Achieving Fluency in Piano Playing: A Guide for Teachers and Students.
Fluency in piano playing is a skill that every student and teacher strives to achieve. Whether you're an experienced musician or just starting your journey, you’ve likely encountered moments where a piece is played with frequent stumbles and hesitations, even though the student can play much better than what is being demonstrated. This lack of fluency can happen to students of all ages and skill levels. But why does this happen? And more importantly, how can we fix it?
Understanding the Causes of a Lack of Fluency
There are several common reasons why a student may struggle with fluency in their playing. Identifying the root cause is essential in helping the student overcome the issue. Some of the main reasons include:
- Lack of Familiarity with the Notes
One of the most obvious reasons for hesitations in playing is simply a lack of familiarity with the notes in the piece. The student might not know the notes well enough, which causes frequent stops and starts as they try to figure out what comes next. - Lack of Proper Technique
Another common cause is insufficient technical skill to execute the piece properly. This can manifest in awkward hand movements or difficulty playing fast passages due to improper fingering or hand positioning. - Playing at a Tempo Too Fast for Their Ability
Students may sometimes try to play a piece at a tempo that is beyond their current ability. When this happens, mistakes are inevitable because their hands and fingers can’t keep up with the speed, leading to a disjointed performance. - Tunnel Vision (Focusing on Individual Notes, Not the Bigger Picture)
This is a trickier problem to identify. Some students may focus too narrowly on one or two notes at a time rather than seeing the overall structure of the piece. This “tunnel vision” prevents them from understanding the flow and shape of the music, making it hard to achieve a smooth performance.
Addressing the Common Causes
Now that we’ve identified the potential reasons for a lack of fluency, let’s explore how to address them.
1. Lack of Familiarity with the Notes
This issue is often the result of insufficient practice. The solution here is simple: more practice! Students should spend extra time learning and memorizing the notes in their pieces. Repetition helps solidify their knowledge, making it easier for them to play smoothly without hesitating.
2. Lack of Proper Technique
Improper technique is usually evident when a student struggles with fingerings or uses awkward movements. Piano Teachers can help by paying close attention to hand positioning, fingerings, and overall technique. Exercises like scales, arpeggios, and finger drills can improve dexterity and help students gain the technical skill they need to execute more challenging pieces.
3. Playing at an Inappropriate Tempo
This issue is straightforward to fix—slow the student down. Encourage them to play at a tempo they can manage confidently, even if it’s slower than they’d like. Once they are comfortable playing the piece accurately at a slower speed, they can gradually increase the tempo until they reach the desired pace without sacrificing fluency.
Tackling Tunnel Vision: The Bigger Picture Problem
The most challenging issue to address is tunnel vision, where students focus too narrowly on individual notes instead of seeing the overall structure of the music. To help students overcome this, it’s important to guide them toward recognizing patterns and understanding the piece as a whole.
Identifying Tunnel Vision
If you’ve eliminated the first three issues—lack of practice, improper technique, and inappropriate tempo—and the student is still struggling with fluency, tunnel vision may be the culprit. In this case, the student is likely focusing too much on each individual note and not looking at the music as a connected whole.
Solutions for Tunnel Vision
- Explain the Concept
Start by explaining to the student that they may be focusing too narrowly on individual notes. Help them understand that they need to look at the bigger picture—the phrases, the patterns, and the melodic line. - Analyze the Music Together
Go through the piece together and look for patterns or motifs that can help the student remember the music more easily. Mark these patterns in the score. Point out any repeated passages, similar note groupings, or harmonic patterns that the student can use as anchor points. - Encourage Scanning of the Whole Line
Rather than focusing on one note at a time, encourage the student to scan the entire line of music. By doing so, they can anticipate what’s coming next and play more fluidly. - Practice with Awareness
After discussing the bigger picture, have the student play the piece again, this time with a focus on overall structure and musicality, not just individual notes. Encourage them to relax and let the music flow naturally.
Conclusion: Building Fluency Takes Time and Patience
Helping students achieve fluency in their playing is an ongoing process. By identifying the root causes of disjointed playing—whether it’s a lack of familiarity, improper technique, playing too fast, or tunnel vision—teachers can address the specific challenges and guide their students toward a more fluid performance. Ultimately, with patience, practice, and the right approach, students will find themselves playing with greater ease, confidence, and musicality.