Self-expression Vs Self-criticism

It is a widely known fact that playing and listening to music can improve your mood. Studies on musician’s brains shows that hearing a familiar piece of music lights up more different parts of the brain that any other activity. Singing releases a high level of endorphins, heightening the singer’s sense of enjoyment and happiness.

When learning to play an instrument, this is the most important thing to focus on: the positive effect of music on our emotions. In the process of learning an instrument, however, this can be overshadowed by the physical technicalities of playing. People who regularly listen to the music of their chosen instrument tend to have high expectations of their own playing aiming to replicate the sound made by their favourite artists. This affects people in different ways – for example, music students are prone to comparing their playing to their fellow students, demanding the highest level from themselves, while adult beginners can easily become frustrated by the difficulties of attaining the technical prowess needed to enjoy their own playing. Music teachers have a vital role to play in this helping their pupils to establish the technique necessary to achieve their aim. While this could be seen as “anti-expression”, focusing on technique before music, without the proper technical grounding no musician can have the facility to fully express themselves. In this way, technique fuels expression and, ultimately, enjoyment of music.

The area of a Cellists’ technique which is vital to enable the full range of expression is the posture of the body while playing. This can easily be glossed over in favour of expressive techniques such as vibrato and virtuosic playing, but if the body is not relaxed and stable, then finding the physical freedom to change the sound expressively can be very difficult. In my own musical education, and through teaching others, I have found a number of key points which are easy to understand, and immediately make playing more comfortable and satisfying. For example:

· Ensure feet are always flat on the floor. This is the most basic point, but always makes a noticeable difference in the tone and strength of the sound: when both feet are grounded, there is a significant drop in the amount of tension carried in the upper body, allowing both arms to feel more free and produce a stronger, more centred sound.

· The upper body is always supported by the core. Particularly with the cello, trying to produce a strong tone can easily bring unwanted tension to the shoulders, upper back and neck. If, while sitting, the core muscles in the abdomen and lower back are active, the shoulders do not need to tense in order to make sound, and the arms can move more freely, consequently with more expressive power.

· The left and right sides of the body work symmetrically. Any tension in one side of the body is likely to be mirrored in, or even caused by, the same area in the opposite side. Thumbs are a good example of this if the left thumb is squeezing the neck of the cello, the right thumb is likely to be gripping the bow too tightly. This can cause tension in the wrists, and restrict the sonority of the sound. Focusing on releasing one thumb can automatically loosen the other.

· Arches are key in the structure of each hand. The arch is the strongest man-made structure self-supporting and able to bear loads far heavier than the arch itself. This idea is very helpful in cello playing: each finger of the left hand should be arched gently, allowing the weight of the arm to sit on the string without any tension in the finger itself. This allows the hand freedom to move and change positions easily, and prepares the way for a relaxed, flexible range of vibrato.

· Breathing is crucial. Though this may sound obvious, it is very easy to forget to breathe properly while focusing on a difficult technical passage. A simple reminder to breathe slowly and deeply encourages all the above points aiming for a relaxed, natural posture that allows a full range of movement in the arms and hands, using the necessary strength in a positive, expressive way.

When tackling a new expressive device, such as vibrato, it is vital to remember that it is just that – expressive! Trying to master the physical movement can cause tension which limits the range of motion in the arms, constricting the sound and making the movement much harder than it needs to be. Teachers can help this by only focusing on a new technique for 5 minutes of the lesson, and reminding their pupils to practice it regularly but only as part of a grounded practice session.

Always coming back to the idea of a relaxed and stable posture, through these 5 key points, will make the learning process much easier on the pupils’ minds and bodies, and ensure that the focus is always on expression and enjoyment!