Posture and freedom of movement
- Maintain physical freedom and ease, without unnecessary tension:
- across a larger range of the instrument, indicating awareness of the whole body as a balanced playing mechanism
- playing with a comfortable and balanced position which ensures flexibility when playing hands separately and together
- playing with free and confident movement
- playing with economy of movement when tackling fast scale passages, wider intervals, widely spaced textures, etc.
Demonstrate and reinforce the importance of a comfortable playing position. Encourage learners to evaluate this in their own playing.
Encourage learners to develop ease in executing free and quick movement across the keyboard, with increasing reliability and accuracy, e.g. rapid leaps.
Help learners to develop a greater awareness of the benefits of a supported and flexible upper body in scales, arpeggios and pieces covering a wider range of the keyboard.
Ask learners to identify any points of possible tension, e.g. shoulders, elbows, wrists, knuckles.
Show learners how to place their feet appropriately in preparation for legato pedalling. Encourage them to remember this when they apply pedalling.
Illustrate rotary and lateral movements, asking learners to describe what they see and imitate the movements.
Demonstrate to learners the difference between positive and negative body language when performing.
An occasional lesson in a large space can help to encourage projection.
Encourage learners to reflect on their body language and to observe others performing, noting the effects of posture on communication.
Encourage learners to attend live performances where possible, and/or watch live performances online.
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