Many piano players wish that they could:
• Play with greater freedom of movement, fluency and control
• Play with heightened focus and creativity
• Overcome longstanding physical problems that have inhibited their enjoyment of playing the piano
• Overcome the anxiety that blights performance
Qigong exercises can help immensely, providing:
• A range of simple stretching and breathing exercises which support pianists’ needs
• A complementary approach that can be used alongside any school of piano playing to enhance technique
• A methodology rooted in the ancient wisdom of the traditional Chinese medicine, philosophy, meditation and martial arts practice
Qigong costs nothing, and is easy to do, regardless of age. But before we start, what exactly is qigong, and how can it help piano players? Please start by reading my essential introduction here:
Qigong and Piano Playing
Qigong practice can lead to improved physical health, mental clarity and emotional well-being. And it can also have a surprising impact on your piano playing…
The exercises which follow draw from and adapt classic forms and are based on the fundamentals and philosophy of qigong practice.
Several aim to help reconnect mental focus, physical sensation, and movement. This involves developing awareness through movement and breathing. Some exercises can be done at the piano, but most are done in a standing posture.
I have tried to identify exercises that address problems pianists commonly face, but hopefully you will experience wider benefits. It is best to try all the exercises and develop a short regular routine, mindfully reflecting on the benefits of each practice.
Awareness in Movement
Earth Posture
In this exercise you will focus on posture, alignment, balance, breathing, and release of tension. These are all crucially important for qigong practice, and of course for piano playing.
How to Warm your Hands
Here’s a short video in which I explain and show you how to warm your fingers using a simple, gentle qigong massage technique:
Open and Commence
The Open and Commence movement from the 18 Taiji Qigong Shibashi provides a wonderful way to mindfully reconnect with the sensations in the wrist area, developing supple flexibility.
Opening the Chest
Opening the Chest is the second movement from the 18 Taiji Qigong Shibashi form, and extends the Open and Commence movement previously shared here.
Awareness in Breathing
The Pianist’s Breathwork
Breathwork has made a significant difference to my quality of life, health and wellbeing, with a beneficial impact on my piano journey. I hope that by trying the simple exercises in this post you will discover similar benefits…
Sit up and Shut down
Here is a simple qigong practice that provides an easy hack for diminishing the effects of anxiety in our lives. It can help before performing, taking an exam, or simply enable us get through the basics of daily life.
Breathing at the Piano
Are you sure that you breathe when playing the piano? It might seem like an odd question – of course we continue to breathe while playing! But to what extent are we aware of our breath, and how it affects our technique, musicality and comfort at the piano?
More Breathing at the Piano
In this article, I will build on the foundation of the exercises and ideas previously shared in the article Breathing at the Piano.
Breathing with Bach
In this lesson, we address the importance of the breath in alleviating shoulder tension, using three dance movements from the Partita as example repertoire.
András Schiff & Natural Breathing
Encouraged by comments by András Schiff, this article considers the links between natural breathing and Qigong practice, as well as offering a simple breathing exercise that anyone can try…
The Pianist’s Air
Those visiting our studios are trusting us with their health and wellbeing. But how fascinating that, in addition to the health imperatives of clean air, we are now seeing a direct link and impact it has on teaching and learning…
Recommended Resources
For a more in-depth exploration of Qigong, I recommend working with a teacher if possible. I also highly commend the following books and resources, which will inform and support your journey into these life-changing practices:
5 Qigong Books for Beginners
If you are ready to build on the Piano Qigong basics introduced on the Pianodao site, start your journey here!
The Lunar Tao
For those interested in Daoism (Taoism) this book of daily essays and insights is the perfect choice …
PIANODAO includes 700+ FREE articles.
Please DONATE HERE to support the site.
For FREE email notifications SUBSCRIBE HERE.