Creating Real Music:
The Art of Telling a Story During a Piano or Musical Performance
by Keith Phillips*
Storytelling:
As I have mentioned in another article, this lesser known technique can separate good players from great players.
Music inherently possesses storytelling capabilities through its structure and expression.
To create your story:
-Ask what story does the song sound like?
-Feel free to draw from your own experiences to bring the story alive.
-Build a real story and title and attempt to tell this story in the performance.
-Make sure you are projecting 20 feet to the listener’s ear. (Your “loud” may be their “soft”)
-Speed and volume are natural intensifiers and deintensifiers for expressing emotion.
-Pianists mimic singers. (***Let your right hand/melody tell the story). Notes become syllables. Phrases become sentences.
-I tell students to “Talk to me” as a technique, as if they are creating words and sentences for the audience. This usually allows the song to be presented properly and thus musically.
Engaging with the music on a personal level allows you to project its emotional content authentically to your audience.
🎭 Embrace Expressive Interpretation
Beyond technical proficiency, conveying emotion is crucial:
Natural Phrasing: Shape musical phrases to reflect speech patterns, enhancing relatability. I refer to this as “natural phrasing”.
1 Climb in volume when the notes go higher on the keyboard.
2 Decrease in volume when the notes go lower on the keyboard.
3 Taper/soften the phrase when it is ending.
4 Soften the beginning and ends of phrases a little to “sell” the phrase (also helps the listener know where the peak of a phrase is).
Articulation:
Use legato, staccato, and other articulations to convey different moods or actions. Be true to the composer’s markings.
Tone Color: Adjust your touch and dynamics to produce varying tonal qualities, adding emotional nuance.
1 Use a curved, fast finger for a brighter sound.
2 Use a flatter, slower strike for a mellower sound.
3 Stick with finger weight only to create softer, calmer sounds.
-Variation: a quicker fingertip will add brightness to the softness.
4 Add more weight up the arm to add volume/brightness to your sound: (hand weight—>wrist dropping—>upper arm activation—>upper body activation) -Variation: a flatter, slower finger strike can add mellowness to loudness. (“Loud and mellow”)
🧠 Incorporate Visual and Physical Elements
Visual cues can reinforce the story you're telling. If you are telling a story, these cues will naturally occur.
1 ***Visualization: visualize the elements of your story to make it more real to you and the listeners.***
2 Body Language: Your posture and movements can express confidence, vulnerability, or other emotions. Let them be true to the story. Believe in the story.
3 Facial Expressions: Conveying emotions through facial cues will naturally happen if your are focusing on telling the story. Stage Presence: Engage with your audience by having a musical conversation with them. You are the storyteller, but it can also feel like a conversation as the audience is engaging in the sound with sincere enjoyment.
Use these elements work in tandem with the music to create a holistic storytelling experience.
🗣️ Brief Narration?
Offering a short introduction or anecdote about the piece can set the stage for your performance. Or you may decide to share the underlying story with your audience.
Historical Background: Share insights about the composer or the era of the piece.
Personal Connection: Discuss what the piece means to you or why you chose it.
Imagery and Themes: Describe the scenes or emotions the music evokes.
This context can guide the audience's listening experience and deepen their appreciation.
🎯 Final Thoughts
Integrating storytelling into your musical performance involves a combination of technical skill, emotional expression, and audience engagement. By thoughtfully applying these techniques, you can transform your performance into a memorable narrative journey that resonates with your listeners.
If you have specific pieces or performance scenarios in mind, feel free to ask for tailored suggestions on how to enhance their storytelling aspects. Contact Keith Phillips at Keith.music1@me.com
*Article writing was assisted by chapgpt.