Water

Pianism
The Guide

Daniel Bennett

This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. It may not be re-sold.

Thank you for respecting the hard work of the author.

More Information
danthecomposer@gmail.com
www.danthecomposer.com
www.piano-jazz.blogspot.com
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***
© Copyright, 2016.
Daniel Bennett, Budapest
 Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Author’s Note

Preface

Introduction

The Mind Triangle

The 3-Fold Path to Water Pianism

Study 1 – Water as Teacher

Study 2 – Mind as Observer

Study 3 - From Chaos to Balance

Study 4 – Mental Excellence

Study 5 – Typical Misconceptions

Study 6 – Identifying Weaknesses

Study 7 – Body as Vehicle

Study 8 – The Ego and Labels

Study 9 – Conscious Interference

Study 10 – On Knowledge & Creativity

Study 11 – Observing the Piano 1/2

Study 12 – Observing the Piano 2/2

Study 13 – Practormance 1/2

Study 14 – Practormance 2/2

Study 15 – The Hands Illusion

Study 16 – Understanding Limits

 Study 17 – The Expertise Illusion

Study 18 – Listening Eyes, Seeing Ears

Study 19 – Daily Practice

Study 20 – Extremities in Practice

The Destinationless Journey

 Author’s Note
My sole intention behind writing this guide was to encourage each and every
reader to feel an eventual sense of absolute possibility, total freedom and endless
motivation.

Without such positivity and self-belief, the otherwise enjoyable path to

whatever is perceived as achievement unavoidably becomes fraught with challenges
which are usually successful in completely blocking progress, resulting in frustration
and possible abandonment.

Water Pianism is a state of mind. It is not a method. It cannot be described in

one sentence and is very difficult to believe in during the initial stages of its discovery
because the ego will be blocking out anything new, unusual or which goes against its
firmly held belief systems.

You are coming to this book with a charged, loaded ego, ready to reject a lot of
the content despite not one written word being dishonest, negative or confrontational.

Further to this, each page does its best to take your natural Self along with it,
disregarding your poisonous ego at all times and encouraging you to detach from its
noise which, as discussed herein, will become unbearably loud as it realises it is being
rejected; as a child not permitted to buy sweets by its parents.

Once a peaceful, positive and well-balanced mind has been established, your
practice and performance abilities will improve drastically, your self-awareness and
understanding of the mind, body and piano components will be greatly enhanced and
no mental or physical difficulty will ever cause even the slightest of frustrations.

As a Water Pianist, you promise yourself to adhere to its three-fold path and to
do your best in sharing its notions, without need for recompense, with others who you
believe will benefit from or find value in it, and especially with those who:

1. Feel lost in the piano world;

 2. Are unable to afford a piano teacher;

3. Get easily frustrated;

4. Seek musical wisdom.

Your inspirational responsibilities as a Water Pianist go beyond playing the

piano, even beyond the world of music itself, and reach any and all individuals
seeking guidance.

The Water Pianist understands that:

A teacher always finds educational value in a student just as much as a student

finds educational value in a teacher. Neither one is more or less than the other.

The Water Pianist uses students as an opportunity for self-betterment and

practice in much the same way as they do in the presence of the Water Pianist.

Your journey towards perceived perfection is futile. You will not achieve it.
This is exactly why every moment must be savoured for the pleasure or learning
opportunity it presents.

Some sit at their piano and strive to be as good as their idols; they shall fail in
their endeavours.

Some sit at their piano and practice for hours every day in the hope of
attaining perfect technique; they, too, shall fail in their endeavours.

Some sit at their piano and lament in their unsatisfactory abilities; they, of
course, shall also fail in their endeavours.

The Water Pianist does not merely sit at the piano, does not strive to be like
others, does not endure the monotony of mindless practice and never allows a sense of
disappointment to enter the mind.

Instead, you will spend more time understanding your own mind, interests,
musical likes and dislikes, playing pieces you enjoy and acknowledging that your
current ability is always a result of previous efforts.

If you feel that you are not ready or prepared to continue reading, do please
stop for the words contained in the coming pages will surely only be met with
resistance. This is not their purpose or intended final destination.

I wish you an excellent and peaceful destinationless journey of self-discovery

both at and away from the piano and hope that you will live a life of inspiring others,
whether that be through Water Pianism, art, education, or a simple act of unexpected
kindness.

Your Author.
 Preface
This guide contains twenty studies, each discussing in some way one of the
three components of the philosophy of Water Pianism: Mind, Body and Piano.

Traditionally, piano studies focus on fingers-at-the-piano and eyes-at-the-score

activities which are both very useful as part of the Piano component but which
completely neglect the other two.

This often results in limited progress whereby one feels a sense of frustration,
comparisons with others are made when it comes to matters of speed and dexterity
and most importantly, a feeling of never ‘making it’ becomes very predominant, all of
which being the result of the poisonous activity of the Ego.

In fact, by focusing on where ‘it’ all enters (the mind) rather than where ‘it’ all
exits (the piano), one will come to realise very quickly how much talent is already
possessed, thus instantly removing those very unpleasant feelings of self-doubt and
disappointment.

The result is a piano life made all the better by having started out with the
most productive mind-set possible: detachment from the ego, freedom of the
conscious mind and unimpeded flow from the inspirational source.

Before beginning to apply the teachings contained herein and allowing it to

guide along the path of Water Pianism, one would do well to prepare mentally and
physically for what is to come.

By mental preparation, it is meant that one unlearns what is thought to be

known and understood, recognising that any preconceived ideas about playing the
piano, especially about what is considered ‘beginner’ level and ‘advanced’ level, are
an illusion.

It may be said that in order to enjoy some fresh water, the glass must first be
emptied of its former contents.
 By physical preparation, it is meant that one gets the body into the habit of
sitting in a comfortable posture at all times, both at and away from the piano.

Strengthening of the upper-arms, forearms and regular flexing of the finger

tendons is also foundational to the philosophy.

It is invaluable to consider the natural behaviour of water. It is only in

recognising the inherent traits of water and applying them to the Self that one may
progress at a most natural speed; a sense of falling behind or not being as quick as
another is in this way suppressed and a sense of contentment in the present moment,
along with acceptance of current abilities, is experienced at all times.

Pianism embodies the self and is an extension of it; You play what You think
about. As thoughts change, so too does playing; as experiences are gained, so too
does playing change.

Consider the following:

How disappointing would it be for the writer to run out of pens, the sculptor to
lose the chisel or the artist to damage the last brush?

One may assume then that the primary tool of such creators has been removed;
that since they lack what is required for self-expression, that very same passion which
is desperately trying to be freed has also been lost.

Yet, even without a complete set of pens, the sharpest chisel or the finest
brush, in mind, the true writer always has a story to tell, the true sculptor a scene to
carve and the true artist a landscape to paint.

The piano itself is also of little importance, merely the final link of the chain
towards which wisdom and inspiration head having entered the mind, unperturbed by
the Ego, and are channelled through a well-trained body.

Whether or not they are released for the benefit of others does not alter their
initial existence, eternal power or inherent value to the Self.
 Thus, it can be said that what ends as music on the piano originates from a
place beyond even the conscious mind itself, whether or not it traverses the body and
whether or not it is sounded out via the piano.

What sense does it make, then, to focus only on the Piano component if,
despite a well-trained body and clear mind, one’s inspiration and wisdom are all to be
neglected, despite having an equal need of mastery?

The Water Pianist sees the bigger picture, recognises the importance of each
component, spends a lot of time, takes great care and shows much interest in
understanding the smaller elements which make up each so as to become as balanced
as possible both at and away from the piano.
 A person of great virtue is like the flowing water. Water benefits all things and
contends not with them. It puts itself in a place that no one wishes to be and thus is
closest to the Way.

A virtuous person is like water which adapts itself to the environment. The mind is like
the deep water that is calm and peaceful, the heart is kind like water which benefits
all and words are as sincere as the constant flowing of water.
Leading is natural and without desire, just like the softness of water which penetrates
hard rocks. Work is of talent like free-flowing of water. Movement is of right timing
like water that flows smoothly.
A virtuous person never forces his way and hence will never make faults.

Lao Tzu
 Introduction
Water Pianism is not a piano method; these dictate rules and demand a kind of
study which more often than not goes against the natural way of learning which seems
to be so often neglected.

Put another way, piano methods feed the desire of needing to feel that progress
is being made when what they really do is mould the learner into the teacher’s or
author’s particular approach which may vary drastically from the natural Way of the
learner.

To say ‘this’ method is the best, or ‘that’ method is the quickest is simply
marketing blurb and is of no particular benefit to the buyer since every individual has
a different natural ability and hand form as well as their own purposes, desires,
experiences and intentions; all things which cannot be put into one sole method.

In addition, regular piano methods traditionally focus on the fingers and sight-
reading. This is a huge disadvantage since the learner is indirectly drifted away from
the hugely significant need of giving consideration to the mind, the place where it all
begins, let alone to personal musical preferences and an ever-strengthening body.
This is the most common reason for a newcomer to give up after a few months.

The Water Pianist does not study, apply, seek or eventually teach any existing
or particular method. They have achieved the mindset of removing restrictive labels
and recognised that exactly what is required to ‘be a pianist’ already exists within
from the moment they first sat at a piano and pressed their first key to their first live
performance of a Chopin Nocturne, Liszt étude, Beethoven Sonata or solo Jazz
improvisation.

This more natural way of looking at pianism stems first and foremost from the
entirely fulfilling activity of combining the observation, recognition, acknowledgment
and then application of the inherent nature of Water.

Water, just like all observable nature, teaches so much about how to live, let
alone simply how to play the piano. It has been, until now, an untapped source of
teaching which can guide the ready individual along the most natural path possible to
achieve anything that may be desired.

As has been mentioned, one already possesses physically and mentally what is
required to play the piano. Furthermore, once the futile human need to apply
comparative labels to everything has been entirely removed, the only thing left to do
is apply the teachings acquired from water and then one may start to consider
themselves truly on the path to Water Pianism.

The Water Pianist understands that what is required to achieve that which is
desired already exists within and is not something ‘attained’ through practice; rather,
it is revealed to the Self at random moments of conscious awareness.

This more natural way of thinking, or better yet, non-thinking, is part of the
removal of ego labelling because instead of having a sense of uphill struggle and
progress, one is simply travelling without obstacle and destination and just enjoying
every moment, just like water.

At no point does water stop to wonder where it is travelling, check how fast it
is flowing, consider what its environment looks like, have issue with how other water
has a nicer view whereas it is currently in darkness. Never does water compare itself
to what it interacts with, want to be elsewhere or worry about the size of the pebbles
and rocks over and around which it will surely flow without hesitation.

Not once does water use force yet still it exists in a constant state of motion.
Most interestingly of all, water is not conscious of a final destination. Indeed, what
would it do once it had arrived?

What freedom. What pleasure. What ease.

Such is the state of mind of the Water Pianist.

 The Mind Triangle
In order to fully understand what it means to be a Water Pianist, one must
become acquainted with how the mind of one looks and functions.

A passive knowledge of psychology when discussing components of the mind

commonly includes terms such as the conscious mind, the subconscious and the ego.

Typically, it is understood that the conscious mind is from where we make

decisions and experience inner dialogue, the subconscious mind is what dictates how
we behave without conscious involvement or awareness and the ego is our desires,
wants and needs, all usually demanded but never truly satisfied.

These things may be so; indeed, further models of the human mind are
constantly being proposed in the scientific community but such discussion goes
beyond the realms of this text.

For the creative and balanced Water Pianist, however, the structure of the mind
is imagined in a very particular way.

In addition to the presence

and function of the Conscious Mind and Ego and how they are interpreted, there is
also the Inspirational Source.

 At the top of the triangle, the Conscious Mind reigns free. It is able to
recognise negative input from the Ego and positive input from the Inspirational
Source whilst remaining absolutely unaffected by both; it merely observes.

The Water Pianist may also refer to the Conscious Mind as the ‘natural Self’;
terms used throughout this text interchangeably.

One is advised to acknowledge the function of each component and then learn
how to master them absolutely. In this way, time spent at and away from the piano,
whether thinking about music-related ideas or not, is used as beneficially as possible
and gifts the individual only positive effects.

The Ego

Function

To the Water Pianist, this component is what limits natural progress. It is the
greatest obstacle to performing naturally and being confident; it runs under its own
power and is indestructible, doing anything with its vast, influential resources to
outwit or limit the presence of the other two components.

As a purposefully released toxic gas drifting silently under doors, through

cracks in walls and gaps in slightly open windows to claim its victim, the Ego will
permeate the natural Self and Inspirational Source with such a poison that they may
barely function at all.

More worryingly is that the Ego is fully aware of the true potential of the other
components and knows very well how to diminish their natural effectiveness.

These are not random attacks; they are carefully planned, fully informed,
targeted efforts designed to impede all progress that could be made so effortlessly by
the natural Self and to limit all creativity and wisdom fed by the Inspirational Source.

Mastery
 Despite the above, the Ego is relatively easy to bring under control. The first
step is to acknowledge it is the one making all the noise and causing all the problems
and to let it do so for a while, just under conscious observation.

By allowing the Ego to block the Inspirational Source and fill the natural Self
with negativity, impatience, frustration and all other such tricks it uses, one is then in
a position to consciously choose to ignore it, as if underwater in a totally transparent
cage: from the outside and inside, it looks as if no protective casing is present
whereas in reality, there is a very solid barrier separating the individual from the water
and any potential attacks, it is just not immediately obvious.

After a while, the natural Self will come to realise that it can indeed function
naturally, in peace and with great satisfaction just as it did so before the Ego began to
interfere because it is now experiencing how easy it is to shield itself with this
transparent-like barrier.

This is a very satisfying and enlightening moment on the path to Water

Pianism; that of acknowledging how one has the choice to ignore negativity from
within, freeing up much brain power for more beneficial activity and allowing the
Inspirational Source to flower more freely.

Once the Ego comes to realise that it is being blocked out, it will explode in a
fire of fury. This is the next step and is the most difficult for the Conscious Mind, as
if underwater and a shark believes it has freely available food but when its nose
strikes the transparent barrier, it increases its intensity to get at the food, doing what it
can to break through with great force and determination.

The individual inside, however, must trust in this barrier rather than call to be
lifted from the water for safety. In this way, the shark can be said to have won. This
is not acceptable. Trust and patience is required by the Conscious Mind because,
eventually, the Ego will be held at bay and lose the battle. It will not disappear, but it
will think twice before attacking again, with any future attacks a lot less violent.

The Inspirational Source

 Function

To the Water Pianist, this component is understood to work in only one

direction: it feeds the Conscious Mind with wisdom, truths and creativity but this
depends on three conditions: a still mind, a subdued Ego and conscious
acknowledgement of its existence.

