Pulse Patterning For Pianists

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q: What do you mean by Pulse Patterning for Pianists?

A: Pulse Patterning is a term I use for a technique of torso movement I have adapted for the purpose of experiencing and projecting the beat, metrics, and phrasing of the music. At the very least, the movement allows the torso to remain free of fixation and tension.

Q: Many pianists move their bodies while they play, while others sit perfectly still. Is it necessary to move while playing?

A: Yes, absolutely! If the torso does not move, stiffness and rigidity take over. It’s like having the body in “Park” when our natural impulses want to respond to the “swing” or beat of the music. Even worse is sitting at the piano ramrod straight when the music requires that we be at one end of the keyboard or the other. No wonder pianists can feel awkward or uncomfortable at the instrument. Often the movement is so natural and so minimal as to be invisible. When I give demonstrations, people in the audience will remark that they don’t see anything—could I exaggerate more!

Q: So you don’t advocate sitting still?

A: No, no, we must never confuse stillness with stiffness—we need to be acutely aware of the difference. We can choose stillness, if that is what we desire, without becoming stiff. This is what separates the great artist from the novice.

Q: If moving is natural, why do we need a technique of torso movement?

A: Playing the piano, (like playing the violin, or dancing, or pole vaulting, or walking a tight-rope), is a very complex physical operation which requires incredible coordination of fingers, hands, arms, feet, (and, yes, the torso), along with the ears, eyes and mind. Pianists spend inordinate amounts of time training the fingers, often as if their fingers are detached from the rest of their body. If these pianists happen to be comfortable with their arms and torso in performance, then they are lucky, and we say that they are naturally talented. Other pianists may find that their arms and body get in their way, either through stiffness (non-movement), or because—and this is a most important point—the movements of their arms and torso are not synchronized with each other, or with their fingers, or with the rhythm of the music.

Q: Can you actually teach pianists to move correctly, so that the whole body is coordinated—and connected to the music as well?

A: Definitely. Moving the torso needs to become a conscious process, like learning how to move the hand, the wrist, the forearm, the elbow, the upper arm, etc. Then later the movement becomes automatic, and one doesn’t even have to think about it.

Q: So what is this movement? Is it bending at the waist, or just what?

A: Most pianists who exhibit visible movement during their playing, bend and sway from the waist, or raise their shoulders. If it’s excessive, it can of course be visually distracting. More importantly, though, this type of movement can be harmful to the pianist, both physically and musically.

The waistline, just below the ribcage, articulates the separation of the upper torso from the lower torso, and provides the torso with great flexibility for bending and twisting. Largely, however, the movement I’m talking about originates in the hips, where the legs, the pelvis and the lumbar back converge in a most extraordinary kind of hinge. This hinge allows us, while seated, to lean forward or back, to the right or left, sit upright or slouch down, or even to swivel in a corkscrew manner. It permits a far wider range of motion than we ever imagined possible. At the same time, the flexibility of the waist allows the upper torso to be relatively still and upright, so that it serves as a stable fulcrum for the movement of the arms.

Q: In what way is movement of the upper torso, which is common, harmful to the pianist?

A: This is a topic that generates considerable controversy among pianists and teachers. On the plus side, this freedom of movement in the upper torso is powerful in releasing interpretive, emotive instincts, while at the same time seemingly creating a sense of physical freedom and spontaneity.

On the other hand, there are several problems with uncontrolled movement of the upper torso from the waist. First of all, the coordination of the fingers is so intricate and refined, that extraneous movements of the arms and body can easily interfere with this delicately trained mechanism. Often we rely on these movements to compensate for what the fingers should be doing. Furthermore, if we leave the body movements to chance, then we also leave the interpretation completely open to chance. The modern piano is a touch sensitive instrument, and as such, responds to every change in pressure and speed applied to the keys by the body—this is the miracle of the piano.

The bottom line, finally, concerns the serious biomechanical problem of moving from the waist while holding the hips in a fixated, or locked, position. This way of moving the torso simply places too much stress on the lumbar back, leading first to discomfort, and then, ultimately, to injury.

This is why I teach lower torso movement. It is even more powerful than the upper torso in releasing the interpretive, emotive instincts I mentioned previously, and creating a true sense of physical freedom, spontaneity and well-being. Additionally, correct alignment, balance, and movement counteracts the tension, shallow breathing, and general lock-down that contributes to performance anxiety, whereas, good use of the body contributes to focus, efficiency, being in the moment, and performance satisfaction and pleasure.

Q: Have you had positive feedback and endorsements from pianists, students, or teachers?

A: Indeed! I’m going to list for you just some of the comments and reactions I have heard over the years:

“I am impressed with the technique! It’s such an excellent way to get students moving—to begin breathing and feeling the music, especially those students with fixated postures.”

“Having a back problem, I am deeply interested in Pulse Patterning.”

“There are so many valuable suggestions that can help teachers free their students from immobility that both interferes with musical performance and endangers pianists.”

“This is the first time I’ve ever felt musical!”

“I’m a physical therapist, as well as an organist and piano teacher, and I know and use the (Feldenkrais) exercises; never did I imagine that I could coordinate the one with the other!”

“Ooh, I don’t know what to do with all this (new) dynamic potential!”

“Pulse Patterning makes sense—like a rediscovery of what ought to be natural to us. It helps one find a pattern for oneself as well as for the music, and it creates a sense of freedom on the piano bench.”