Try This Before Your Feet Hit the Floor

OK...so what's the first thing that you think about in the morning usually, just after you wake up. You know, in that place of realizing that you're waking up and experiencing almost a transfer from the sleep world to being fully awake. 

A lot of what we think about first thing in the mornings has to do with what is going on in our lives. If we have something really fun coming up, we're going to think about that and excited about making plans for that occasion. On the other hand, if something unpleasant is coming up, we tend to think negatively and even feel some anxiety about whatever it is that's coming our way. 

We can be bombarded with stress about obligations with work, school, family issues. We could remember our dreams and spend time trying to sort out our perceptions from those dreams. 

Whatever the case may be, I want to introduce you to the concept of this space as being a bit sacred and one that we can have control over in terms of what comes into and out of our minds. And, I want to show you how to use this time to improve your piano playing, believe it or not!

This time when we first wake up in the mornings, is our most relaxed time of the day. Our defenses are down, we're rested physically, everything seems fresh. 

Have you ever thought to yourself in those waking moments, " I just want to stay here in this calm and warmth and relaxed-ness? " It's kind of easy to stay in that moment because it feels so nice. 

What happens though, when stress hits us first thing in the morning? We certainly don't want to stay there and we can end up jumping out of bed with a huge dose of adrenaline pumping through us. Not the best start to a day. 

In both cases, we made a choice. When it felt nice we chose to stay there and linger in the moment. When it felt negative and anxious, we chose to get up and flee from the yuk that was starting in our heads so early in the morning. 
The important part of both of these examples - is that we have a choice. That means we can choose to send away the stress and anxious junk that tries to sneak in, and choose to hang on to those encouraging and happy thoughts instead. 

Let's take this a bit farther now. If we can control what thoughts we focus on each morning, then we can start interjecting our own thoughts at the same time. This is where your piano playing comes in!

This is the best time of the day to take advantage of your clear mind, peaceful thoughts, and some excitement about the day. 

What's going on in your piano playing right now? Are you learning a new scale? How about a new piece or some section of a piece that you're trying to get both hands together correctly? 

Pick one thing from your piano work each week, and think about that specific issue in this wonderful and relaxed morning space. Keep it simple, and make it one specific thing.

For example, you're learning the E Major scale which has 4 sharps in it, and you've never played that many sharps before. 

• Before you go to bed, make a mental note that you want to think about your E major scale when you wake up the next morning. Do this each night...it helps!
• Each morning, do your best to focus on this scale. It may not come the first morning or even the next..but if you keep at it, it really will start being in your thoughts. Remember that we train our minds...our minds don't train us. 
• Start by focusing on the 4 sharps...what are they? F, C, D, & G. That may be all you think about for a couple of mornings. 
• Next, start by mentally picturing the scale on the keyboard...where the keys are, how many octaves you are going to play, etc...
• Then, you can begin playing it in your mind on your piano. You could have the written music on the piano in front of you in your vision, or not...totally up to you. 
• Keep doing this each morning. Try doing this for 30 days...realize that it will happen more and more as you continue on throughout the month. 
• Of course, don't limit yourself to one scale...this is just an example. 

Once you start doing this...you're going to see a big difference when you sit down at your piano to play what you were thinking about early in the morning. Working mentally like this is actually practicing, just not with your music or keyboard. If you remember a few blogs back, we talked about practicing with your music even if you don't have access to your piano all the time. This is the same concept, just taken a bit further. We get more accomplished mentally when we are this relaxed, calm and have a general sense of well-being. This also shows you how much control we actually have over our thoughts and how we can use them to improve all kinds of areas in our lives. 

Stay open to what music your own mind and/or subconscious starts bringing to you. Once it realizes that you're listening, it might not want to stop talking. There again, be the boss of your thoughts...no matter how loud they get. :)

Stay Tuned to PianoLessonsOnTheWeb.com to learn much more and achieve your dream of playing the piano!