From where the inspiration comes is unknown and any attempt at trying to
comprehend its power is time better spent on calming the Conscious Mind.

The Inspirational Source is constantly active and may surprise at the most
unpredictable of times.

A visual or audible cue may trigger an idea so pure and beyond any conscious
involvement that it is beyond comprehension; do not be disturbed by this. Grab it
consciously and write it down or record it.

The ideas, notions, concepts and suggestions provided are always positive.
Unlike the Ego which was like a toxic gas permeating the mind, the Inspirational
Source is like a fresh breeze of spring air wanting to be inhaled and enjoyed for it
wishes no harm.

The most remarkable thing is that it remains in tune with the natural Self all
throughout life as one matures, gains experiences and changes due to new realisations,
discoveries, environments and happenings.

Regrettably, many individuals are unfamiliar with this magnificent component,

first and foremost because the Ego is hiding it away and any glimpse of its great,
limitless power is immediately removed through tricks such as self-doubt and
mundane excuses.

The Inspirational Source, when the Ego is under control, will feed into the
Conscious Mind many beneficial, wise, useful and creative ideas, usually at the most
unexpected of times but also if requested by a calm, silent mind; it just needs to be
acknowledged.
 Mastery

Once the Ego has retreated and diminished in power and influence, the natural
Self is then able to observe and receive from the Inspirational Source in a way that
was always available but previously clouded out and allow it to reveal its unlimited
power and potential.

One does not master the Inspirational Source in the same way as the other two
components because it requires absolute freedom rather than absolute control. It is
always good and must be trusted at all times.

One, therefore, would do well to think in terms of detachment; it is most

unnecessary to expect or demand of it. This is where the mastery must lie.

As when water is clasped by force in the hands, it escapes through tiny spaces
between the fingers. Water may only be held with still, open hands. Grasping or
forcing is sure to result in all but positive outcomes.

The Conscious Mind

Function

To the Water Pianist, this component observes the other two from a distance,
makes conscious decisions, is represented by the “I” and “You” in speech and, when
still, knows all truths minus any Ego or external influence.

The more still water is, the clearer it reveals its depths. Such is the natural
Self. By being still, one comes to recognise what truly is; what is of the Ego, what is
of the Inspirational Source and what is inherent to the Self.

This ability to distinguish negative from positive, as well as recognising what

truly is, is a unique trait of the Water Pianist.

Thanks to this perfectly balanced and controlled mind, one is able to select
suitable repertoire, compose with ease, improvise without conscious interference and
deliver an honest execution of performance at all times.
 Mastery

By visualising the Mind Triangle in silence and without distraction, one will,
over time, discover how easy it is to differentiate Ego noise from the wisdom of the
Inspirational Source.

The natural Self knows very well that it is wrong to self-doubt, compare with
others and be impatient yet it is usually silenced by the powerful Ego.

The natural Self also knows that what comes from the Inspirational Source is
good, true and beneficial yet it too is silenced by the interfering Ego.

At every moment, the natural Self has the choice to either listen to the
negative Ego or wait patiently for wisdom, insight and truth from the positive
Inspirational Source. This will remain an actively conscious decision until the natural
Self acquires the beneficial habit of rejecting the Ego and enjoying wisdom, insight
and truth at all times without hesitation.

Daily practice will guarantee absolute mastery of the Conscious Mind over the
Ego and help to develop appreciation of the Inspirational Source.

As the seasons, do not rush, yet always arrive on time.

 The 3-Fold Path to Water Pianism
An absolute understanding and continual study of the behaviour of Water, the
Mind and the Body is paramount to the Water Pianist.

It is by adhering to these that one may become the most naturally proficient of
pianists. Any deviation from them is detrimental to natural progress.

Now would be a useful time to reiterate that Water Pianism is indeed not a
method but a state of mind.

Alas:

By not studying Water, one may never come to truly realise the natural
abilities of the Self;

By not studying the Mind, one may allow the Ego to remain in control and
limit progress;

By not studying the Body, one may experience physical limitations in

execution.

Water

Although upon first consideration it may seem quite bizarre, observing water
comes with more benefits than one may otherwise have imagined.

The most important of its teachings is to realise that it does not have a final
destination; it is not travelling anywhere, it is simply enjoying its journey. It may
encounter obstacles in a river, crash as a waterfall, rest still in a lake or form as a
cloud, but its journey never ends and it is content with where it is. Such is the mind
of the Water Pianist.

By not having a final destination, it is to be understood that pianism is not

about being a beginner, moving through a graded system and becoming better and
better until a peak is reached.
 Instead, one enjoys each moment as an opportunity of self-discovery and
revelation; to enjoy the environment as it passes and not to get too frustrated by or
excited about what currently is so because it is surely soon to pass.

So it becomes that observing the behaviour of water away from the piano
encourages a state of mind and level of comprehension not possible at the piano and is
the first of the three paths to the way of Water Pianism.

Mind

Knowing that one wants to play the piano is an excellent realisation. Trying to
explain why this is so may be a little more difficult since using words, themselves of
limited descriptive power, to express feelings and sentiments is more often than not a
futile venture.

One would do well to spend time on musical styles which are naturally
enjoyed or which carry a personal meaning. If one’s piano journey begins with
misaligned musical preferences and ignored purposes, all but positive outcomes will
surely arise.

If Beethoven Sonatas are desired, begin with Beethoven Sonatas; if Chopin

Waltzes are desired, begin with Chopin Waltzes; if Scott Joplin ragtime pieces are
desired, begin with Scott Joplin ragtime pieces; if modern pop songs are desired,
begin with modern pop songs.

It may seem quite obvious, yet many a pianist gets caught up in unnecessary
efforts which detract from the primary purpose of playing the piano in the first place.

The Water Pianist enjoys silent time looking deep within in order to still the
chaos that is so ever present. With a still mind, physical and mental activity, such as
muscle strengthening or chord progression memorisation, becomes much easier and
more enjoyable.

So it becomes that recognising and establishing what is naturally enjoyed in

terms of stylistic elements, rather than playing uninteresting pieces or dedicating time
to inappropriate exercises, and taking time away from the piano to still the mind is the
second of the three paths to the way of Water Pianism.

Body

Rather than focusing on finger exercises, repertoire expansion and dexterity

enhancement at the piano, the Water Pianist employs greater time away from the
piano performing far more valuable mental and physical activities, the fruits of which
becoming extremely evident when at the piano.

Finger independence, tendon flexibility and arm muscle-building exercises can

take place almost anywhere using the physical and mental exercises discussed herein.
Repertoire expansion can equally be achieved sitting at a table or lying in bed, all by
using the so-called ‘internal piano’, also discussed herein.

When one spends time at the piano, time is often badly managed and efforts to
focus on that which is required are frequently less than acceptable.

One tends to satisfy one’s ego by playing what can easily be played and
avoiding that which is more difficult or necessary to development.

Much discipline is therefore required for the regular pianist to make any kind
of progress at the piano, considering that none takes place in such a pianist’s mind
when away from the piano.

So it becomes that spending both mental and physical time away from the
piano provides more valuable progress not possible at the piano and is the third and
final of the three paths to the way of Water Pianism.
 Study 1 – Water as Teacher
Water can teach a lot about how to live a stress-free life, primarily through the
concept of removing labels and disregarding the incorrect belief that everything we do
is upward in progress (this implying struggle), resulting in a learning experience rife
with difficulties and the terribly dangerous idea that an ‘end’ to it all exists once a
summit is achieved.

By applying such teachings, the Water Pianist: does not travel from a basic
technique to a more advanced technique as if progressing to somewhere, since that
somewhere does not exist; does not consider one piece more complicated than another
since all pieces require the movement of fingers and the application of the Self just as
much as to this piece as that piece; most certainly understands that theory is simply
words about words and that it has no direct impact on actual playing ability.

Indeed, one could study all there is to know about flying an aircraft, all its
workings and scientific principles, yet have no idea how to actually maintain a fixed
airspeed during the take-off phase with the wings perfectly level so as not to enter a
departure stall and inevitably crash.

The same can be said for riding a horse, driving a car or creating a work of
art. One may understand the words written about the skill such as how to prepare the
saddle and connect the reigns, how to change gears and approach corners at high
speeds or how to mix colours and use different brushes for different effects on canvas,
but without any actual application, a horse cannot be ridden, a car cannot be driven
and a work of art cannot be created.

Naturally, the above provokes myriad questions regarding how to know what
to study, at which moment and in which way but it must be understood that such
questions are simply not necessary; they are instead demands of the ego and in reality
do not assist the newcomer in any way whatsoever.

The ‘need to know’ does not change the ‘inherent ability’; likewise, a theory
itself is only words (themselves merely the result of the movement of the tongue and
lips or symbols on a flat piece of paper) attempting to describe an indescribable
concept.

The philosophy of Water Pianism teaches that knowledge or ‘music theory’ is

not that which generates progress but rather an absolute awareness of and connection
with the Self which does so.

The Self, when free from the ego’s need to label and structure all points of
learning and to practise according to ‘tradition’ or the infamously generic ‘that which
is done’ approach, remains free from the illusory craving for knowledge in the hope of
improving technique.

Like water, the mind is in a constant state of motion. Water always follows
the path of least resistance and never tries to go faster or slower than is required or
permitted by its environment. It never questions unnecessarily and is at all moments
content with what is happening to it. Of course, by this, it is to be understood that
water is ‘being done to’ by its environment and is indeed not ‘doing’ anything.

To the Water Pianist, this is interpreted as “Do that which is necessary, when
necessary, for as long as necessary” and then move on to that which naturally follows,
and repeat. No label of difficulty or ease is attributed to whatever ‘that’ may be and
no complaint is made as to its perceived difficulty, effort or time to complete.

Has water ever complained over the height of a waterfall, the length of a
mountain stream or the height of a cloud? Never shall it.

In addition, no comparison is made to the progress of other Water Pianists

since their environment is surely completely different at all times just as much as no
comparison is made with other areas of focus since all are as equal as one another.

Thus, comparison is futile, meaningless and unproductive.

Just as water changes shape and form without force to adapt to its
surroundings, so too does the Water Pianist focus on that which needs to be achieved
at that moment, without fear of failure or difficulty.

A noteworthy obsession in traditional pianism is the need to structure

knowledge. Since every individual finds certain concepts and skills easier and more
difficult to grasp than others, does it not seem strange to the reader that any kind of
fixed, structured learning, especially in the creative arts, be deemed useful or
beneficial based on such individual irregularities?

For example, in traditional piano studies, the idea of key signatures is thus:
less common, more difficult; more common, less difficult. It cannot go unmentioned
that Chopin started his piano students in the ‘uncommon, thus difficult’ key of B
major, since the shape of this major scale does indeed fit nicely and naturally under
any hand.

Somehow, B major is considered an ‘intermediate key’ in most course books

and exam syllabi so when encountered, the regular pianist is sure to experience a
certain degree of psychological discomfort, concern or at least a false sense of
progress due to this unjust and markedly incorrect belief that the key is labelled as
approaching the ‘advanced’ realms of pianism whereas, in fact, it is absolutely no
more or less difficult, important or noteworthy than any of the other eleven available
keys.

The Water Pianist is acutely aware of the vast separation between that which
the ego seeks and that which has already been inherently possible all along. It is by
flowing as water, without a destination, that all areas of pianism may truly be
recognised as equal because the concept of step-by-step progress towards a final
destination has been removed from the mind.

Seeing pianism in this way opens the newcomer up to a whole new world of
playing the piano without presumptions of difficulties, prerequisites or self-doubt and
without the traditional false sense of something being ‘too advanced’ or ‘out of reach’.

If the sound of a particular piece of music charms sufficiently, it may be

approached with absolute confidence and without ridicule since all that is required is
the pressing of a combination of twelve notes with any of the ten available fingers.
 Study 2 – Mind as Observer
Being artistically creative does not come with a rule book and the acquisition
of knowledge does not influence the inherent or naturally acquired abilities of the
creator.

Moreover, excessive study may prove detrimental to the performer due to time
being spent on matters away from mental and physical execution.

Recognising this, the Water Pianist acquires appropriate knowledge only when
deemed personally necessary or through the recommendation of a voice of greater
experience wishing to impart valuable advice, with the acquisition of knowledge for
the enhancement of technique considered indescribably futile.

By ‘rule book’, it is to be understood that the Creative Arts are avenues of

freedom of self-expression and that, since every individual has a different story,
purpose, experience and inherent skill set, no one fixed method is available for all to
employ.

Fields such as heart surgery, engineering and architecture, however, are

examples of a rule-book approach whereby exact protocols must be followed for the
safe and correct functioning of a body part, machine or structure, even if some degree
of freedom is still possible or necessary.

By ‘acquisition of knowledge’, it is to be understood that no amount of theory

will alter the inherent ability, personal experiences or intentions of the performer, thus
quality of output shall always remain a personal affair.

This is not to say that knowledge is not useful or beneficial; rather, the Water
Pianist is simply able to differentiate between acquired knowledge for purposes of
discussion, analysis and teaching and inherent ability which simply exists without
knowledge or the need to be discussed, analysed or justified.

A demonstrable example of the aforementioned is pitch-perfectionism; one

may be able to identify all twelve major scales by ear alone yet remain blissfully
unaware of key names, even unsure of the title for what is produced so effortlessly,
‘Major Scale’, despite an inherent ability to find and play them with remarkable ease.

With this in mind, one may wonder how it becomes at all possible to play the
piano if knowledge is not directly related to inherent ability.

A significant part of the answer to this question is found in the fact that the
Water Pianist is fully aware of what is known as a Musical Personality.

Not so different to one’s own personality in the traditional sense of the word,
this refers specifically to natural likes and dislikes regarding all facets of music, from
performance styles and rhythms to chord types and melodies.

It is not uncommon for a new pianist to dive into finger technique and
repertoire-building without giving a second thought to the particulars of their musical
personalities which may result in, amongst other disappointing factors: an
unsatisfying repertoire, a lack of pianistic direction, an incomplete understanding of
or interest in what is currently being studied, a lack of confidence to attempt what is
truly enjoyed and therefore an unintentionally falsified musical output.

One would do well to spend a while deemed appropriate to listen to as many

different styles of music as possible, even those never previously considered. It can
be an enlightening experience to expose oneself to instruments, rhythms, scales, chord
types and melodies never experienced before.

As part of this self-discovery, it may prove quite satisfying to listen to many

Classical-Romantic era pieces as performed by a variety of pianists, for example.

Identify traits which satisfy or displease, amaze or leave cold. This is part of
discovering one’s musical personality.

