Improving Your Focus

One of the most important issues facing us as musicians is focus and attention. While there has been a lot of research into what is going on in our brains when we focus, nobody has really figured out what consciousness really is at all. We have not been able to create it in even our fastest computers, and we have not been able to isolate what is going on neurologically in a way that we can control it.

What we do know is how to make it happen in ourselves when it is necessary. From this “user manual” vantage point, we can improve and fine-tune this mysterious state of being. In other words, we can use this powerful tool without really understanding what is going on under the hood. It may even be somewhat distracting (pun intended) to spend too much time trying to figure out what focus is.

Trying Too Hard

One thing many of us have experienced is the “brain lock” that accompanies extreme pressure and stress. In this case, we are experiencing the fight-or-flight hormones that are triggered in dangerous situations. This state, as we all know, prevents clear thinking and triggers basic survival instincts at the reptilian level of our nervous system. We revert to this primal state when we feel our survival is threatened. Strangely, a piano recital in a church basement somehow can qualify as mortal danger.

Many of us somehow mistake focus for this struggle for our lives, and when it fails to create the focus we need, become more agitated. Even when we know this adrenaline-fueled state is not helpful, we find ourselves there nonetheless.

There are many theories about how to get past this reflex, all of which have some merit; here are some of them:

1. Once the panic has started, it really needs to run its course; knowing it will pass is often enough to keep it from perpetuating itself. These moments, no matter how long they may feel, will end quickly, and clarity will return.
2. Becoming comfortable with a situation will reduce the perceived danger. If you have been in this position before and there wasn’t a disaster, you will have a “model” for a comfortable outcome. This is why we have rehearsals, and why the more experienced performers are less likely to get rattled.
3. Avoid medicating the panic; this will mask the symptoms and delay the inevitable. Fully experiencing an uncomfortable situation will make the next one easier. If we are not fully engaged, that desired comfort zone will take a lot longer to achieve.

Dovetails

It has been stated that the continuous focus needed for something like musicianship is actually multiple “frames” of attention that connect together smoothly enough to create the illusion of an uninterrupted span. While it is important to improve the length of individual frames, it is probably more important to manage the transitions between these moments. Just as a dovetailed joint is stronger because the wood is interconnected and overlapping, so must be our moments of clarity.

Startled Awake

A very common cause of auto accidents is drivers falling asleep at the wheel. However, it is usually not the sleeping that causes the collision, but the sudden re-awakening and accompanying startle reflex. The driver awakens and realizes the danger and over-corrects.

When we realize we are not paying attention while playing music, we experience this same startle reflex, often losing our place or making a mistake. The trick here is to expect our focus to break, and to be prepared to gently return ourselves to the subject. While this sounds kind of abstract and vague, it is quite possible to do. The first step is to override the startle reflex by giving ourselves a mental break while we perform. Usually this comes during a simpler passage or a repeating section. The trick is not to stay in this unfocused place for too long.

Getting in the Habit

One of the most important things to realize is that focus and attention are skills that grow with practice. Expecting yourself to be an expert instantly is not realistic. Gradually increase the length of time that you stay engaged, and these skills will appear. Likewise, focus is something that gets “rusty” with disuse, though, like a physical skill, it comes back quickly.

Exercises

1. Meditation that focuses on a single word or image will give us a lot of information about our wandering mind. At first, you may be surprised at how difficult it is to stay on your subject. This is normal and will improve. Gently return to the focus.
2. Notice any daydreaming during your practice. Rather than berating yourself, simply acknowledge the digression and return to work. Simply becoming aware of this natural drifting will make a difference.
3. Read simple musical passages with a metronome, with the objective of playing all the way through without stopping. Make sure the music is easy enough that you can play it at sight. More difficult music will not engage this forward motion. Often you may find your eye leaving the page; this is an example of an attention “break.” eventually, you will find you can “mark” the spot in the music and return to it without losing your place, and that your eyes will “track” better.  Many of my students get lost simply because they cannot keep their eyes on the page, not because the music is difficult.
4. Play music that forces you to think. If the music is very repetitious, it can encourage daydreaming. Instead, try playing songs with an unpredictable form, progression or meter. I often make etudes for myself that are difficult to memorize; this keeps me thinking about the next thing.
5. Count along with your playing, or name some aspect of it verbally as you play. This keeps your mind awake.
6. Take your patterns and change the rhythm: if a pattern is structured in groups of 4 notes, practice it in compound meter. Practice your patterns with a specific rhythmic figure rather than with steady note values.