{"id":2221,"date":"2012-09-17T14:57:58","date_gmt":"2012-09-17T21:57:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/doctorkeys.com\/piano-blog\/?p=2221"},"modified":"2012-09-17T14:57:58","modified_gmt":"2012-09-17T21:57:58","slug":"dance-while-you-play-rhythms-in-your-body-not-your-head","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/doctorkeys.com\/newblog\/2012\/09\/dance-while-you-play-rhythms-in-your-body-not-your-head\/","title":{"rendered":"Dance While You Play! (Rhythm's in your body, not your head)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Today’s my first day back from vacation, and I want to share with you something that just happened.<\/p>\n

I haven’t been playing the piano recently because I know how important it is, sometimes, to get away from my musical pursuits. And this morning, when I sat down to play, I couldn’t regain the excitement I usually feel.<\/p>\n

And then I remembered the secret I keep forgetting and re-discovering: playing only feels good when I dance! Immediately, things changed for the better.<\/p>\n

By “dancing” I mean allowing my body to move with the music. Encouraging<\/em> that motion, even. Because when I do that, my playing comes alive.<\/p>\n

It works like this: when I dance while playing, I feel<\/em> the rhythm in my body. It’s no longer just an abstraction in my mind. So my playing becomes more precise. Which sounds great. Which jolts me into being 100% present and playing with more focus. And when I hear the music that results from that<\/em>, I’m doubly inspired, so I play even better.<\/p>\n

And so it goes. By moving with the music, I’m committing myself to being fully involved and emotionally connected.<\/p>\n

You’ll find constant references on this blog and site to what I call a “whole body approach” to the piano, like this one:
\nhttp:\/\/doctorkeys.com\/piano-blog\/2011\/10\/the-top-3-myths-about-learning-to-play-the-piano-2\/#myth2<\/a><\/p>\n

The concept has many implications. For one thing, in many of my videos, I teach you to use the weight of your arms to produce tone. Besides relaxing you, that sets your arms in motion, increasing your rhythmic involvement.<\/p>\n

As a private teacher, I sometimes work with students who complain that they have no sense of rhythm. But as soon as I encourage them to let their body move to the beat, they discover the truth–they have been trying to play with their head instead of their body.<\/p>\n

So experiment. One of the reasons I focus on accompaniment in many of my tutorials, is that it gives you easy and fun opportunities to play rhythmically.<\/p>\n

You’ll need to discover what feels right to you. “Dancing” can mean gently swaying from side to side. It can take the form of a rhythmic nodding of your head. It can be subtle, or obvious.<\/p>\n

I suggest that you observe musicians of all kinds and see how they dance as they play and\/or sing. (My own videos <\/a>are certainly good examples.) Then, sit down at the piano, relax, and allow yourself to taste the same freedom, expressiveness, and joy.<\/p>\n

Using a metronome, by the way, is often helpful. But ultimately, you need to be<\/em> the metronome.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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