The Water Pianist has an acute awareness of what is enjoyed and disliked so is
able to focus both practice and performance efforts on that which is enjoyed naturally
rather than that which is disliked and is sure to cause regular discontent.
 Should a pianist have a wish to perform existing music, compose their own or
enter the world of improvisation, awareness of one’s musical personality will make
for a much more enjoyable path of natural excellence and result in a more honest
execution.

It is common knowledge that a pianist needs a piano in much the same way a
fisherman requires a water source, but the difference is that the latter cannot improve
his technique without a water source whereas the pianist indeed can improve without
the need for a piano.

The Water Pianist uses time both at and away from the piano for
enhancements in precision, repertoire, reinforcement, velocity and dexterity and is
fully aware of a very significant teaching of Water Pianism philosophy:

The fingers are able to do what the mind can imagine them doing and the
fingers are unable to do what the mind cannot imagine them doing.

For the Water Pianist:

To enhance precision away from the piano, one may spend time with the hands
out in front, each finger alternating with every other whilst the mind places the
internal piano underneath.

Distances between notes become second-nature after a while at a physical

piano so, for example, the alternating of each thumb and its associated four fingers in
turn would prove very beneficial for the reinforcement of intervals, for example.

To enhance repertoire away from the piano, one could carry a score around
and visualise the notes, observing what the hands are doing mentally as if a spectator
to the whole process. If dealing with a jazz piece, chord sequences usually follow
regular patterns which are not difficult to internalise so are easy to go over away from
the piano.

To reinforce away from the piano, one is to simply understand that currently
tricky parts of a piece are best resolved by spending time away from the piano and
engaging in repetitive activity of the difficulty in the mind.

Only once the mind is able to visualise the hands playing what is required is a
return to the physical piano recommended.

It must also be understood that exactly the same part of the brain which deals
with the problem would have been involved when at the piano physically anyway,
albeit without physical muscle movement.

This time away from the piano is less frustrating to the pianist and more
calming, providing a better mental environment for the difficulty to be dealt with.

To enhance velocity away from the piano, one may visualise a pattern on the
internal piano (this could be a major scale, an arpeggio, a round of repeated notes,
etc.) and see both hands achieving this scale first slowly and then progressively faster.

Indeed, one may also engage in some physical hand exercises which do not
require the piano at all such as finger alternations, tendon flexing, opening and closing
the hands in a fan-like fashion so that the little fingers bend first, ending with the
thumbs closing in around the fist. This can be done in the opposite direction too,
ending with the little finger.

One does not require a piano as much as is traditionally believed to become as

excellent a pianist as desired. This is not to say a piano is never needed; quite the
opposite. Rather, one must not consider time away from a piano as ‘non-piano time’
and that progress may only be made at the piano.

This all falls under what may be referred to as a constant development of the
internal piano; one the Water Pianist plays almost every waking hour so that, when at
a physical piano, nothing has been wasted since the last time at it. Time has simply
been spent mentally rather than physically.

Whilst this may seem absurd, the scientific study of motor imagery is a very
active area of brain research and has many uses for athlete training and injury victims
requiring rehabilitation.
 Without going beyond the scope of this guide, motor imagery refers to how
the brain uses exactly the same areas for both activity visualisation and physical
activity itself, the only difference being that the muscles are not commanded to move.

This ever-growing bank of research continues to demonstrate how those who

merely visualise a task are able to have almost the same accuracy-in-execution during
physical testing as those who physically practised for the same task and then partook
in the same physical test, both performing much better than those who did not
visualise or physically practise at all and then did the same test.

Therefore, constant, focused use of the internal piano provides results not far
behind those of sitting at a piano itself but since this is not possible for most during a
regular day, time on the internal piano is remarkably effective at producing not such
dissimilar results as if one had indeed been at a physical piano all day.

It is not uncommon for the Water Pianist to consider the piano as ‘invisible’;
after all, a piano merely allows for the audible representation of that which is first
experienced, felt or desired inside.

As an almost empty box of strings and hammers, it is quite worthless without

the soul of an honest, Purposeful performer.

One may then question whether a writer would still be a writer without a pen
or a painter still be a painter without a canvas, yet the same philosophy applies: the
pen is just as inanimate as the canvas is just as inanimate as the piano until an inspired
mind and honest heart employ them as part of a need for self-expression.

The Water Pianist understands that the piano, just as the pen and brush to the
writer and painter, is merely a tool rather than that which actually sparks inspiration in
an already passionate mind.

After all, neither the most excellent quality canvas nor the most beautiful
penmanship is able to do justice to an artist with no landscape in his mind or a writer
with no story to share.
 Study 3 - From Chaos to Balance
The absolute newcomer to pianism is confronted with large amounts of
sometimes conflicting information and quite understandably feels overwhelmed.

The enormous amount of method books available, theory to acquire,

composers’ music to study, repertoire to perform and technical skills to develop can
be like floating aimlessly on an ocean, unsure of where to go, not knowing how long
it will take to get to the unknown place and what tools are available to assist en route.

No matter what is advised, if it does not go hand-in-hand with the natural Self
or the musical personality, it will not be beneficial; it may even prove detrimental
enough to give up entirely.

One would do well in seeing the value in acquiring balance through and chaos,
both components being necessary for the identification and appreciation of the other.

There are three steps to better understand this notion:

1. Recognise that, even though chaos is seen as negative and not

beneficial at all, it is an inseparable component which has as much
positive benefit as does balance;

2. Accept that, even though the ego wants everything to be acquired

easily and take as little time as possible to master, much can be learnt
about the self, both in mind and body, during periods of chaos;

3. Remember that, even though it may be a difficult fact to accept, chaos

in pianism is inescapable so the sooner this fact is accepted, the better.

Not only are chaos and balance equal in value and benefit, they also bring with
them an equal amount of danger if experienced in excess; too much chaos only causes
harm and too much balance brings about complacency.

To better understand what is meant by chaos, consider the following two

examples:

A piano has 88 notes. Each note can be played very softly or with great force.
In music theory, this is called note dynamics and are indicated on a score using the
Italian terms piano (p or ‘soft’) and forte (f or ‘loud’).

Then, one may play ‘moderately loud’ or ‘moderately soft’, notating this with
a mezzo ‘m’, as in mp or mf. Indeed, if one wishes to play ‘very loud’ or ‘very soft’,
simply double the letters, as in pp or ff respectively.

It takes quite a bit of time to develop touch sensitivity in each finger,

especially until it becomes natural and is not under any scrutiny from the interfering
conscious mind.

As can now be seen, one of the most valuable facets of pianism is, at its core,
complete chaos and it is within that chaos that one must find pleasure in acquiring
balance.

A second example of chaos is that of chord types. Given that there are twelve
keys providing twelve major scales which themselves provide notes to build chords,
every chord template can be applied in twelve different places. In music theory,
chords are either major or minor, followed by the assortment of ‘add-ons’ available to
create all the possible chords.

Major scales are built on whole-steps (or whole-tones) and half-steps (or semi-
tones). The template for the major scales is written WWH WWWH. Once acquired,
one may apply the numbers 1-7. It is from these seven notes that chords are
identified.

By knowing the twelve major scales perfectly, one is then able to simply learn
the template for such and such chord type and then apply that to any of the twelve
keys.

As can now be seen, from the chaos of random notes, one is able to step-by-
step acquire some balance by picking out the major scales and then even more balance
by being able to identify myriad chord types.

What has been described above is simply an introduction to the idea of

seeking balance from the enjoyment of the chaos rather than having fear of or being
frustrated with it. Of course, once those important building blocks have been
acquired, it is difficult to refer to them as chaos anymore; at least, not in the same
way.

That said, there are many more persistent situations which shall arise and are
chaotic to even the most experienced of Water Pianists yet they are enjoyed and
appreciated all the same as balance is gradually acquired.

Some such examples are: unusual time signatures, completely unfamiliar

repertoire, improvisation and pedalling.

By chaos in unusual time signatures, one must know what an unusual time
signature is not.

Put simply, when there are four beats to the bar (1, 2, 3, 4 | 1, 2, 3, 4, …),
almost no effort is required to play in time since almost every song ever written in
every style has been in this time signature; one seemingly acquires it by birth right.

Another popular time signature is when there are three beats to bar, commonly
known as the Waltz (1, 2, 3 | 1, 2, 3…).

Unusual includes those with five, seven, nine or thirteen or something even
higher which requires significant brain power (in the beginning) to feel without much
thought. Put another way, it causes chaos in the mind of the pianist.

Finding balance in unusual keys comes from breaking them down into familiar
bite-sized chunks; nine beats to the bar would therefore be easy to digest by feeling
the common Waltz three times until starting the count again. Thirteen could be felt by
following three counts of the standard four beats to the bar and then nodding the head
on the one final beat, the thirteenth.

Before long, with mental practice away from the piano to reduce conscious
interference, as well as with quite a lot of listening, one is able to comfortably take on
unusual time signatures. The problem is usually that one is advised or believes it
more beneficial to keep practising at the piano but this is quite futile.

In this way, it can be said that the chaos provides the perfect platform on
which to acquire a superior sense of time signatures and eventually rhythm which will
prove extraordinarily important as new repertoire and musical opportunities present
themselves.

By chaos in unfamiliar repertoire, it should be recognised that before taking it

on, one must take note of the primary key and any key changes involved, the time
signature, the tempo, the score markings for dynamics and other directions, the
structure and the demands of the piece.

One would do well to spend as much time as possible listening to as many

different versions of the piece as possible, both with and without the score in hand (at
least if sight-reading is necessary, as is not always the case with jazz pieces since only
the chords are given on what is called a ‘lead sheet’ rather than a complete score as
would be the case with a Romantic era piece, for example).

That is a lot of chaos to deal with so once the piece has first been internalised,
be sure to be absolutely comfortable in the key(s) included in the piece. The Water
Pianist has mastered all twelve keys before even acquiring repertoire, so this should
not present any significant challenge.

It is not uncommon for every individual to know many songs by heart; the
whole song can play through from beginning to end in the mind with every little
instrumental moment known (not necessarily musically but as part of the music in
general), all the lyrics, every inflection of the voice, every note of the piano or guitar
solo, every beat of the drum and even the correct tempo.

Whether by ear or if able to sight-read, identify noteworthy areas of concern

first; big leaps, rapid note demands, crossed hands, etc. and spend time with those
first. Working on such musical moments first cannot possibly hamper any efforts to
learn the piece since the piece has already been absolutely internalised before being
dissected.

In this way, it can be seen that balance is easy to obtain within the chaos of the
piece and all its little intricacies. What’s more, the skills acquired from such an
enjoyable exercise can be applied to other areas of pianism and make any future new
repertoire acquisition efforts even easier.

By chaos in improvisation, it must be understood that improvisation is chaos

in action; it could even be said that there are no rules in improvisation at all.

Due to the enormous array of styles, scales, chords and tempos, not to mention
the size of the repertoire, improvisation is one of the most challenging facets to
pianism but not for the reason one may expect.

Many believe that it’s very difficult to improvise; that knowing what to play
and when, in the right way, takes years to master and is quite out of reach for the
majority or mankind.

This is a regrettable fallacy. Improvisation is merely an opportunity for the

Inspirational Self to show itself and starting with a key-less chaos is quite possibly the
most excellent way to start.

Of course, with all twelve major scales mastered both at and away from the
piano, improvisation is a little easier since one is aware of so-called guide posts,
making it easier to stay ‘within the box’ and if desired, to play ‘out the box’ on
purpose, knowing that what is being played is indeed not in the key of the piece or
current chord and sounds ‘wrong’ on purpose.

That said, one would do well to forget major scales just for a moment and
simply observe the 12-note block from C to B. This is the first balance found within
the chaos: 88 keys divided up nicely into blocks of twelve manageable notes.

Now, play any seven note combination without thinking of major scales and
acknowledge what effect they have on the natural Self. Try playing them in different
ways, modifying the duration of each note, leaving pauses between them and even
playing some of them in pairs. What is experienced?

Results may vary, but such an exercise begins to silence the ego’s incorrect
belief that improvising is only in the hands of great pianists who have been playing
for decades and started from the age of 2. This is not true at all.

Repeating this exercise with any know chords in any keys as if like a baby on
the floor with paint all over its face and hands and walls and, unlike the baby is able
to do, look inwards to see how the notes provoke different emotions.

Although this is a very brief introduction to improvisation, a subject itself

beyond the scope of this guide, one may surely see how the chaos can be slowly
brought under control as an extra control is applied: the 12-note block, a random
selection of seven notes, a few known chords played over and over as the seven
random notes are thrown about ‘on top’ of those chords. Little by little, and after
some specific studies, a unique balance is quickly obtained.

By chaos in pedalling, it must be known that when to use the sustain pedal (the
right-most one if two or more pedals are present) is one of the most difficult facets of
pianism.

It causes problems for newcomers and even experienced pianists, just in

different ways.

The former often applies it at the wrong moment and breaks the rhythm, or not
at all, making the music sound quite empty; the latter uses it too often to hide poor
technique (by allowing many notes to mash together on purpose), or because it is not
truly known when to press it in a particular piece. It is then employed mindlessly,
producing an unpleasant, muddy quality.

As can be seen, the pedal is a great source of chaos to the pianist.

Pedal enhancement and precision may be practised during time spent with the
major scales and chord types or with a piece; the former helping in general and the
latter of course helping with the piece itself.

One would do well to start by keeping the pedal pressed as major scales are
played at a comfortable tempo (two notes per second, for example) and lifting it
briefly and then pressing it again when the sound is considered too distorted.

After a few rounds of this, it will become obvious how many notes can be
played before that distortion occurs; this also changes depending on whether one
plays in the upper register (notes to the right of centre) or lower register (notes to the
left of centre).

Next, use the pedal as a metronome. When playing pieces with a relatively
steady pace, the pedal is a very useful way to help keep time as well as providing that
nice gentle sustain.

Tapping the foot is quite a common thing to do even for unmusically trained
listeners so pressing the peddle as if tapping in time will provide acceptable results in
almost anything played; this is, of course, a starting point. One may tap on every first
beat or every other beat, the choice depends on the tempo, how many notes are being
played and which register is more predominant.

So as can be seen, what may initially be thought of as chaos and something

difficult or impossible to do is in fact a perfect environment in which to acquire
balance.

As in nature, splashed water stills and swayed trees settle; so too does the
Water Pianist understand that from chaos is the only way to master seemingly difficult
facets of pianism and find a way to bring it all into balance.
 Study 4 – Mental Excellence
Nothing in this world is achieved best by force, meaning everything has a
natural way to achieve and be achieved, including the Self.

Be sure this is just as true for the nature we observe with our eyes as it is for
the nature of ourselves within, itself too often falsely considered superior to or even
separate from the nature we observe.

To the Water Pianist, that which can be observed in nature by the eyes is
driven by exactly the same indescribable force which powers the mind to contemplate
such a thought.

