Connection of the musical machine to the musical mind occurs at the finger pads, resting on the key surface, and includes awareness of connecting to the earth through the feet, hips and finger pads .
Feeling heavy in the feet and hips permits muscles to seek satbility on the bench from balanced sits bones. With the neutrally braced core, finger movement originates from between the navel and pubic symphysis. Observe feeling and seeing the transverse abdominals engage when intending the finger(s) to move.
Fingerpads connect intentionally from lightest to heaviest at the key surface. Power to play is activated as the zyphoid process engages up and back - creating space at the arm pit and promoting ease for the upper body to move in any direction. The balanced shoulders release the mass of the arms into the powerfully supported heart center through the sterno-clavicular joints. From the sterno-clavicular joints, feeling of the fingerpads on key surface is intended. From lightest to heaviest, at (or above) key surface before playing. Always as light as possible after playing, essential when resting fingerpads on the key bed for legato touch awareness.
In rehearsal, vocalizing the count helps establish truthful steady rhythm and improves mind/body mapping when mindfully counting in performance. Truthful intuition, observed from the mind’s eye, learns to listen with the whole mind/body connection. Facing the truth honestly, accessing what is good and what needs more rehearsal.
In performance, pure awareness observes ourselves playing our best for present enjoyment.
Piano Fitness maps the mind/body connection and plays the piano.
