Piano Pros and Cons
Movement Accompaniment and a New Song
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It’s OK if you don’t play piano. Although it’s true that the piano is often the ideal instrument for leading movement activities for myriad reasons, it’s also true that it has certain limitations. Many of my favorite Eurhythmics teachers are non-pianists and will find many ways to lead the class with no perceivable loss of musical expressiveness. However, I’ve also seen folks without a background in improvisation really struggle to enter students into the flow of experience and sustain their attention for very long. A good MusicXT lesson should unfold and reveal itself slowly, always moving forward and not becoming too repetitive. Singing the same short song over and over again is a sure fire way to lose your students’ attention and create classroom management issues.
I’d make the case that playing the piano is far less critical than improvising. Whatever instrument you choose, learning to improv on it will be crucial to successful teaching in this style. Should you spend your time mastering the piano? Maybe. I’ve made a short list of some pros and cons around the piano specifically.
Pro #1: Rhythmic Versatility
The piano is able to play percussively as well as lyrically. It can effectively execute several very clear rhythms simultaneously, which allows for many of the polyrhythmic and cross-rhythmic activities that we love. It also can give clear metrical context to rhythms, as it can accompany itself. This adds so much rhythmic possibility and exploration.
Con #1: You’re stuck behind it!
You can’t very well walk around while playing the piano, or model movement while accompanying yourself. The piano is unfortunately stationary and does not allow for much interaction with your class. Using recorded music or a more mobile instrument gives you new possibilities!
Pro #2: Pitch Range
It’s easily got the widest range of any practical instrument. I love to use this range to allow students to hear the full spectrum of pitch possibilities, to encourage them to explore the sensations created by these choices.
Con #2: Dynamic limitations
The piano can play soft or loud, and through the course of a melody it can demonstrate a crescendo or diminuendo. However, If you are playing a whole note, there’s nothing that can be done to alter the dynamics. Part of lyrical expression would require the nuances of sustained dynamics. The piano falls short here.
Pro #3 : History and Tradition
The piano has been an important instrument in many music traditions including western classical music, jazz, latin music, and modern pop music. Many students will have a piano at home and might even take lessons on their own. This context makes it a relatable instrument to a variety of cultural situations and communities. The Dalcroze community loves traditions, and the piano has a rich history in these circles.
Con #3 : Variety is the Spice of Life
Hearing a variety of timbre, allowing students to encounter a full coterie of instrumental diversity is a unique opportunity. Being a multi-instrumentalist myself, I love to pull out a different option for students and demonstrate its uniqueness. Encouraging students to move along with the new sound changes their instincts remarkably.
Part of the mission of MusicXT is to make Dalcrozian movement activities accessible to folks who do not have a background in piano improvisation. By recording my own piano improv and sharing it as a YouTube video, I’ve been able to provide a resource for MusicXT subscribers to lead their students in sustained musical movement.
Recently, I shared a lesson called “Cinco, The Five Legged Dog.” This series of activities is meant to give students an experience feeling 5/8 time and connecting to those sensations through movement. As an improvising pianist, I have an advantage of being able to evaluate students in each moment, adjusting my performance to evoke different sensations or different gestures. It occurs to me that not every MusicXT subscriber is comfortable improvising in 5/8 time and that this might discourage them from attempting the activity. I have created another Movement Accompaniment Track for your use in the classroom. Please enjoy it and feel free to use it as you see fit, any time you might want to practice moving along with 5/8 time.