It is said that nature gets everything done on time yet never rushes; such is the
way of the Water Pianist.

Strengthening the ever-existing yet much neglected connection between the

mind and the fingers is of utmost importance because it is understood that the mind is
the beginning and the fingers are the result of that which has been thought. Reversal
of this natural channel produces slower or no results at all.

Note that the natural state of water is stillness and it is in this state that one
may see deeper into it. So too is one able to find answers to questions and solutions
to problems within the calmer mind.

Regularly being in a state of relaxation is of great value and assistance to the

Water Pianist because what is played and studied is always a reflection of what is
inside; purity of mind equals purity of execution.

If the pianist is frustrated or distracted for any one of 10,000 reasons, playing
is negatively affected.

The five most common reasons of frustration are: impatience, force,

comparison, expectation and doubt.
 By impatience, it is to be understood that immediate results are impossible and
that rushing is not a property of water. Thus, rejecting the concept of time, which
itself implies a beginning and an end, is a special quality of the Water Pianist.

That which is studied will surely be mastered when the moment of mastery
reveals itself. It is therefore unnecessary to be impatient.

By force, it is to be understood that the excessive repetition of a particular part

of the music or scale or the physical abuse of the hands or fingers coming from a
strong desire for absolutely perfect execution are entirely detrimental to progress and
may even cause irreparable damage. It is therefore unnecessary, even dangerous, to
use force.

A significant trait of water is that it shapes landscapes only through steady

persistence. The Water Pianist never exerts energy in a futile attempt to unnaturally
achieve that which is not yet naturally possible.

By comparison, it is to be understood that no two pianists are alike and that

when one tries to replicate the abilities or style of another, personal identity is lost and
the art of music itself suffers from the loss of that individual’s artistic value. It is
therefore unnecessary to compare.

The Water Pianist understands that the use of adjectives is of no use since that
which is acceptable or suitable for one, is not acceptable or suitable for another, thus
rendering comparison futile.

By expectation, it is to be understood that what is currently possible is a direct

result of what has been practised at every moment until this very moment; everything
is perfectly as it should be and any thoughts of believing a greater You should exist
now are unfounded. It is therefore unnecessary to expect.

The Water Pianist understands this logic and never sets up expectations,
understanding that they are obstacles which impede natural progress and cause
nothing but disappointment when not achieved or overcome.
 One is always a product of previous thoughts and actions and this must be
accepted in every present moment.

By doubt, it is to be understood that whatever one wishes to be able to do with

inherent and acquired piano skills is most certainly possible, realistic and achievable.
The negative mind-set of doubt is a poison to any individual in pursuit of any form of
artistic expression which is why no doubtful thoughts are permitted to enter the mind
of the Water Pianist.

The time given to doubting oneself is time better spent focusing on that which
is necessary at that moment. It is there unnecessary to be doubtful.

Mastery of the mind does not mean that it is controlled consciously; it means
that its natural functionality is recognised and acknowledged. This is a unique trait of
the Water Pianist and results in the fullest of freedoms and most enjoyable of piano
experiences.

In order to reach the state in which total recognition and acknowledgement of

the natural functionality of the mind becomes possible, and from within which one
may consider themselves a Water Pianist, a few mental exercises are recommended.

Although it may still be believed that considering oneself a pianist only

involves the hands and fingers, it must surely be understood that control of the fingers
originates from the brain? The brain itself either sends voluntary or involuntary
signals to the body; the former from the conscious mind, the latter from the
unconscious mind.

The conscious mind can focus on no more than three things at the best of
times, whereas the unconscious mind controls uncountable commands from breathing
and heart rate to balance and speech. Its content has been programmed either
consciously or unconsciously, yet both through repetition.

Considering ten fingers are more often than not available, it would seem more
beneficial to let the unconscious mind deal with playing the piano and have the
conscious mind remain a silent observer when playing.

First, understand that habits may be physical or mental.

Physical examples include: on which arm one naturally places a watch, which
shoe is put on first and the way the mind knows its way home from almost anywhere,
within reasonable distance, all without any conscious thought.

In fact, such automatic actions usually take place when one is preoccupied
with other activities such as speaking with others, thinking about things consciously
or watching the world go by in general.

Mental habits are the instantaneous reactions and choices to events in

sensation and feeling form; in other words, emotions. If an animal is seen being
killed for food, one may instantly feel disgust or remain unperturbed.

In terms of pianism, listening to a particular pianist will either astound or leave

the listener unimpressed.

Second, understand that both the aforementioned habit types are acquired
through either external (involuntary) or internal (voluntary) conditioning.

A lot of the former takes place when very young, when the brain is growing
and acquiring by mimicking that which is received through any of the five primary
senses; the eyes copying the actions of others or the ears listening to the attitudes and
opinions of those within earshot, as well as language and accent acquisition.

A lot of the latter takes place well after childhood as the teen years approach
and we want to train to be able to do something in some way through conscious
choice such as sporting activities or art.

No matter which, the repetition of external and internal conditioning is stored

in the unconscious mind for instant use when required, without initial conscious
involvement.

One must spend time sitting peacefully and silently without distractions of any
kind (until this becomes a habit and distractions can be ignored entirely) at the piano.

One such habit is comfortable positioning at the piano. In order to orientate

the body into the most natural position, sit roughly in the middle of the piano
keyboard and close the eyes.

Stretch out both arms so that the upper-most and lower-most keys are pressed
down. From this position, adjust as necessary to feel the true central position. This
may be identified by using a light swaying motion until balance is felt physically
between both arms; the seating position is then adjusted physically and movement
forward and aft may be incorporated for a final comfortable position.

Open both eyes and notice which note is pointing directly at the belly button.
From this point on, always sit in this position when at any piano. If a new piano of a
seemingly different size is being used, then no matter; sitting in the same position will
result in the mind, eyes, shoulders, arms, hands and fingers ‘feeling at home’ based on
this same central note pointing at the belly button at all times.

Now seated in the correct position with eyes closed, place the hands with
fingers straight atop the keys; be sure not to let the shoulders drop or droop.

Next, ensure that the wrists are at the very least the same level or preferably
slightly above the height of the fingers and the elbows are at the very least the same
level or preferably slightly above the height of the wrists.

Whilst it is to be understood that every ‘body’ is unique, this is usually the

most common position for every pianist but do not be distracted by what the Ego or a
book may label as ‘wrong’. If it is natural and comfortable, it is correct, yet may
change over time anyway.

Consider leaving space between the elbows and the mid-torso area due to
increased range and greater freedom of movement of the arms. If this initiation
activity requires sitting on a cushion or raising a chair mechanically, then so be it.

It is from this comfortable seating position that one must spend a few minutes
on repetitious breathing, patience and focus activities.

As mentioned, these conscious efforts generate mental habits which are then
stored in the unconscious mind to be used automatically without conscious thought
and are therefore of incomparable value to the Water Pianist; such habits must be
established very early on.

The first exercise towards mastery of the mind is that of breathing. In any
situation, breathing must be mastered. From swimming to being frustrated, running
long distances to falling asleep, if breathing is erratic, irregular or uncontrolled, the
task becomes quite difficult, even impossible.

Whilst breathing, the mind is prone to wander and think about 10,000 things
so instead of mindlessly breathing, the Water Pianist focuses on one thing: left and
right hand equality. Considering both hands as equal, the fallacy of hand separation is
eventually removed; an important teaching of Water Pianism as discussed herein.

To do this, place the hands on their same-side leg, fingers spread open without
force. Eyes closed. By continuously focusing on both hands at the same time whilst
breathing in a controlled manner, a sensation will occur during which one will slowly
become less aware of two separate hands and more aware of possessing ten fingers
instead. After a while, any sensation of even having fingers and hands at all will fade
away.

Repetition will first train the mind to deal with ten fingers equally rather than
two hands independently, eventually resulting in a complete conscious disconnection
with the hands and fingers.

Controlled breathing will also bring about a sense of relaxation and mental
calm.

The purpose of focusing on the hands is to stop the mind wandering and being
a distraction; it also reminds that ten fingers of equal ability are possessed, not two
differently abled hands with varying degrees of finger dexterity.
 The second mind mastery exercise is that of patience. It is very easy for the
mind to expect immediate results and to become frustrated when this is not the case.

By spending time on this patience exercise through repetitious training, the

Water Pianist never feels a sense of urgency or frustration when working on a
particular technique, musical requirement or performance piece.

With the eyes closed and body relaxed thanks to controlled breathing, count
down from thirty using each exhalation as the next number in the sequence. In the
beginning, this will prove difficult since, due to the slow, controlled and relaxed
breathing, counting will take longer than thirty seconds to reach zero. In the modern
world of rapidity and immediacy, do not be surprised at how frustrating this may be at
first.

Training the mind to be patient is so very important so this exercise, repeated

as much as possible, preferably before every playing and performance session, will
help to create the actual habit of patience, resulting in a much more peaceful, still
mind. A balanced mind results in a balanced performance.

The final component of mental mastery is that of focus. Whereas during the
first exercise it was indeed required to focus on the hands as a collection of ten fingers
rather than two individual hands, focus in that context was to make the most of the
relaxation created by controlled breathing in order not to let the mind wander and
create distractions; to merely benefit from the experience of relaxation thanks to
controlled breathing.

Here, however, focus is very much a specific action whereby one trains the
mind to think about one concept or sensation and nothing else, but then to move to
another concept or sensation.

Whilst this may seem easy, in the beginning, it is not. The mind is so active
and in the early stages so confused as to what is going on that it cannot help but ask
questions, doubt its ability to execute the mental exercise and even do its utmost to
reject success altogether.
 With the eyes closed in order to remove visual distractions, focus on one
particular chord type. Visualise any chord type in any key but only see it and nothing
else. As mentioned, this is difficult in the beginning since the mind will want to
change the key, change the chord type or even start thinking of songs it knows which
use this particular chord in this particular key.

Reject all efforts and remain focused.

Once satisfied that this has been achieved, choose to focus perhaps on one
particular knuckle joint of any finger. One need not move the finger, merely focus on
it mentally. Again, this will prove difficult in the beginning since the mind may wish
to physically move the finger at the joint under focus, move concentration to the next
knuckle joint or begin to stray to the same joint on the other hand.

Reject all efforts and remain focused.

By extension, consider focusing on particular scales, whole melodies or a

particular fingering which feels natural in the mind but which has not yet been tested
physically. It must be noted here that a lack of physical practice by no means implies
that the mind is unable to learn proper execution for future physical application.

After a natural while, it will eventually be realised that the body is at peace
because the mind is at peace and that the body is relaxed and patient because the mind
is relaxed and patient.

It must now be revealed that, even though these mental mastery exercises are
to be repeated in the early stages of pianism, the Water Pianist has come to a point
where perfect breathing, absolute patience and complete focus are second-nature.
This is the goal.

Be sure not to rush to this stage; water never rushes. Once such a natural state
of mind has been acquired, it need not be mentioned to the Self or others; it is simply
acknowledged and not given a second conscious thought.

As written already, purity of mind results in purity of performance (at any

stage of pianism) and thanks to these exercises, the mind is indeed sure to become
very pure and calm in its own time.
 Study 5 – Typical Misconceptions
The Water Pianist is aware of three misconceptions: to perceive to be playing
with two separate hands, that black and white keys carry different values and that
certain of the twelve musical keys are more or less difficult than any of the others.

By not playing with two hands, it is to be understood that, should we as

humans be equipped with an asymmetric finger layout, it would still be possible to
play the piano. Should we have one limb of ten digits, it would still be equally as
possible to play the piano as is commonplace.

Just as when a lit sparkler is waved in front of the eyes at great speed causing
the single light source to appear as an unbroken line with no one single point of light
visible, so too does the Water Pianist see ten equally abled fingers rather than five on
each hand, more often than not with the left hand being considered the weakest of the
two and its ring finger the weakest of all.

The benefit of such thinking is two-fold: hand independence is no longer of

importance and the piano is no longer divided into two halves; an area of left hand
demands and an area of right hand demands. This opens up a whole world of
possibilities and removes countless restrictions from what the pianist may previously
have considered far beyond reach.

By not giving value to black and white notes, it is to be understood that these
traditional piano colours only signify a historical trend to use ivory (white) and
painted wood (black), meaning that the physical key itself is neither more nor less
important than any other.

For why is perhaps unidentifiable, but newcomers and lesser-experienced

pianists are commonly of the belief that the black notes are in some way more special
or valuable than the white. This is simply not true.

The Water Pianist understands that the colours and sizes of the piano keys are
merely so due to tradition and that they could all be black, white or multi-coloured yet
their place and value on the keyboard would remain unchanged.

Therefore, the use of the terms “black notes” and “white notes” does not fall
within Water Pianism philosophy unless discussing the physical rather than musical
nature of a note.

By seeing all twelve keys as equal in terms of ease or difficulty, it is to be

understood that a major scale follows the template of: whole, whole, half, whole,
whole, whole, half steps, no matter the starting note. There are twelve of these.

Traditionally, a major scale (or ‘key’) with more black notes in it, and
certainly if it is less common in standard repertoire, is considered more difficult; a
true fallacy indeed.

Since the Water Pianist understands that black and white notes carry equal
value, so are the major scales all equal in supposed ease or difficulty.

When a pianist knows a major scale only by a combination of finger memory

and tonal guesswork, the piano remains closed off. It is only by having totally
internalised each of the twelve major scales both at and more importantly away from
the piano that the keyboard falls under the absolute control of the performer.

This proves incomparably beneficial for: repertoire memorisation, melodic

and chordal pattern detection, improvisational ability, compositional construction and
fluency with the eyes; open to observe and closed so that the conscious mind may
remain silent.

By being beneficial for repertoire memorisation, it is to be understood that

pieces are at home in their own keys. One may group many pieces by key rather than
by title. When a moment comes to perform impromptu, instead of looking for a piece
by title, one merely observes the twelve major scales and randomly selects a piece to
play which is known to be in the randomly selected key.

This is equally useful when playing medleys of jazz pieces since songs may
easily be spotted as one passes through the various chord progressions and lists of
starting melodies with their chords may flow through the conscious mind without
needing to specifically remember the title, then having to find the key, followed by
locating the melody and associated opening chords, then finally playing it.

By being beneficial for pattern detection, it is to be understood that the major

scale may be seen both mentally and visually as a straight line of seven points.

It is in numbering these seven degrees of the major scale that one may
mentally recall a melody or chord sequence. Visually, with all twelve major scales
absolutely mastered, this straight line acts as a marker for melody or chord detection
both inside and outside the associated major scale.

The most common chord sequence is based on the number sequence: (3), (6),
2, 5, 1. It is of little interest what chord type is associated with this number sequence
but seeing as all twelve major scales contain seven degrees, one is instantly able to
identify the aforementioned chord sequence degrees in any key, instantly.

