Reasons to Record Yourself Playing the Piano

Have you ever recorded yourself playing the piano?

A little warning!

Before listing the five reasons recording yourself playing the piano is crucial, I would like to mention something: it is not easy to record yourself. There is a lot of pressure (like giving a concert) and getting the tools to do it is not always easy. However, it is an excellent experience. I believe that all musicians who want to become good at what they do should follow this practice periodically. It will also help them understand better what they want to achieve in their playing and how to do it.

Let us get started!

Reason #1

It helps us to learn better and internalise the pieces.

One of the things we first realise when we make our first recording is that when we start playing, it feels completely different. It was as if someone was watching and listening to us even though no one was in the room. We become much more aware of what we are playing. The nerves of feeling the pressure of “having to play everything right” because it will be recorded and possibly seen by many people in the future will undoubtedly affect how we play on the recording. But because of this pressure to “get it right”, we will try to play better on each new recording to solve the most dubious or unstudied passages.

As a rule, if a passage doesn’t come out consistently well when you’re studying, it almost certainly won’t work on a recording either. This is why recording yourself can help you better identify the areas of the piece where you are weakest, so you can devote more study to it. It’s amazing how you begin to consolidate the pieces after having gone through a recording instance. It is assumed that to record them, you need them to be perfect, and this pressure helps a lot to improve. The first thing you will notice after making recordings, either on video or audio alone, is how everything you play will begin to feel more confident and in control.

Reason #2

It puts us in a “concert situation”.

From having to get dressed up or even formal (depending on the type of recording) to having to get quiet in the room and concentrate before you start playing, a recording has a lot of similarities to a live performance. So one of the first things we will have to do is to find a moment where nobody interrupts, there is silence, and nothing can distract us. Similar to a concert, but sometimes with the comfort of being at home. This kind of practice will help us simulate those nerves that appear when playing in public and also know how to react to them – which is very important. It will help us gain more control over what we think when playing the pieces and recognise the points where we must be more careful or calm so that everything goes well.

Reason #3

It allows us to have a tool to promote ourselves.

Conceivably the most obvious point, but at the same time, one worth mentioning.

A video or audio recording is always good to show what we do. For instance, if you are an advanced pianist interested in piano competitions, you will probably know that most of them will require some recordings for the pre-selection stage. So then, in addition to learning a lot in the process and improving as a pianist, you will have material for yourself and others. Furthermore, you will feel that this recording contains your message, your interpretation and what you want to transmit to the world in your music.

Reason #4

We become our judges.

Indeed, it has happened to you that everything seems to look easier when watching videos on the internet or going to a live concert. You get this feeling of “I could do it better”. It is like you sit on the “jury’s side” by thinking: why doesn’t the performer do “this” or “that” if it seems so logical?

If this is your case, the bad news is that you might also not like what you are doing the first time you listen to yourself. Maybe the tempo you conceived for that piece is coming out faster or slower than you imagined, or perhaps, in a specific part of the piece, the changes of dynamics you thought were noticeable are not obvious enough. You will generally find that your interpretation of the piece is not exactly as you pictured it in your mind. But don’t worry, it’s normal. This happens because when we play, we usually think of the interpretation that we feel is correct, but it doesn’t always come out exactly as we want.

The reality is that the result always differs from what we think we are doing. But here comes the good news: recording ourselves is very important because it allows us to find the differences between what we imagine we are playing and what we are really doing and what the listener would hear. It will enable us to improve actively by getting closer to our desired interpretation on each try.

Reason #5

It gives us confidence and security when playing.

Finally and very important, after doing some recordings, we will go to the concert hall knowing that our pieces have already been “put under pressure”. The peace of mind that comes from having that stage of nerves in a comfortable place like our home helps us learn the pieces in every way and be sure of what we will do in our next concert. After going through several recordings, we will feel more confident about our actions. We will make the music the way we want it to be and be able to give the world what we are most passionate about, which is playing the piano and bringing beautiful music to life.

Now, you know these five reasons why it is good to record ourselves and all the things you could miss out on by not doing it. Undoubtedly, it is one crucial step towards being a better pianist and musician. Don’t miss out on more content like this one by exploring the WKMT Blog.