How can I make my piano playing more expressive?

Question

This is really, really starting to get to me. Listening to my playing is like listening to a relatively sophisticated MIDI, and I don't know how to fix that.

I know there isn't a battle between expression and technique, that technique is a vehicle for expression...but my playing tends to be much better technically than it is expressively.

I know the music I'm playing inside and out. I can figure out what to do to add the expression I want to a piece, and if I explain it my piano teacher can play it...but when I play, it's just tense and boring.

Does recording your playing do anything?

Answer 1

Apart from the discrete dynamic shaping of phrases [ it is understood this means all parts, not just the prominent melodic / motivic elements ], what many a pianist misses are the Luftpausen, the little bits of 'airspace' between the end of a phrase and the beginning of a new phrase. The principle is 'halfway' true for those half-way points where a complete break is not indicated or desired.



Luftpuase: German (from wikipedia): '



"A breath mark or luftpause or, for bowed instruments, a bow lift, is a symbol used in musical notation. It directs the performer of the music passage to take a breath (for wind instruments and vocalists) or to make a slight pause (for non-wind instruments). For bowed instruments, it means to lift the bow. This pause is normally intended to affect the duration of the preceding note and not the tempo. It is usually placed above the staff and at the ends of phrases. Its function is analogous to the comma in several written languages. Indeed, the two symbols look identical."



There you are. you shave a bit of length off the end note of phrases (keeping in tempo). The finger technically rounding-off or 'finishing' the note, via touch or how the note is released, is the rest of the effect. When executed, this can be heard whether the damper pedal is down or off. It makes a subtle and huge difference.



I would bet if your playing is not dynamically flat, this is the area you should be looking into.



You can try, with a midi editor, playing something and quantizing it to the clock, and make the note lengths all full-duration ( even better if it is running sixteenths or some steady numeric configuration.) With the editor, shorten the length of the last note of a phrase ~ just a few digits ~ and leave the rest as quantized and with the full durations. Play it back: you will demonstratedly hear how much a tiny Luftpause can affect what we hear.



This is what Arthur Schnabel was speaking of in this famous quote,



"The notes I handle no better than many pianists. But the pauses between the notes—ah, that is where the art resides."



Ironically, this means what to Not Play!



Of course, armed anew with this thought, you will consult with your teacher, right?



best regards, p.b.

Answer 2

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Answer 3

Recording my playing does absolutely nothing to help me. I tend to make more mistakes when I record myself and I end up sounding more mechanical than when I play freely.



I think you're on the right track. Knowing the music inside out is the first step. You can't play expressively if you're struggling with fingerings and rhythms.



One suggestion made was to not use a metronome. That's only half an answer. You've still got to be on tempo and not varying your playing speed by great quantities. Generally, I've found that slower tempos lead to more expression; but also work on the dynamics. There are cliche things to do like a little rit. during a cresc. to build the tension to the climactic chord; or rolling chords ever so slightly (like a guy with a tip jar on the piano at a seedy bar).



And sometimes just walking away from a piece for a few days ... then coming back to it gives you new insight and a more relaxed approach to it.



Best of luck. Sorry if it wasn't all the help you needed.

Answer 4

You might be trying too hard to be expressive. If you can truly connect to a piece then you don't need to try to bring out emotion and the content of a piece. That's really all that it's about, although I know how difficult it really is. I've been trying for months now to play the intro to Chopin's Ballade #4 in every way imaginable, but I still can't play it as convincingly as Rubenstein does here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5uyd4jYEaw. Of course, I have no aspirations to ever play as well as he did.



Some tips to be more expressive



1) Don't use rubato too much. Really. The best performances (including the one above) don't use it that much. It gets really mushy and insincere and is worse than playing too mechanically. Just play the music the way it's written.



2) Stick to the rhythm of the piece. And that means using the metronome. Yes, many responders above say not to use it, but if you don't know where the downbeats are and if you can't keep the music solidly flowing without changing the tempo every other measure in an attempt to be emotional, the piece falls apart.



3) Work on developing a round, warm tone. That just comes with practice. The most expressive performances are often nothing more than the pianist's ability to bring out a piano's tone: even if they're metronomic (guess that's a word?)



4) Don't forget dynamics. I often do forget until my teacher tells me. Pretty self-explanatory for a pianist of your level.