This is a great musical power to have since many are unfamiliar with less
common keys, despite their absolute similarity to each other no matter their frequency
of use. Playing a piece in any key also becomes the simple matter of choosing a new
root (key) and labelling the notes of the new major scale as per the major scale values
of the original.

By being beneficial for improvisation, it is to be understood that every note

may be justified; there are no wrong notes in jazz. Seeing the major scale instantly
provides seven safe notes, even if one must remember to minor the third for minor-
based chords. Any scale that one may choose to learn is instantly identifiable by
having first mastered the major scale and then moving its notes down one half-step to
the required note to create the new scale.

For example, a blues scale may be notated as: 1st, minor, 4th, flattened 5th, 5th,
dominant 7th. This is easily identifiable by simply modifying three notes from the
major scale (the minor, flattened 5th and dominant 7th) so, in whichever key one finds
oneself, knowledge of that major scale will aid in instantly identifying the required
notes for this particular scale. It is then just a matter of internalising the new scale
visually and on the internal piano until it becomes an unconscious habit.

By being beneficial to composition, it is to be understood that melodic ideas

and their associated chords can be easily found by having all twelve major scales
mastered. A melody, more often than not, is based in a key, thus making the
emotional connection between intervals easier to identify.

As the composition moves to a new chord or section, the new key may be
treated as equally as the previous using the same seven major scale degrees,
rendering, once again, intervallic emotional connection instantly available without
any need for conscious involvement or any wonder as to why a particular phrase does
not work.

By being beneficial to eye fluency, it is to be understood that one is never lost

when having completely mastered the twelve major scales. Every tonal quality from
the root, meaning each interval, is instantly identifiable and playable.

Any piece that one wishes to play is never played incorrectly since the correct
sharps or flats are played automatically without any conscious interference to find
them.

Chords can also be played or named by simply scanning the keyboard and
taking in the note values from the major scale. This can, of course, also take place on
the internal piano.
 Study 6 – Identifying Weaknesses
If ever there was a greatest fallacy, the notion of correct fingering and perfect
posture at the piano would do well against any competition for top spot.

One is expected to sit up straight with the fingers slightly below the wrists
slightly below the elbow. Distance from the piano edge and head position is also
carved into stone for everybody and anybody daring to be considered a pianist of any
calibre.

Any digression from this and the piano is beyond all playability.

In actuality, it must be understood that each and every single pianist has a
slightly different inherent arm, wrist, hand and finger strength, length, span, neutral
position, shape and freedom of movement.

Internally, one has very different ambitions, experiences, desires and

interpretations of musical adjectives (romantic, sad, happy, etc.). It is therefore quite
logically incomprehensible to seek a one-method-fits-all technique.

To the Water Pianist, it does not go unrecognised that all of the above
differences, no matter how tiny, change over time within the individual; adhesion,
then, even to one’s own perfectly natural technique at one stage is dangerous for, at a
later date, an entirely new technique may flourish beyond any conscious awareness at
all.

This is why the Water Pianist sees both posture and technique as ‘of the
natural Self’ and therefore beyond any need for analysis or academic expectation.

It goes without saying that one may take advice from those of greater
experience but the end result will always be the same: what feels right at the time, is
right at the time.

How one’s inherent technique is discovered quite obviously takes place at the
piano but as is already understood, the channel of pianism begins with the mind, then
focuses on physical strength and finger independence both at and away from the piano
and only then brings the piano into play for its intended purpose.

One could say that the piano is being used and abused more for purposes of
Body component enhancement than for its intended reason of existence, music-
making, and may in fact be likened to soldiers preparing for battle using blank bullets
and artificial targets rather than an actual war itself.

Now would be an excellent time to discover one’s own naturally weaker and
therefore also stronger arm muscles and fingers. With this knowledge, strengthening
exercises may focus a little more on those locations to bring them in line with those of
greater inherent strength and durability (resistance to tiring) so that overall
enhancement may take place uniformly from these early stages.

Beginning with the upper arm muscles, one may identify the naturally weaker
arm by simply holding the arms up and straight out directly in front of the body,
perpendicular to the ground as if pushing something forward but with the palms
facing down.

After more or less one minute, one arm will begin to ache around the shoulder
joint or feel heavier, requiring more conscious effort to keep it up. This is the moment
to stop since this test is not about pushing the body; it is simply for weaker region
identification purposes.

More often than not, the weaker arm is the non-writing arm but this does not at
all imply that all five fingers on that same side are weaker than all five on the
stronger-arm side.

Moving down the arm, the forearm muscles may now be tested. Simply open
and close the hand as fully as possible with a little speed but not excessively fast.
Because the forearm muscles control the finger tendons, this sudden accelerated
opening-and-closing action will start to make those muscles burn a little. Of course,
this is the perfect moment to identify which arm starts to hurt first. Once
acknowledged, stop the test and make a conscious note of the weaker side.
 Now the fingers may be individually tested but there are two forms of
weakness: mental and physical.

To identify physical weakness, with the eyes closed, touch the tips of each
finger onto the thumb one after the other, on both hands but not necessarily at the
same time, as quickly as comfortably possible. Using force, it will become obvious
which fingers require more effort to touch the thumb. These are the weaker fingers.

To further confirm the weaker fingers physically, flex the same finger of each
hand at the second knuckle. After a while, one will begin to ache more than the
other. This is the weaker finger.

When speaking of mental finger weakness, it is simply to be understood that

naturally, some fingers are under greater control of the mind than others. The
physiological connection is stronger for those fingers used more often, primarily the
thumb, index and middle fingers; rarely are the ring and little fingers used in day-to-
day activities. That said, results vary from person to person.

To identify mental finger weakness, spend some time alternating each finger
combination. For example, starting with the thumb and ring fingers, wiggle them and
then change to the index and little fingers. Can a weakness be identified? Does one
combination with a common finger require much more conscious effort, whether it is
a stronger or weaker finger physically?

Awareness of these inadequacies better prepares for physical exercises away

from the piano and will avoid disappointment when actually playing because the
cause of difficulty (weak finger) and knowledge of the solution (physical
enhancement rather than futile practice on the piano) are known from the outset.

It can therefore be said that the Water Pianist has an acute awareness of the
limitations and strong points of the body as well as where the mind deals more
naturally well with some fingers than with others, something traditional pianism does
not generally consider at all.
 Study 7 – Body as Vehicle
It is not uncommon to hear or hold the belief that one must strengthen the
fingers, implying that muscles exist and that their regular exercising is of paramount
importance to the pianist.

It may surprise to learn that the fingers do not contain muscles, only tendons,
and as such, cannot possibly be strengthened. The muscles stop where the fingers
begin, as any dissection of the human hand will reveal.

Enough strength already exists in the fingers to carry heavy bags, lift weighty
objects or pull open stubborn doors so quite evidently enough strength is available to
press a relatively light piano key.

What should be strengthened, however, is every muscle leading up to the

fingers, starting with the shoulder; controlled breathing, of course, underlying any
muscular effort.

Enhanced natural power of each part of the arm, from the shoulder to the
flexibility of the finger tendons, provides the greatest authority over the piano. Note,
however, that with power comes responsibility and that even the sharpest chisel in the
hand of the greatest sculptor only cuts that which is required of it.

Many believe that one is only able to acquire the required arm strength and
tendon flexibility by actually playing the piano. This is false. The piano only exists
to give us a vehicle to express audibly what we are already feeling and experiencing
inside.

Muscle strengthening, tendon flexibility enhancement and finger

independence improvements do not, by any means, require a piano.

It is exactly for this reason that the Water Pianist partakes in daily muscular
and tendon enhancement activities with four focus areas being given at least a few
minutes undivided attention: the shoulders, the upper arms, the forearms and the ten
fingers.

One is naturally advised to seek professional and reliable guidance on the

deeper matters of muscle enhancement for such discussion is beyond the scope of this
text; however, what can be discussed are a few examples of common muscle and
finger independence exercises as employed daily by Water Pianists who have carried
out the required physiological research and sought the necessary medical guidance to
avoid any damage to their specific body.

The following exercises, if performed as prescribed, taking particular note of

the repeated words “…or as comfortable”, will prove beneficial for the majority of
readers if repeated daily without pushing to provoke pain.

For the shoulders:

Giving equal attention to both sides of the body and having prepared the mind
and body through controlled breathing for at least one minute, begin the first
movement, the Shoulder Blade Squeeze.

To successfully execute this strengthening exercise: from a relaxed, firmly

upright standing position, push back both shoulders so that the skin creates a crevice
in the centre of the back.

Apply force, but do not cause pain. Hold for 5 seconds then relax. Repeat 5-
10 times or as is comfortable.

After a comfortable pause, commence the second movement, the Shoulder

Shrug.

To successfully execute this strengthening exercise: from an equally relaxed,

firmly upright standing position with the arms hanging loosely and naturally, pull up
the arms at the shoulder without bending at the elbow or moving any other part of the
body.

Apply force, but do not cause pain. Hold for 5 seconds then relax. Repeat 5-
10 times or as is comfortable.
 For the finger tendons:

Each finger must become as independent as possible so that all ten function as
one perfectly capable unit rather than two sets of five fingers with varying abilities,
usually the weaker of the two being on the left side and its weaker finger usually
being the ring finger.

It must be understood that the purpose of such exercises is not to strengthen

the fingers but to improve tendon elasticity.

Finger independence is as much mental development as it is physical. The

two exercises below focus on each of these two components.

Physical tendon development:

With the palms downwards and the fingers spread open and straight with a
little force applied for solidity, wiggle the thumbs 5-10 times at the knuckle. Then,
hide the thumbs under the palm by bending them inwards and applying a little force
so as not to cause pain. Bring them back out to their stretched-open starting position.
Repeat this 5-10 times or as is comfortable.

After a comfortable pause, shift attention to the fingers and proceed as

follows:

With the palms downwards and the fingers spread open and straight with a
little force applied for solidarity, bend the knuckles (and allow the thumb to do
whatever it does naturally) of all fingers at the middle knuckles as far as they will go
without pain; that is to say, two knuckles down from the nails and one knuckle up
from the where the fingers connect to the hand. This may be called a flat fist.

Then, create a whole fist from the flat-fist position explained previously
whereby the thumb surrounds at least the index and middle fingers firmly, then return
to the previous flat-fist shape (causing the thumb to release the fingers) before
returning the fingers to their stretched-open starting position. Repeat this 5-10 times
or as is comfortable.
 Mental finger independence:

When playing the piano, minimal, or better yet, no conscious interference

provides the most natural results but part of this reduction and eventual removal
comes from strengthening the mental connection between the mind and the fingers so
that what is currently conscious because habitual through the unconscious mind.

As previously, this exercise is performed away from the piano in any quiet and
peaceful environment.

For the Water Pianist, alternating any two of the ten fingers, first mentally and
then physically, is a very powerful exercise which can, if performed on a daily basis,
provide a vastly superior playing ability over those who do not.

It is such techniques as described herein which form part of the understanding

that repertoire complexity levels do not exist and that one may play anything one
desires so long as the unit of ten fingers are first and foremost mentally and physically
finely tuned away from the piano individually and as a unit.

A finger-alternation exercise may take place as follows:

With the palms downwards and the fingers spread open and straight, this time
without too much force applied, as if atop the piano keys about to play without
tension, alternate each of the four fingers against the thumbs, including sharing finger
alternations between hands. What makes this a mental exercise, however, is that it
must take place in the mind first, before physically reproducing it.

With the eyes closed, one has a heightened sensitivity to physiological

differences between the fingers which informs the conscious mind of which fingers
and finger combinations require slightly more repetitions than naturally more
comfortable and easier-to-execute combinations. The achievement to reach and then
maintain is absolute ten-finger equality and this, of course, takes patient repetition;
steady persistence.

One may observe from this exercise that, for example, the left hand thumb
appears to be more connected to the index finger than the right hand thumb and its
index finger. Every hand is different so no negative connotations need be brought
about in the mind regarding any natural finger oddities.

Over time, as any Water Pianist may attest, either these inconsistencies or their
perceived negative impact will diminish with consistent, daily exercise and repetition
away from the piano.

That is not to say that one can modify the biological make-up of the hands by,
for example, elongating a too-short tendon; rather, it implies that whatever one’s hand
naturally does will be one hundred per cent controlled both physically and mentally,
thus providing no pianistic restrictions or limitations.

Simultaneously and without any expectations of great speed, move the thumbs
up and down as if playing a note; around three times per second.

Now choose either a same finger or different finger on the same hand to
alternate along with the thumb without changing the speed. Of course now, due to
two fingers moving, it can be said that six notes per second are being played instead
of the original three.

Do this for as long as desired before moving on to any of the three remaining
fingers to alternate with the thumb, paying close attention, preferably with the eyes
closed, to any oddities or weaknesses consciously detected and making a mental note
of them for future specific work.

Once all four fingers on each hand have been alternated with the thumb, repeat
exactly the same process but using the next finger along, the index finger, as the
finger with which the thumb and three other fingers will be alternated. Eventually,
every finger will have alternated more than once with every other finger on the same
hand, each one having had the opportunity to be the primary finger.

On completion, repeat as previously but this time, alternate each of the five
fingers with each of the five fingers of the other hand.
 For example, right hand ring finger with left hand index finger, then continue
with the right hand ring finger and alternate it with the left hand little finger. Soon
enough, every one of the ten fingers will have alternated with all of the other nine.

Daily repetition of this activity will provide wondrous results of finger

independence if performed mentally and then physically.

Be sure to spend a little more time on those finger combinations which cause
the most difficulty and understand absolutely that the temporary fault does not lie with
the fingers themselves but with the mind which is consciously interfering and causing
the finger to behave unnaturally.

Water Pianists, therefore, aim to have and then avidly maintain ten perfectly
independent fingers prepared to take on any pianistic task necessary without force or
artificial positions and movements.
 Study 8 – The Ego and Labels
One of the most difficult mental obstacles to overcome is that of labelling but
it is the easiest concept to understand since it is such a common thing we do: add
labels to things. The Water Pianist not only understands what labels are, but also how
they are detrimental to performance and the reasons behind why they must be
removed.

A label is an adjective given to a fact, opinion or experience based on one’s

own unique perception of it.

Considering that everybody indeed has their own unique perception, it

becomes impossible to absolutely define a fact, opinion or experience with one
indisputable ‘Master Adjective’.

In pianism, this could be understood as playing a ‘difficult’ or ‘easy’ piece,

trying to tackle a ‘tricky’ passage or confidently playing a ‘simple’ melody. What is
difficult, easy, tricky or simple for one maybe indeed be the opposite for another,
rendering the musical moment definitively indescribable.

This is a well-understood keyword to the Water Pianist, indescribable.

