Alexander Technique for Piano Teachers: Practical Tips
In my Intro to Alexander Technique for Piano Teachers class, we discuss practical ways to incorporate Alexander Technique ideas into lessons. For example, even though constructive rest is a great way to start a lesson, it isn’t always feasible to have a student just lie down in the piano studio. (If you’ve seen my online studio, you know I can barely fit myself in there standing up!)
So here are a few practical tips that you can easily incorporate into your piano teaching that won’t create logistical issues for you.
Suggest that students lie down in a semi-supine position before practice and lessons, and notice the contact of their back to the floor. If you have space in your studio where students can lie down briefly, that’s great. If not, they can do it at home before coming to your studio. If you teach online, they can easily lie down before a lesson, and hopefully they can always do it before practicing.
When students sit down to play, you can then remind them how it felt to notice the contact of their back to the floor. This simple idea can make a big difference in the way that students sit at the piano, and it can really help with students who might thrust the neck forward in their eagerness to get the right notes. Addressing the thinking behind that eagerness may also be useful.
Take a “standing break” during the lesson. We tend to use our torso more effectively while standing rather than sitting, even though there’s no reason for that change. You can have students stand up for a moment, and then when they sit down, you can ask if they noticed any change in the way their torso feels. They might notice that they want to slouch or crane their neck forward.
Bring their attention to the sit bones, and have them draw an imaginary line up to the head. This just takes a moment, and it can really help students avoid lurching forward with the torso and pulling the head down as they thrust the chin forward.
There’s really so much we can do with Alexander Technique in our own playing and in our teaching. If you’d like to explore this in more depth, feel free to reach out to me about online lessons. If you’re interested in taking Intro to Alexander Technique for Piano Teachers, you can sign up to be notified when classes are added to the schedule!