This performance does just about everything I just elaborated on: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQ1OY3AQGiQ



Oh, just saw the last part to your question. Recordings work if you don't tense up, as i. jones said. It's really better to have someone else listen, if you don't tense up in front of them

Answer 5

Try getting into the music you play. I recommend watching Lang Lang



so to answer your question



first, your expression must be appropriate with the piece you're playing. For example, you're playing Chopin's nocturne no. 2 yet you are wearing a scary expression, so what does playing Chopin do? It's like playing for the sake of playing, not playing for the sake of getting into the music.



secondly, most piano music have symbols in them. I suggest you follow them. Like this symbol (>) which tells you that that note should be accented. Just don't do it monotone (what I mean is in a stable volume). Take note of the signs.



Another, you should have dynamics. i actually said this somewhere above but kinda coded (LOL). listen to the original music then take note where the music gets soft or loud. Then again, you should take note of the signs in the sheet, since they are your guide to where you be dynamic.



and as stated somewhere above there, you should get yourself into the music much. Try listening to the music and dancing with it. I do it with Chopin's Black Key Etude. i move my head even when I'm walking home.



lastly, get yourself into what you're playing. (gah, i've said this for like a thousand times). don't just hit notes, try to feel the message of the music. Expression is something made, not learned so don't push yourself too hard doing that.

Answer 6

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RE:

How can I make my piano playing more expressive?

This is really, really starting to get to me. Listening to my playing is like listening to a relatively sophisticated MIDI, and I don't know how to fix that.



I know there isn't a battle between expression and technique, that technique is a vehicle for expression...but my playing tends to...

Answer 7

Hello!



I believe the answer is to relax, and to let your emotions flow through. I know it sounds helplessly vague, but there is a quote that goes: "Play the music, not the instrument".



There are as well certain techniques on the piano, such as flattening your fingers slightly to let the melodies "sing". Perhaps try asking your piano teacher about these.



Listen to yourself. I sometimes pretend as though I am singing the melody, only that my hands are doing the job. If you know your music, try shutting your eyes and just listen as you play.



Everyone can read a poem, but it takes some practice to read it beautifully. The same is with music. Keep playing, and don't despair!



All the best!

Answer 8

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Answer 9

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Answer 10

Dynamic shaping of the phrases will make a difference. For each melody note, play it either louder or softer than the note that preceded it. Let your ear guide you here but you want crescendos moving toward the highest pitch in the phrase. The phrase is like a sentence, is it a statement, exclamation or question? You will develop a personal style by playing with the dynamics. Best wishes.

Answer 11

Recording my playing doesn't do much at all, but I suggest to you, that you really get into the piece, which, it sounds like you do, BUT.. play emotionally, play with HEART, hit the keys harder on Forte, and then really play softly when it tells you to, and you probably do, but expression... technique looks good when you do it correctly, but don't let it get in your way for expression. Expression is your own unique version of technique: for example, if you play with heart, and your style of unique technique (that rhymed!), you'll change the way you really learned the technique. that didn't make too much sense, but...



Over exaggerate your technique, like REALLY over exaggerate it, and then find out where when you over exaggerated it, you can build on that...

-Hope it helped!



-sorry if it was really crummy explanation, I can't explain how to play with extreme emotion, it's something that came rather natural for me..



-DJ Chihos

Answer 12

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Answer 13

Well, the best bet is to master piano pedaling, especially in Romantic classical piano music from composers like Brahms, Schumann, Schubert, Beethoven, Chopin and Liszt. Look at the book on piano pedaling by author Joseph Banovetz.



Also, learn about how to do tempo rubato especially in Chopin works. "Rubato" means "robbed" from the Italian "rubare"---to rob...and it is the concept of stealing time from doing strict tempo for expressive purposes...you purposely "slightly acclerate" or "slightly slow down" a strict tempo to make an emphasis. For instance, look at "The Scarf Dance" by French female composer Cecile Chaminade. It has the indication "Tempo rubato" (now remember, "tempo" in Italian means time).



Learn a little bit on the Russian technique of classical piano playing. Especially look at YouTube performances of already-dead Vladimir Horowitz. Watch how he uses his wrists and arms and forearms in especially piano pieces by Soviet composers like Alexander Scriabin (remember his performance of the Etude op. 12, no. 8 in D-sharp minor).

Answer 14

Oh I think I know what you mean. Think of the notes as a word and the piece a speech. You wouldn't just say every word in the speech in a monotone. Try adding dynamics in your music like what Gregory said. Try relaxing too and HAVE FUN!! This can happen too if you don't know the piece that well.

Answer 15

Do not use the metronome too much because it makes you sound mono-toned?

I play the piano and I usually use the metronome about everyone 3 - 4 weeks a couple of times to make sure my rhythm and things are correct.

Answer 16

Pianos are a percussion instrument. You can hit the keys hard and softly to produce different sounds. You can also work the foot pedals like a guitarist works a whammy bar.