By not considering any piece, passage or melody as anything at all, everything

becomes possible; the duration to achievement is simply set by the individual without
comparison to others. This invokes a removal of doubt as well as of immediate
expectation and provides an obstacle-free, more pleasant playing experience.

Fully understanding what labels are helps in their removal from the conscious
mind. What may seem difficult at this stage, no matter any experience gained, must
be considered doable at its core because, eventually, it will become so.

This is key in understanding why labels are of no use and do not have any
value in personal progress; what is perceived as difficult now will become easy yet
remain difficult to others. Detachment from both labels and other’s progress is vital.
 One would do well to remove the label and simply focus on making natural
progress, with every musical moment considered indescribable thus remaining
enjoyable.

Labels are one of the needs of the Ego. This usually results in avoidance of
perceived difficulties and repetition of easier musical components since it satisfies the
ego to act in such a way.

What results is staleness in playing because parts deemed easy are repeated
and parts deemed difficult are rarely worked on. This is not progress. It can therefore
be seen that labels have a detrimental effect on the pianist.

Conscious involvement in any artistic discipline ruins natural artistic results.

Much in the same way as one rides a bike without conscious awareness of balance yet
never falls off, the Water Pianist has achieved a sense of ‘playing without playing’, as
if observing the hands as a spectator without any actual involvement in the
performance.

Whether performing concert repertoire, improvising or playing privately for

personal enjoyment, one is strongly advised to spend equal time on that which is
currently considered easy and that which is currently considered difficult; two ever-
changing components to pianism in general.

The Water Pianist actively strives to follow the middle way; to avoid
excessively ego-satisfying time with easy content and excessively stressful time with
currently difficult content.

From the very early stages of traditional pianism, it is expected by the student
that a course be set out which adheres to the ‘needs’ of that student.

Both teacher and student then begin on the established path with the student
trusting the teacher’s guidance and the teacher judging the progress of the student
based on pre-established expectations and past experiences of what is an ‘acceptable’
pace of progress.
 The ego of the student is constantly fed with words of encouragement by the
teacher in the form of comparisons with the ‘norm’, that something is being done
‘correctly’ and that, before long, they will have ‘achieved’ what is ‘expected’ of them.
Water Pianism does not adopt such a philosophy and is vehemently against such an
approach.

Instead of hoping for ego-nourishment in its many harmful forms, the Water
Pianist does not conform to a curriculum, is not conscious of any norms, understands
that pianism does not have one correct way and that, since ambitions are non-existent,
the verb ‘achieve’ is completely redundant.

In Water Pianism,

By curriculum, it is to be understood that no one pianistic element is to be

perceived as any more or less important, complicated, difficult or easy than any other;
this goes hand in hand with the concept of removing labels.

What may be taught through the use of words is merely theoretical knowledge
and does not impact the actual inherent ability of the pianist. Thus, the Water Pianist
acquires knowledge as and when it is required, no matter its traditional level of
complexity, and enjoys playing at the level which is currently so.

By norms, it is to be understood that, due to myriad personality types, hand

shapes and pianistic purposes, a norm cannot possibly exist so time should not be
wasted trying to find one.

By no ambitions, it is to be understood that, since the creative arts do not have

beginner or advanced levels and that self-expression is boundless, one is not on a path
towards a final destination but merely enjoying a present based entirely on past efforts
and inherent abilities.

Ambitions imply finality; an ideology the Water Pianist does not subscribe to
since the present moment and current abilities are all that matter. Nevertheless, what
would one do upon reaching this apparent end?
 Labels do not only focus on the difficulty or ease of a particular piece of music
or technical requirement, they also refer to what is considered ‘good’ or ‘bad’ in terms
of musical production.

It is not uncommon for a teacher or critic to share a viewpoint which is

disagreed on by others; this is proof positive that different listeners enjoy different
qualities, rendering the act of labelling futile.

Water Pianism provides for the removal of such labelling through the term
‘Honest Execution’. If a performer has made every effort to play a piece of music
with absolute sincerity, no individual is at liberty to remove that truth, the performer
remaining unperturbed by any such effort to do so.

The Water Pianist makes every effort, in moments of both practice and
performance, to demonstrate Honest Execution without attempting to falsify musical
output.

By falsifying during practice, it is implied that the performer has not yet
identified a musical personality or purpose, instead using playing time to satisfy the
ego with abilities or pieces requiring no further enhancement in skill and that attempts
are being made to focus on insignificant pieces or techniques which do not further.

By falsifying during performance, it is implied that the pianist is actively

attempting to present an artificial self to the listener. This may be because a
satisfactory level has not yet been reached or an ego desire exists which requires the
flaunting of talent in a way unrelated or not beneficial to the nature of the piece or
audience.

Be reminded that in Water Pianism, there are three components which make
up the Mind: the Conscience Mind, the Ego and the Inspirational Source.

Through a complete understanding of the function of all three, the Water

Pianist is able to constructively self-analyse, self-criticise and differentiate between
what may be considered natural or inspired and what may be considered artificial or
influenced.

In Water Pianism:

The conscious mind is that with which we make decisions and observe the
output of the body as well as the activity of both the ego and inspirational source.
Collectively, everything we experience internally and externally is consciously
analysed from this point.

The ego is that which cannot be controlled consciously; only observation of it

is possible, as a reflection of the moon in water. This component refuses to change
and believes it knows what is best in every situation; usually, incorrectly.

The inspirational source is our own personal connection to what may be called
the limitless pool of wisdom. It is always on hand to provide honest truths, beneficial
ideas and clear answers to even the most troubling of questions.

After a little practice, the conscious mind becomes able to differentiate

between content from the more naturally discouraging ego and content from the more
naturally encouraging inspirational source.

The Water Pianist has mastered the mind to such an extent that any noise from
the ego is immediately ignored or, in the worst case scenario, consciously considered
yet probably rejected and any input from the inspirational source is acknowledged and
implemented as and when convenient or necessary.

Examples of ego noise are words, feelings, ideas and beliefs in some way
relating to: self-doubt, frustration, comparison, unrealistic demands, force, impatience
or abandonment.

Examples of input from the inspirational source may come in the form of: self-
belief, desire, excitement, wisdom, encouragement, benefit for the Self or others,
creative ideas, emotional connections, practical solutions, patience or realisations.

 Study 9 – Conscious Interference
When playing, one has the option of focusing on myriad things using the
conscious mind. The more things focused upon, the less share of the full power of the
mind each thing receives.

If two people are talking at the same time, one is not able to comfortably take
in the entirety of the content of both conversations; half of each is more realistic.

Should a third speaker be added, consciously attainable content falls to a third,

a fourth speaker a quarter and so on until one is completely confused and unable to
focus on anything at all.

Consider the following analogous tale:

A frog approached a millipede and asked, “How are you able to walk with so
many legs?” Her response was, “I never gave thought to how many legs I have” and
the frog hopped away, leaving the millipede to remain motionless forever as she
wondered about which leg to move first, second and third to continue on her journey.

A pianist has many things upon which to focus: left hand activity, right hand
activity, dynamics, sight-reading, pedal usage, memory recall such as the next chord
or where to go in the music if following a complex structure, etc. but, as may already
be assumed, the more the conscious mind attempts to juggle each of these
distractions, the less attention the others receive. Therefore, the lower in quality they
become, resulting in an undesired falsification of musical output.

The Water Pianist does not allow the conscious mind to focus on any one
component of pianism during performance so that musical output may be wholly
honest and natural.

This is made possible through conscious repetition using the internal piano,
regular mind-calming activities such as observing water in natural settings, the
realisation of the futility of comparing the Self to others, daily exercises which
encourage ten-finger independence rather than two-hand independence, regular
listening to maintain an acute awareness of one’s musical personality and broader
outlook in general and a general recognition and implementation of the whole Water
Pianism philosophy itself.

Do note how all of the above may take place away from the piano.

The reason that conscious interference exists is because the ego wishes to be
in control of as many aspects of pianism as possible. It believes, based on what it
perceives as the truth, that its obsession to hold the reins of each and every muscle
movement, from the eyes to the fingers, will produce the best output possible.

This is a fallacy.

The natural Self knows it but is usually without strength to overcome the
power of the Ego.

The Ego’s desire to encourage the conscious mind to attempt to give absolute
attention to every movement and component of pianism will only ever cause an
overload situation rendering output less than acceptable and far from honest.

During a performance:

While the conscious mind is concentrating on the right hand arpeggio, it then
needs to focus on when to apply the pedal so that the upcoming left hand descending
pattern gets the tonal quality it requires, also something being consciously observed
due to the demands of the ego.

The pedal is then released just as conscious interference is trying to focus on a

change of key, a page turn and a rapid phrase in the right hand as the left hand comes
up to join the right hand in playing a chromatic run in minor thirds.

Not long after, a tremendously powerful double octave run is coming up; the
conscious mind knows it and, as the ego demands become too much for this regular
pianist, application of the pedal is incorrectly placed and the quality of the piece
suddenly diminishes, much to the disappointment of the innocently struggling
performer.

The fault does not lie with the ability of the pianist; it lies in the combination
of a lack of awareness of the negative function of the ego and no training or
experience in stilling the mind so as to reduce and ideally remove any conscious
interference.

Increasing one’s awareness of the negative function of the ego does not occur
instantly; it is down to regular conscious observation.

For example, if one is held up in traffic or forced to slow down from a natural
walking pace, a feeling of frustration may arise due to a conflict with what is to the
individual considered a correct or desired speed.

In the same way, should one hear a musical performance by a pianist who is
audibly a more accomplished player in terms of accuracy, control, feel and velocity, a
feeling of jealousy may arise due to an evidenced difference in pianistic ability.

These reactions stem from the ego and must be observed as such by the
conscious mind. It is then simply a matter of detaching the conscious mind, the
natural Self, from this negative reaction and remaining at peace, unperturbed, because
the ego will always be present; only observation of and detachment from it, rather
than absolute removal, is possible.

This may be imagined as a reflection of the moon in a still lake. No matter

how much one tries to disturb the water, the moon always remains, the water
eventually calms, the reflection never disappears and all that has been lost is the
energy used during the futile attempt.

One is therefore able to see that no action is required to remove the ego;
simply an acceptance of its existence from a detached point of still, effortless
observation is all that is required.
 Study 10 – On Knowledge & Creativity
There is a distinctive difference between what one knows and what one is able
to do naturally with that knowledge. It is important to be aware of this significant
difference because it helps to understand the notion that knowledge does not affect the
natural Self during periods of creativity.

Given the sheer amount of knowledge available, it may seem quite unusual to
suggest or difficult to believe that one is unable to improve their creativity by
studying such easy-to-access content.

The reason one demands knowledge in the belief that it will improve creativity
is in part down to the obsession of education systems to force their students to
memorise text book after text book, especially for exams, from an early age without
having offered the freedom to study what is naturally enjoyed or letting the student
have any say in how they learn most naturally.

Consider the infamous teaching which prescribes that a fish should not be
judged on its ability to climb a tree.

Awareness of, focus on and development of natural abilities are typically so

far from being paramount that it should be little wonder why many new pianists,
especially adults, automatically expect a book with which to learn theory and make
perceived progress and who, in some way, even hope that it may replace the need for
any natural Self involvement at all.

By this, it is assumed that the book tells the individual what they must know,
when they must know it, how they must play and what is expected of them at various
stages of non-natural development. It is even common to be informed how many
days or weeks it should take to achieve something!

Consider the following statement: Methods are for some, Philosophy is for
all.
 Methods are specifically devised ways, either by an individual or institution,
of learning to play the piano and involve getting used to a particular and specific way
of, amongst other teachings, holding the hand and positioning the fingers as deemed
‘correct’ by the method.

One is obliged to adhere to the requirements of the method at all times but it
must be noted that content varies from method to method, hence why methods are for
some; one may find agreement with the content of one method but not another. What
works for one does not work for another.

Sometimes, one changes to a different method book or personal teacher since

there may have been difficulties or issues with a previous one.

This constant seeking of a perfect method or teacher is incredibly time-

wasting, detrimental to natural progress and unfortunately demonstrates great
ignorance of the workings of the natural Self.

Knowledge, to the Water Pianist, is understood to be words about words or a

two-dimensional representation of a three-dimensional concept and does not have any
impact on inherent ability, nor its development, in any way.

Just because one has, for example, internalised all the notes of all twelve
major scales, does not determine how the fingers are naturally able to execute them
without hesitation, nor will such knowledge determine one’s natural touch or increase
rapidity.

Equally so, knowing all the details of the life of a composer and their greatest
works by heart will never influence the way the natural Self performs them.

Finally, after having amassed all required music theory over many years in
preparation for a final examination, one could never say that this knowledge has
influenced, for example, natural precision in playing minor arpeggios in parallel
motion through all twelve keys.

Therefore, while travelling along a most natural path, the Water Pianist will
acquire knowledge as and when it is required, or if desired, or if recommended.

One is not advised to take this teaching to the extreme and never consider it
necessary to acquire knowledge for it may indeed inspire creativity or give a deeper
understanding so that discussion of pianism may be enjoyed with others. Simply
recognise that knowledge acquired does not affect the way in which the natural Self
applies it, if indeed it need be applied at all.

Therefore, do not seek a Method but live a Philosophy which provides for
absolute awareness and development of the natural Self.

How and why one pianist plays is unique from every other pianist; thus, no
one book can possibly apply to every individual.

By spending time understanding, applying and then living the 3-fold path to
Water Pianism, one moves progressively closer to the natural Self (or put another way,
allows it to reveal itself to the conscious mind more and more as the ego becomes less
and less dominant) and is able to overcome any pianistic challenge with minimal
force and little frustration.

Creativity simply refers to how one may naturally express themselves via at
least one conduit, from dance, music and painting to sculpting, writing and even
starting up a business based on personal interests such as cookery, clothing or
architecture.

As is now understood, no matter one’s knowledge of any of the above areas of

interest, exactly how it is expressed is completely unique to the natural Self, hence the
uncountable variety available to us in terms of clothes to wear, food to eat, buildings
to admire, books to read, music to listen to, etc.

The question often asked, however, is how may one apply creativity to
pianism despite what knowledge has or has not been acquired?

The Water Pianist identifies the following three components of pianism to

which creativity may be given free rein: repertoire, improvisation and composition.
 Each of these comes with knowledge as well as an opportunity to let the
natural Self be free and provide very beneficial opportunities for introducing how one
may begin relinquishing control from the ego and allowing the natural Self to
dominate.

Creativity in repertoire involves expansion, which is based entirely on

personal choice, and interpretation, equally based on personal choice, both being born
of the natural Self.

By expansion, it is to be understood that, since the number of pieces available

is almost uncountable and certainly impossible to be acquired in one lifetime, one
would do well to select pieces creatively and which represent the natural Self or an
honest Purpose.

