in the brain over time, and given the right cues, can be revived when practising a piece even after many years Jabusch et al. The intimate connection between the performer and an artistic performance made it valuable for this theoretical review to reflect on the function of body segments in providing the playing technique and the complementary elements contributing to the delivery of an expressive performance.

Tone timbre plays a key role in the communication of emotion and so it is vital to the expressiveness and overall affective quality of a music performance Aho and Eerola, A near vertical orientation of the final finger joints results in a rapid transfer of force to the key causing the perception of a louder tone through the instantaneous key movement and making it best suited to loud, fast playing.

Conversely, with extended fingers, key contact is made with the fleshy finger pads allowing a larger surface area for force transmission resulting in a gradual transfer, lengthening the acoustic qualities of the sound, and making it preferable for the development of tone timbre to produce the mellow, full-bodied legato sound needed in many compositions Furuya et al.

Expressive body movements emerge spontaneously during music-making and act as a type of body language to extend the window of communication to reinforce and highlight the auditory events and clarify the expressive intentions of the music Davidson, ; Rodger et al. Expressive gestures are performer-specific and are used across different genres, and there is a high degree of variability in the extent of the vocabulary of individual artists Davidson, Practice is the principal activity of pianists: regular repetition of passages consolidates the muscle memories, and when the fingers know where they are going, space is created for pianists to concentrate on the sounds, evaluating their quality and fit with the dramatic concept of the score.

The many hours of practice needed to meet a high playing standard leave the body vulnerable to playing-related injury Zaza and Farewell, , with the incidence and severity of injury related to the duration of practice sessions Furuya et al. It can also indicate the playing technique is not automatic through deficiencies in the skill acquisition process due to giving up sight-reading the score too early, in favor of trying to memorize it, whereas the physical memory is as important as that in the central nervous system.

Continuous keystrokes make demands on concentration and it is important to curtail activity when concentration is diminished, or discomfort experienced Furuya et al. For practice to be effective individual sessions should be distributed over time so coordinated efficient movement patterns are maintained Barry and Hallam, Intervals between sessions can be used productively to relax the muscles and joints through stretching procedures involving shoulder and hip extension, to counteract their flexed habitual posture while playing.

Also productive is mental rehearsal and score analysis, allowing the pianist the opportunity to concentrate on developing a musical image of the piece Bravo and Fine, Choice of repertoire for a performance, sometimes involving three scores, must also be considered because it is essential that the type of playing movements needed is varied.

Movement plays many roles affecting the preparation of a score for performance, with the visual aspect of the playing actions important to audience comprehension and enjoyment of the musical story, and when the musical sounds convey the same affective valence as the expressive movements, the emotional response is intensified by their concurrent presentation, an effect known as the cross-modal bias Vines et al.

When considering the function of movement, it became evident that the strategic use of inter-segmental dynamics allied with the relaxation of muscles not used in a procedure is important to an efficient playing technique, while at the same time appealing to the audience and increasing their pleasure in the performance. An additional quality of the playing movements is that they can be affectively rewarding for the performer, and resonate with observers Cole and Montero, highlighting that we have a cognitive ability to derive pleasure from something as abstract as movement in space Christensen and Calvo-Merino, Pianists suffer a high injury rate, the equivalent of that experienced in industry Russell, and tertiary students deserve to be informed about the role of the upper body in producing the playing actions, so they can make better decisions about key aspects of their technique, practising strategies and the avoidance of injury.

Another factor in injury prevention for pianists, may be the lack of a reporting mechanism within music teaching facilities for students to seek help, early because early symptoms may not interfere too much with playing ability, but they can exacerbate and follow a pianist through their careers, in some cases curtailing it.

It appears there is a mismatch in the relationship between pedagogy, technique, and playing-related injury, raising the question of the impact on students of how they are introduced in their early years to efficient playing procedures. Specialist pedagogy for children is necessary with training methods planned with consideration of the maturation of sensory faculties and body dimensions.

Motor skills must be developed early to use a relaxed downswing which children learn easily Furuya et al. Sitting height is important for children and the piano should be adjusted to their proportions.

As music performance is multi-disciplinary, other people benefiting from piano technique- and injury-related knowledge include specialist researchers in related sub-disciplines and music generalists integrating science and technique to inform the music fraternity. The author confirms being the sole contributor of this work and has approved it for publication.

The author declares that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

This interdisciplinary theoretical review is based on a presentation made at the International Symposium on Performance Science , My thanks to A. Williamon from the Royal College of Music for making these symposia a reality—I greatly benefit from my attendance which allows me the opportunity to meet fellow researchers. Aho, H. Expressive performance cues in Gypsy swing guitar style: a case study and novel analytic approach.

Music Stud. Google Scholar. Barry, N. Parncutt and G. Bernays, M. Williamon, D. The pianist could be sitting bolt upright and moving in the most precise, sparing ways, or they might be throwing their hands in the air, swaying from side to side and looking to the ceiling for divine inspiration.

There are different schools of thought on this. Some listeners find a lot of movement distracting or off-putting, while others feel it adds to the performance. If you ask me, movement at the piano matters for two reasons. Surprisingly, this often goes unaddressed over many years of piano training. Young students are encouraged to be expressive in whatever ways come naturally to them, and that can include a lot of movement beyond what is useful for playing the piano.

Physical freedom and expression at the piano are good things of course, but I think we should strive for an objective awareness of the sound coming out of the instrument. When I was a university student, there were many times when my teacher told me to move less and I immediately sounded better. I could create more resonance with less effort, control dynamic levels with greater subtlety and overcome technical challenges quicker.

It makes sense when you think about it. Your brain is better able to manage complex movements of the hands and arms when its point of reference is not constantly moving in space. It took a while to unlearn my counterproductive habits of shifting to one side, crouching over the keyboard and moving my arms in overzealous ways, but the more I learned to stay physically centred, the better I sounded.

My experience as a teacher continues to reinforce this insight. Here is a scenario that has played out many times in lessons:. Some pianists rein it in as they get older and others manage to play well despite the extraneous movement. In the world of professional pianists there are both kinds. In a live performance, people listen with their eyes as well as their ears.