It is common knowledge that to accomplish anything, we need to place our focus and attention on it. And playing a musical instrument is no different.
That skill is called concentrating. And what does it mean anyway?
Concentrating involves putting all thoughts, energy, and actions into the one thing we are working on or doing.
Whether practicing, rehearsing, or performing, this is the first element we must employ to succeed in our endeavors. This skill is vital to the progress and improvement of a musician and, consequently, for young musicians.
Sometimes, however, it is easier said than done. Especially young people and aspiring musicians need to work on developing this skill.
We can acquire this skill as we improve our playing and mature as musicians. For instance, in orchestral playing, being able to sight-read is essential. Sight-reading is being able to play a piece without having seen it beforehand. We need to be able to play the required notes on time, and we also need to develop an ability to look ahead and see what is coming.
I had little experience playing in different orchestras during my first year at the university. Initially, I found it difficult to remain steadfast with the music. In time, I began concentrating and developed the skill of sight-reading until it became second nature. Orchestra playing is a particular skill, and it takes continuous concentration for extended periods as the pieces can be long, and concerts can be lengthy. Therefore, it is an ability that takes some time to develop. However, concentrating and sight-reading music is more expansive than just orchestral playing.
Whenever I have coached my daughters at home from time to time in their respective musical instrument studies, I have also found that when they are stuck on particular passages, asking them to focus and concentrate on a specific passage has significantly improved their playing. I have seen improvement in intonation, tone quality, and phrasing.
When we focus on our playing, that leaves the other noise and unnecessary things out; this, in turn, will assist us to relax and enjoy what we are doing. It will become easier for us to tell our body to remain calm as being tense and anxious will not allow someone to keep their focus efficiently. It also helps us to hear ourselves better.
There have been countless times when I have asked my daughters to listen to the sounds that they produce on their instruments. And there have been considerable results whenever I have brought their attention to a few details through focused playing.
Being highly attentive also helps us discover new things we did not notice before. And our practicing hours become more meaningful as half-hearted practicing is not beneficial.
Focused playing speeds up the learning process. It allows the musician to notice things they might not have seen otherwise. It is part of music-making. Experience and time perseverance help us to learn how to concentrate for long periods so that even when we do not feel our best on a particular day, we can remain focused.
Do you have a strategy for focused playing? Please share in the comments below.
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