Many composers write music based on a theme; typically the theme of love
but also that of nature, death, time and space, poetry and paintings. This is one
creative way to select pieces for repertoire expansion.

Dedicating a fixed period of time to one particular theme and searching for
composers and pieces dating back to Mozart and Bach all the way to the present day
is one way to discover many diverse styles, acquaint oneself with various technical
aspects of pianism and experience a wide range of emotions to both experience and
portray.

Liszt wrote many pieces based on nature from his travels and poetry from his
studies and Chopin wrote about the longing of his war-torn homeland Poland and the
women in his life. The so-called Great American Song Book contains an enormous
collection of famous tunes sung by such greats as Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald
composed by such pianists as George Gershwin and Cole Porter, all of which cover
quite a range of themes and styles.

The Water Pianist, whilst adhering to the natural tendencies of the musical
personality, is creative about repertoire management, unlike many regular pianists
who play only for a combination of unnatural ego demands, teacher recommendations
or course book requirements. This, quite evidently, is not creative at all.

One may then identify particular areas of interest from an ever-increasing

repertoire, plucking them out and being creative with them individually such as
playing random bar selections or blending two pieces together which follow a
common theme, structure or chord sequence.

Playing the piano must be seen as fun; it cannot possibly be taken seriously.

Taking phrases from various compositions and being creative with them
comes with many benefits such as working with all keys when transposing the phrase
(playing in another key), modifying its rhythm, playing the left-hand part in the right
and vice versa, altering the tempo or playing it using unusual fingering such as
without the index finger or only using two fingers.

By interpretation, it is to be understood that a piece of music is never played

the same way by even the same performer twice; it is therefore impossible that all
performers of a piece play it like any other.

This fact, however, can be split in half: those who perform honestly from the
natural Self and those who perform artificially from the ego.

Those performing from the ego are causing serious damage to any natural
progress which may exist and does not warrant any further discussion.

Those performing from the natural Self can be said to be being creative
because they are painting the piece with their own colours in a way nobody else
would, could, ever has or ever will.

Interpreting a piece of music need not mean modifying the score to suit the
performer; quite the opposite is true because the term ‘interpretation’ implies some
kind of addition or subtraction of content. This is called being dishonest to the score
and is not seen as musically moral behaviour.

One may consider the synonym ‘translation’ in place of interpretation for

translation does not allow for modification of the source text in any way, yet implies a
little freedom by way of expression but not as much as an interpretation.

It is said that there is never only one way to translate any sentence into any
language, with several options often being available to the translator. Interpretation is
much more aggressive in this way and may involve complete changes, cuts or a
blatant disregard for markings.

It can now be concluded that what may have otherwise begun as merely
learning new songs may in fact involve a great deal of creativity in the form of
picking themes to work with, dipping one’s foot into various periods of time to
experience a range of compositional styles and allowing the natural Self to apply its
own signature to a piece, improvisation or composition.

Creativity in improvisation requires an extensive foundation of listening to a

wide range of music, a trust and belief in the natural Self and a childlike interest in all
areas of life.

By exposing oneself to all kinds of music, it becomes easier to improvise

because the natural Self has been soaked in sounds that it enjoys and will then
reproduce in its own way.

Rather than listening to one style and a few preferred performers, the Water
Pianist remains enthusiastic about new sounds and is excited to see what the natural
Self will do with them during periods of improvisation.

An interesting creative exercise is to mix styles. One may play a piece by

Bach in a Bossa Nova style or a Ray Charles classic in the style of Beethoven. Such
efforts may not be appreciated by passionate enthusiasts of either genre but as a
private creative exercise, it is very beneficial to one’s creativity and musical freedom.

By trusting the self, it is to be understood that improvising is never wrong if it

is honest. Every performer has their lovers and haters and so will always be the
creative arts world but this is the last reason not to be confident in one’s abilities,
purposes or interests of truth.
 Creativity in composition is an opportunity for the inspirational source to
really show what it is capable of; melodies, chord progressions and structure may all
flow from places beyond conscious thought and knowledge.

It is not uncommon for composers to feel that a norm must be adhered to and
whilst that may be good for particular kinds of music, much more freedom exists in
allowing what comes naturally to become the unaffected result.

Music composition may be likened to an artist’s colourful palette aside a large

white canvas or a sculptor’s sharp tools atop a block of stone; the aspect of the
painting, the pose of the statue already known to the creator for want of self-
expression borne of an honest intention to bring to life that which has been
experienced, witnessed or felt.

 Study 11 – Observing the Piano 1/2
The Water Pianist is a keen observer of both the mind and the piano, without
which the Musical Personality (internal) nor muscle strengthening and finger
independence (external), along with all related notions, would regrettably, and to great
detriment, remain disregarded.

Whilst it is a commonly held belief that one is only able to make progress
when sitting at the piano and physically playing, it must be understood that in fact the
fingers are only able to do what the mind can imagine them doing and the fingers
cannot do what the mind cannot imagine them doing, whether at or away from the
piano.

In other words, one is able to make valuable and significant pianistic progress
in terms of muscle strengthening and finger independence as well as piece and scale
visualisation and memorisation, when away from a piano, too.

At this stage, consider approaching the piano but not sitting at it; to merely
admire its logical layout and recognise that it is simply a lifeless box of strings and
hammers.

This is where the result of the balanced mind and strong body collides into
what is called Pianism.

To some, music is simply hitting hollowed-out blocks of wood in some

rhythmic time to give others the pleasure and freedom of dance; to others, it is tight
arrangements of complex, multi-layered harmonies performed by numerous
instruments to be enjoyed while seated, yet the result is always the same: the
harmless pleasure of self-expression through controlled noise.

The Water Pianist acknowledges that Music cannot possibly be taken seriously
so enjoys every moment of its creation and reception for whatever it may be, without
attachment or opinion.
 It is not uncommon to want or be advised to rush to a piano, sit at it, open a
book and start learning how to name the notes, number the fingers and read music but
it is even more important to be mindful of the following: Mind, Body then Piano.

The mind has been discussed at great length, but consider the following: if
one spends a good amount of time on shoulder, upper and forearm muscle
strengthening along with finger independence and tendon-stretching exercises, as well
as having understood the Mind component and all related philosophies, what would
one then do with such physical power and mental balance when sat at the piano
without any bearings or situational awareness of it?

Acquiring piano theory is a double-edge sword; one can become too caught up
in the vast volume of knowledge and create more difficulties than necessary, impeding
natural progress and levels of enjoyment yet not read enough and have difficulty
understanding various pianistic ideas.

The Water Pianist is aware that piano theory is merely words about words and
that only once an understanding of the keyboard layout is acknowledged and
internalised absolutely, any additional knowledge is merely for musical discussion,
educational purposes and satisfaction of the ego rather than the futile hope that it
positively affects inherent playing ability.

Acquiring piano theory is based on an important philosophy: master the great

things by mastering the small things; or, achieve the difficult by doing the easy.

Over the following pages, each component of the keyboard shall be broken
down into its smallest component and then built up to a necessary minimum of
understanding. Anything beyond these minimums may be studied in greater detail but
shall remain beyond the scope of this text.

Stand before the piano and internalise the pattern of physically black (shorter)
notes and physically white (longer) notes. Do not seek any one point of focus by
giving any one note any more importance than any other; they are all absolutely
equal.
 It is soon evident that the pattern involves a combination of two black notes
and then three black notes, with white notes in the spaces.

Notice then that there are always twelve notes from any one note until that
same note is repeated at number thirteen. This is true for ascending and descending
chromatic movement (playing one note directly after the other either up, to the right,
or down, to the left).

Once this layout is internalised absolutely, pick a random note. For example,
the first of any of the two black notes, and assign it the number ‘one’.

See visually, ascending, that the next note chromatically is white, then black,
then two whites, black, white, black, white, black, two whites and then the same first
note of the two black notes.

Do this for random notes as part of internal piano enhancement. It is

incredibly meditative and an excellent mind control and patience activity.

See this regular exercise as the polishing of a dirty mirror; the cleaner it is, the
better one sees the reflection; eventually, very little polishing will be required, just a
light dusting from time to time.

This concept of there always being twelve notes chromatically from any one
note until its pair above or below is reached, in music theory, is simply known as ‘the
twelve keys’. This will become common terminology since one is required to master
any future piano theory concepts involving scales and chords ‘in all twelve keys’, or,
starting from every possible note and labelling it ‘number one’.

In other words, there are twelve locations from which one may start counting.
These also have a special name: roots. Therefore, each key has its own root, or
‘number one’. As may be becoming obvious, individual notes are to be thought of,
seen and visualised as numbers rather than letters. This way, fixed templates are very
easily applied to all twelve keys without difficulty and letter combinations do not need
to be memorised.
 Once the keyboard layout has been absolutely internalised, one may apply the
letters to the notes. Lettering is merely for discussion about keys; in actual fact,
scales and chords shall be mastered very quickly using a number template and then
applied to each key; letters are secondary.

Once the scales and chords have been mastered in all twelve keys, it then
becomes a matter of visualising the scale or chord in any key by applying the fixed
template and then saying which ‘letters’ are in that scale or chord, if required; until
then, they are redundant to the Water Pianist.

Thanks to this important observation of the keyboard layout and the brief
introduction to the idea that number templates shall be applied to all twelve keys
rather than countless tables full of letters to be memorised, one is able to better
develop the internal piano for future use whilst enjoying muscle and tendon
development exercises and mastering the art of calming the mind, particularly that of
patience, all away from the piano.
 Study 12 – Observing the Piano 2/2
The following must take place on the internal piano. Doing it at a physical
piano will yield exactly the same results and understanding but without any
enhancement in mental visualisation or calming of the mind, two important qualities
of the Water Pianist.

Visualise the first black note of the pair of black notes. The white note to its
left is always called ‘C’. Now visualise the first black note of the three black notes.
The white note to its left is always called ‘F’.

The white note to the right of the two black notes is always called ‘E’ and the
white note to the right of the three black notes is always called ‘B’. See this visually
and know it absolutely before reading on.

The missing white notes may now be identified using logic: C, D, E, F, G, A,

B and then C again.

Do not let it be forgotten, however, that naming notes as letters is secondary;

numbering them is primary and is based off of each of the twelve roots.

Preference is often given to the key of C, where C is the root, because no

‘black notes’ are involved in its major scale or related chords. This is a dangerous and
impeding ideology with which one is not advised to associate.

Black notes are no less valuable than white notes; white notes are no more
musically special than black notes. In fact, inverted-colour keyboards can be found.
Do not be attached to the fallacy that less black notes and more white notes in a major
scale or song is somehow musically important or easier to play because nothing could
be further from the truth.

With the internal piano now carrying letters for the white notes, it is a simple
matter to label the black notes using the terms ‘sharp’ and ‘flat’, themselves assigned
the symbol ‘#’ and ‘b’ respectively.
 These words simply carry with them one regulation: raise (#, sharpen) or
lower (b, flatten) the white note letter by one semi-tone.

Because it is possible to raise and lower a white note by one semi-tone, it is

correct to assume that any black note (and the E, F and B, C white note pairs) can be
approached from either above or below by one semi-tone, thus providing two naming
options.

The first black note mentioned previously was the first of the two black notes.
This may be approached from above by one semi-tone, a ‘D’, or below by one semi-
tone, a ‘C’.

In music theory, this little concept refers to the target note as an ‘enharmonic
equivalent’, merely a fancy word to infer that any note may be a sharp or flat,
depending on whether it is approached from above or below.

Thus, the aforementioned black note may be labelled C sharp (C#) or D flat
(Db); physically the same note, yet labelled for reasons which shall become incredibly
obvious and easy to understand in due course.

All of the above must be visualised on the internal piano; the act of developing
one’s power of visualisation is paramount to being a Water Pianist and comes with
countless benefits, many of which have already been discussed.

One would do extremely well to now spend as many waking hours as possible
labelling the notes in what may be called the ’12 Note Block’; that is, from C to the B
eleven notes chromatically to the right (or ‘up’). Only once absolute perfection of
visualisation of this layout is achieved is one advised to continue.

Consider the above a further mental exercise in patience. It is commonplace

to desire to rush to the piano, learn to play some pieces and dive into sight-reading
and fingering techniques but rushing is not necessary at all and actually slows
eventual progress. Venturing into uncharted territory with an unbalanced mind is
most perilous.
 With such a clear and mastered internal piano keyboard layout now at
immediate disposal, one may easily acquire the twelve major scales in the confidence
that a physical piano need not be employed at all.

From any note of the twelve note bock, apply the following whole-/half-tone
template to acquire the seven notes of each major scale: whole, whole, half, whole,
whole, whole, half; the final half returns the major scale back to the root on octave
(eight notes) higher.

For example, suppose the central black note of the group of three is selected
(what is now known to be Ab or G#). Apply the template provided, simply remaining
true to the pattern of sharps or flats as each note is labelled, depending on how the
first note was labelled, in this example, Ab: Ab, Bb, C, Db, Eb, F, G, Ab. Sharps and
flats are never mixed within one same key.

No matter what is to be acquired at the piano eventually, the Water Pianist

begins on the internal piano so that when at the physical piano, more time is spent on
purposeful execution than trying to find the required pattern with the eyes and
rejecting the internal piano and opportunity for mental stimulation completely.

Relatively quickly, all twelve major scales may be ascertained and mastered
by using this visualisation technique. The only reason one may fail is impatience and
lack of self-belief; two traits non-existent to the Water Pianist.
 Study 13 – Practormance 1/2
It is traditional to separate physical practice and actual performance into two
separate activities. One may spend several weeks on a piece before presenting it to an
audience or for an exam, only to hardly ever return to it or even forget it completely.

One is often advised to spend a certain amount of time on practising per day or
per week in the hope that technique will improve and repertoire size will grow.

This may be true, but separating practice and performance into two distinct
components indirectly harms the other, especially since one usually practises much
more than performing. A balance of the two is what one must aim to achieve.

The Water Pianist understands that neither technique is harmed nor

performances affected by seeing each activity as one in the same: a practormance.

Simply speaking, when one is mastering the twelve major scales, consider
imitating a particular musical style to satisfy an audience rather than lull them to
sleep; a rhythm change or improvised melody using notes of the major scale, for
example.

When executing a piece of music in front of an audience, use the opportunity

as a practice in patience, piece memorisation, or any other such psychological
difficulty one may currently be experiencing.

In both of the above cases, one is creating a balance; rather than only
practising monotonous major scales, they are enjoyed as if performing to others and
during the performance, one is learning self-control and not being distracted by nerves
or meeting usually unrealistic expectations.

This balance is key to successful, purposeful practice and fearless, admirable

performance abilities.

