breathing... in piano playing?!

Well, it sure has been a while! It seems I have neglected this page, and perhaps even that it got hacked into? In any case... here goes :)

The past few weeks I've been noticing habits that I have not taught my students, but believe they have picked up from me by modeling or me unconsciously doing. One of those things is breathing. 


When I discovered the importance of breathing in piano playing I became a much better player. For years I never understood why my teachers were telling me to breath with the music - I simply did NOT get it. There was even a long period of time where I found I was actually holding my breath. You can imagine what this did to my playing, and what it did to me physically, especially when playing more demanding pieces. When I finally came to understand it, many aspects of my playing became better: rhythm, the melodic line, the flow, musicality. It was truly an "aha" moment. It still is somewhat of an abstract concept, for me at least, but I do believe in it's importance.

Now, I've never actually taught my students to breathe with the music. Maybe it's because they are younger (mostly 6-9,) maybe because I subconsciously doubt their ability to truly understand it, or maybe I've just neglected it. However, I've been noticing my students using their breath to keep track of where they are, breathing at the end of phrases, waiting until they truly finish a piece to take a breath. Part of me is wondering whether I'm making a bigger deal out of this then I should, but it truly amazes me. When a 7 year old sits still at the end of her piece, slowly puts her hands down on her lap, and then takes a breath to "finish" the piece... I am amazed.

I think by modeling good playing, and good piano "etiquette" if you will, my students are picking up habits that will make them successful players. They may not be the next Mozart or Beethoven, but they are capable of being great players, even when playing simple songs. They are capable of breathing with the music, and living with the music, as long as we as teachers let them explore it on their own terms. It will come to them, and it has come to mine.