The absence of dynamic contrast in one’s playing
Dynamics is one of the most common missing ingredients from a student’s playing and, without dynamic contrast, a pianist's playing is lifeless and dull. This dynamic deficiency is often accompanied by a perceived information overload from the student’s perspective and can be exacerbated by tempo illnesses such as vivace influenza and presto infatuation. The root of dynamic deficiency is not in the comprehension of the signs and symbols (or if it is, it is easily addressed). The underlying problem is similar to that of articulation anaemia: it is either a lack of desire or a feeling of overwhelm.
Symptoms
Prescriptions
Dramatise
In lesson
Have a discussion with your student about the dynamics in her piece and how they fit into the narrative of the music. Help her to come up with a possible story to accompany the music if the piece is not directly descriptive or story-telling. Playing the piece through a few times for her might help to spark her imagination – even more so if she closes her eyes.
Once you have your story, help your student to come up with actions or mimes to accompany it. (If she has played charades before you can use this as a reference.) Encourage her to jump up, crouch down and mime various actions to describe the story. Play through the piece a few times with exaggerated dynamics while she dramatises the music.
Next, ask your student to return to the piano and play her piece, imagining the full storyline as she plays. If she is still not adding all the dynamics, prompt her with questions about the story rather than the markings: “What’s happening at that point there? How can the audience hear this in your playing?”
At home
Your student should continue this same imaginative practice at home, showing her family the mimes and keeping the dramatisation in her mind’s eye as she practices. For further reinforcement, ask her to write down the story or draw a picture to represent it and bring it to the next lesson. Leave it up to her which she chooses so she can take ownership of the task.
Transfiguration
In lesson
Some dynamic deficiencies are caused by fear of embarrassment and/or a lack of confidence in one’s playing. If your student is shy of being a performer, animal imagery can be a useful device to help her come out of her shell. When playing “like an elephant”, for example, we allow ourselves a level of detachment from our own playing. This can give us confidence to play in the more exaggerated manner that is sometimes necessary to achieve the correct sound.
For each dynamic mark, pick an animal to use as inspiration for the playing. If your student is young, you can even use stickers or draw pictures on the score to represent each animal. Now as she is playing you can prompt her not by saying “You missed the sforzando at bar (measure) 12” but rather “Remember that’s where the lion roars very suddenly”. Using her playing to represent a menagerie of animals will bring a whole new meaning and playfulness to dynamic contrast for your student.
At home
If you added drawings or stickers to your student’s score it will be easy for her to remember this ‘Transfiguration’ at home. If not, ask her to describe the animal imagery in her piece to a family member before practicing. Can they hear the lion roaring? What about that little field mouse near the end?
Related Diagnoses
Expression Omission Disorder
Fortissimo Fixation
Pianissimo Preoccupation