Refusal to play at a volume other than the minimum
This affliction is less common among young children. It usually affects shy, uncertain or nervous piano students and I have found it to be very prevalent amongst older beginners. In the same way that we might speak more softly or with a quiver in our voice when speaking a foreign language, students with pianissimo preoccupation feel uncomfortable playing loudly, especially if they are unsure of the notes.
This fear of making a mistake prevents them from playing with conviction and ultimately inhibits their musicality. It can become a self-fulfilling prophecy: they think they won’t sound musical so they play so lightly on the keys that they don’t sound musical. We need to break this cycle quickly or these hesitant pianists are very likely to give up altogether.
Symptoms
Prescriptions
Roar!
In lesson
This remedy will have to be used at many consecutive lessons and every practice session for maximum effectiveness. The ‘Roar!’ is really very simple but can get a lot of pushback from tentative students – so be prepared to be persistent and persuasive.
Ask your student to play the first note, notes, or chord of whatever piece she is working on as a warm-up. She must play them as loudly as possible. Explain that this ‘Roar!’ is like clearing her throat before giving a speech. It should get the attention of the imaginary audience before she starts her piece properly or begins her other practice on that particular piece. Continue to ask for a ‘Roar!’ before every scale, exercise and piece throughout the lesson.
At home
Ask your student to incorporate the ‘Roar!’ into her daily piano practice. It must be done before every single piece, every time. Of course you cannot guarantee that she will follow through on this, but you can continue to request it at every lesson until she starts to do the ‘Roar!’ for you unprompted.
Hairpin Scales
In lesson
When students are overwhelmed and uncomfortable with the amount of information processing required to play the piano, often the best solution is to take away the written music. Having one less thing to focus on might be just the confidence boost your student needs to play with the boldness we’re looking for.
For now, ignore your student’s pianissimo preoccupation in her pieces and focus solely on cultivating dynamics in her warm-ups. Scales are my preferred warm-ups but you might also apply this to Czerny, Hanon, or any rote exercises. At the start of every lesson ask your student to play her scales, first with a crescendo ascending and diminuendo descending, and then the reverse. She should make these dynamics as dramatic and exaggerated as possible.
At home
Assign scale practice in the same way with extreme ‘Hairpins’ applied to each scale. It’s important that your student practice the diminuendo ascending and crescendo descending also, so that she gets used to beginning loudly as well as working up to it.
Over time she will grow more comfortable with the full dynamic range of the piano and then you can start to discuss the dynamics in her pieces also. This may take weeks or months, but try not to rush her. Wait until she can play her scales confidently in this way, without encouragement or persuasion from you.
Related Diagnoses
Digit Flotation
Expression Omission Disorder