Water Pianism proposes three components to both successful practice time and
performance experiences. One would do well to consider all six and then to find a
balance of them in such a way as to maximise enjoyment and reduce any ego-related
involvement.

The three components to successful practice experiences are:

1. Pace

2. Purpose

3. Precision

By pace in practice, one would do well to go neither faster nor slower than
necessary or able, whether adhering to a daily or monthly practice schedule or
working on a particular piece or phrase.

It is always most beneficial to follow the middle way; excess of extremities,

whether positive or negative in perceived nature, will always provoke unfavourable
results.

The Water Pianist strives to find a balance in pace of practice, sometimes

focusing on finger dexterity exercises both at and away from the piano, sometimes
expanding or reinforcing repertoire and sometimes enjoying moments of mental
relaxation and simply working on the internal piano.

At no point should one ever feel the need to become frustrated, show off,
compare progress or success with others or seek confirmation from outside.

By purpose in practice, one would do well to acknowledge that time spent

both at and away from the piano is most beneficial when it has a specific focus. No
focus results in no observable results.

Pianism has many technical and theoretical aspects which come under the
Piano component but not all of them need be studied, let alone mastered, by every
individual pianist.

One may want to learn improvisation or have a good ear for transcribing jazz
songs; mastering, or even studying, counterpoint and figured bass would prove quite
useless. The same logic applies to one wishing to become an accompanist; one must
excel at sight-reading, acquiring classical repertoire and forming a good knowledge of
composers’ lives yet have no need to master, or even study, modal theory, blues scales
or jazz chord extensions.

Of course, one may choose to venture into another area to satisfy curiosity but,
for what is required, it must be purposeful and relevant to progress.

The Water Pianist strives to stay on task and enhance theoretical knowledge
and technical ability as recommended or deemed appropriate at all times.

By precision in practice, one would do well to consciously and physically

break down each activity into smaller and smaller components; this is called mindful
practice.

One may choose to be aware of each finger movement, beat, score marking,
note and chord. Analysis of each of these in fine detail will assist in reducing error
rates, frustration and time spent on currently challenging issues.

Finger movements may be consciously observed with the eyes closed so as to

feel and develop a stronger connection with the natural processes being used in a
particular musical phrase.

Being acutely aware of which notes to play before, on or after a beat assists
with overall quality of performance. Whilst such detailed analysis need not be present
during fluent, correct-tempo practice, the time spent patiently playing note by note,
rhythm by rhythm, but always with absolute precision, even if very slow, gifts nothing
less than eventual success.

If one takes the time to study score markings, it is just as if a conversation

with the composer is taking place, even over hundreds of years. If a pedal is
recommended, press the pedal; this is what the composer heard and felt, that is why it
exists. If a marking indicates a brief increase in tempo, increase the tempo for the
same reason. Respecting a score is respecting the original thoughts, feelings and
intentions of the composer and carries great value in more precise practice.

Breaking down the notes in a passage is a useful exercise in mindful practice.

Understanding the deeper connections between notes in phrases provides a clearer
picture of the music and promotes less conscious interference whilst practising since
one is at peace with the music; distractions are minimised when less questions or
concerns exist.

Chordal connections in the music, along with awareness of their own tonal
qualities, provide great benefits to the mindfully practising pianist.

Seeing logic in structure, identifying patterns and understanding theoretical

reasons behind why one chord exists after another enables one to enhance the positive
outcome of a practice session.

Simply understand that the more correct actions one produces, even at very
slow tempos, the sooner and more easily one will be able to execute the phrase or
piece naturally and fluently.

As it is commonly referred to, muscle memory lasts, so correct habits using

both hands are recommended from the earliest moments so as to establish them for
later recall.

The three components to successful performance experiences are:

1. Honesty

2. Enjoyment

3. Detachment

By honesty in performance, one would do well to first acknowledge their

abilities, choose satisfying, relevant and sometimes challenging repertoire as well as
allowing one’s emotions to be channelled without negative interference from the ego.

The Water Pianist will always perform within what is perceived to be the
current level of ability. Performances are not the time or place to be trying out new
techniques or pieces which are very new.

Repertoire selected is never chosen to satisfy others or with the intention of

showing off or attempting to mimic another. It is chosen to best represent the current
needs, interests and desires of the performer. In this way, performances are said to be
honest.

Without enjoyment in performance, the music becomes colourless and

monotone. The audience sees and feels the performer’s emotions through the music
and they too feel a sense of disappointment.

The pianist is a vehicle through which the purity of sound may traverse along
with all its companions; emotions, dreams, desires, passions and truths. They are all
seeking an outlet through an equally pure soul but if that soul is tarnished in any way,
so too is the performance, where nothing has a greater negative effect than that of
displeasure.

At first glance, the idea of detaching oneself may sound as if one abandons,
gives up or shows no interest in the performance but cultivating a sense of detachment
is actually most beneficial.

One who is attached to a performance is tense; one who tries to make sure
everything is going to plan is paranoid; one who is concerned about the reaction of the
audience is anxious; one who believes mistakes could creep in is fearful; one who
overthinks their playing is full.

Detachment, however, promotes relaxation of the mind, instils a carefree

mentality, enhances natural focus, generates confidence, ignores errors and empties
the mind of all distractions.

It can therefore be said that the Water Pianist has acquired the ability to detach
from all such illusions and become one with the audience, observing the hands as if
belonging to another and listening attentively to the music as if seated elsewhere.

To conclude this section on successful performance, no matter the size of an

audience, one must ensure honesty to and of the self at all times.

Listeners are always able to pick up on falsified output or see displeasure on

the face of an unhappy, even unwilling performer.

Having attained purity of mind, one has released the need to want to be in
control of all moments, liberating much needed energy for the performance itself.

By combining these six successful components at all times, one engages in a

practormance whereby practice and its components may be seen as a performance
opportunity and performance and its components may be seen as a practice
opportunity.
 Study 14 – Practormance 2/2
Understanding the philosophy of combining practice and performance
opportunities is perhaps very easy to imagine in words and concepts but actual
application may be something quite new to a pianist of any experience. Here, three
useful practice components are presented.

In this way, one acquires an ever-enhancing performance mentality while practising

and gains seemingly free practice time while performing.

Additional benefits exist such as learning to calm one’s nerves during an

otherwise unnerving performance or enhancing one’s creativity during an otherwise
dull practice session.

At all times, the Water Pianist recognises that practice away from the piano
comes with great benefits and that time spent at the piano is not the only way to make
significant progress.

The first practice component to be discussed is the mastery of all twelve major
scales.

It cannot be denied that mastering scales is quite boring in and of itself but
major scale knowledge and awareness is absolutely fundamental to maintaining one’s
bearings.

Instead of simply visualising them away from the piano or playing them at the
piano, consider them as a composition or improvisational opportunity to be presented
to an audience for the first time.

One may choose to play with varying dynamics and tempo, rhythm and timing
in order to reinforce the shapes and notes further and also begin to treat them as a
melodious collection of notes to enjoy rather than a dry, regimented sequence
probably to be forgotten and never mastered.

One may play the lowest note on the piano of the target key and then come up
slowly with the left hand as the right hand prepares to take over and speed up as it
ascends the keyboard progressively faster. During the descent, however, play the
major scale in groups of three notes descending, one note ascending, with a hesitation
on the one note.

If this sample exercise is performed with the eyes closed, it is not too much of
a stretch of the imagination to mentally add an audience to enjoy this major scale
composition or improvisation and to experience the fulfilling sense of relaxation.

Of course, this can be performed ten thousand ways but each time presents the
opportunity to perform rather than simply practice. It also adds the important element
of fun.

The second practice component to be discussed is playing intervals.

It is quite obvious that with a limited number of fingers and piano keys, there
must be a limited number of key combinations one has the physical possibility to play.

With any finger of either hand placed on any key, one has the option to
alternate that finger with each of the other fingers of the same hand in combination
with nearby notes until a physical limit is reach and another finger must take over to
reach further.

During regular practice sessions, such exercises are useful for finger precision,
especially with the eyes closed to allow the mind to internalise the intervals, but they
can become monotonous.

Once again, one may consider blending this practice component with one of
performance.

Taking honesty, use this opportunity to discover the most comfortable intervals
with various finger combinations and to acknowledge those which present a little
more discomfort of difficulty.

By being honest with limitations during practice, one acquires the ability and
confidence to be honest during a performance thanks to a period of self-discovery and
self-trust, influencing repertoire choices, performance duration and even venue
selection; after all, a larger audience provides greater energy to react to but may
require a few more months or years of self-belief and acceptance in current abilities,
whereas a smaller concert hall may be better suited to current levels of confidence.

The third practice component to be discussed is the circle of fourths and fifths.

Almost every composition ever written involves a root to fourth and/or root to
fifth chord progression. This means that the root of a chord goes up to the fourth or
fifth degree of its own major scale and plays a chord based on that new root.

Knowledge and awareness of the circle of fourths and fifths is very beneficial
and may be mastered both at and away from the piano.

During a regular practice session, one may simply play major or minor triads
whilst progressively going through the circles but, as is often the case with such
exercises, this can become somewhat unstimulating after a while.

Consider using these chord progressions as an opportunity to have some fun

with rhythms and timing.

During performance, timing is very important and a sense of rhythm is not

something one learns or acquires but feels and acknowledges as already within. This
shift from mundane circles of intervals to having fun with timing and rhythm provides
excellent training for balanced performances.

The most common time signatures are 2/4, 4/4, 3/4 and 6/8. The first (or
above) number is the beat count or how many beats in one bar and the second (or
below) number is the value of the note of each of those beats.

One may play the root of a chord with the left hand and the major triad with
the right hand in 3/4 time four times before going up a fourth or fifth and then
changing to 4/4 time, only to repeat the process throughout the chosen circle.
Variations in tempo are also a good way to enhance control of the practice component
of pace.
 In addition to time signatures, there are quite a lot of rhythms available to play
with. Rhythms may contain the same time signature but different beats are
highlighted instead. The most common is the standard 4/4 time and the swing 4/4
time. A further one is the so-called shuffle rhythm.

The best way to acquire a sense of rhythm is to listen to as many of them as

possible and to tap the foot or bop the head with the eyes closed. Sense of rhythm is
just as inherent as a sense of touch or taste; it already exists but requires a little
training to become natural and what may be called mindless; no conscious
interference.

Spend time internalising the aforementioned time signatures and rhythms as

well as discovering news one which may be added to the musical personality for
future use, as well as using them to add some colour and variety to otherwise
monotonous practice sessions.

All of the above, of course, may take place both at and away from the piano to
produce a well-rounded, honest Water Pianist who has established and makes an effort
to maintain a healthy diet of both practice and performance components, blending
them into a middle way; into a Practormance.
 Study 15 – The Hands Illusion
Left hands, right hands, weak fingers here, weak fingers there; time spent on
this hand and these fingers, time spent on that hand and those fingers.

During practice time both at and away from the piano, concern over the
inability of playing with both hands together is common-place amongst those of less
experience as well as those who continue to follow advice which targets the weaker
hand or fingers.

By over-focusing on weaknesses, one inadvertently neglects current strengths

which may then result in unwanted weaknesses in them, too.

However, the opposite extreme, that of ignoring weaknesses and hoping they
will improve by themselves, is also very undesirable.

As with all things, the Water Pianist practices what may be called a ‘middle
way’; a blend of both extremes.

The removal of extremes is beneficial for the aforementioned reasons but also
encourages the powerful ideology of having ten individual fingers attached to one
limb rather than the always troubling two hands with five fingers of varying dexterity
on each.

Consider a conversation in which one is required to listen to one speaker.

Much in the same way as playing the same notes on a piano with the same finger of
both hands, the mind only has one activity to focus on and to this it can offer 100%
attention.

Yet, add a second speaker who talks over the first and one’s attention is
instantly split in half. This means each speaker is receiving only 50% of the listener’s
attention.

Add another speaker, and yet another, until the mind is only able to catch 25%,
or less, of each conversation.
 The only way to focus on one conversation is to make an enormous mental
effort to lock in on one voice and try very hard to ignore all the other voices.

Whilst this may be an excellent concentration exercise in itself (listening to

multiple TV or radio stations at once and trying to concentrate on only one with 100%
attention), for the pianist, it presents a practormance nightmare.

A pianist’s concentration demands may contain the following items:

- Ten fingers;

- Two feet working two or even three pedals;

- Sight-reading, including notation and dynamic

markings.

In fact, at least ten items are subject to conscious involvement. This results in
around 10% focus for each individual item. This is unacceptable.

The Water Pianist understands the importance of detachment, recognising that

the more things put under the control of the conscious mind, usually on the order of
the Ego incorrectly believing that this is the best way, is only going to result in great
difficulty, or worse, complete failure.

One may observe the teaching of detachment in water: it reflects all things
presented to it yet holds on to none.

Applying this philosophy of detachment to the mind of the pianist, one may
finally come to understand how important it is to reach the state of having let go of all
unnecessary concerns.

This applies to both practice and performance with one of the most common,
as indicated by the title of this study, being that of hand independence.

Understanding the problem is the first step on the path to lasting solutions.

Hand independence causes difficulties for the simple reason that the mind is
assuming that the left hand ‘does this’ and that the right hand ‘does that’, combined
with the incorrect assumption that ‘these’ five fingers on the left work on ‘this’ and
that ‘those’ five fingers on the right work on ‘that’.

The mind of the Water Pianist has transcended this impeding concept and
instead blends both hands into one limb of ten fingers; what was once seen as ‘these
fingers’ and ‘those fingers’ doing ‘this’ and ‘that’ is now only considered as ‘these
fingers’ doing ‘this’.

Because efforts are always being made regarding finger dexterity, as

prescribed herein, as well as forearm and upper arm strengthening exercises being
part of the daily routine of the Water Pianist, one quickly attains great authority over
the keyboard, along with both the confidence and ability to overcome any fingering
challenge which may present itself.

During the early stages of the application of this philosophy, one may feel a
sense of frustration or impatience, even disbelief, that such a common issue can be
resolved relatively easily.

By frustration, it could be understood that one continues to play the piano

without being able to blend both hands into one but it must be understood that new
habits, whether mental or physical, always take some time to be accepted and to settle
comfortably into the unconscious mind.

A common example of such a situation is the wearing of a watch. Whether it

is worn naturally on the left or right hand, by switching it to the other, one will
experience a strange mental and physical discomfort and always be wanting to return
the watch to its ‘correct’ side.

It may take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks until the mind and body
accept that the watch is now on the other side.

Blending the hands into one and recognising the value of this philosophy may
be likened to placing one’s watch on the opposite arm; after a while, with steady
persistence, it becomes the accepted norm.

By disbelief, it could be understood that the ego entirely rejects this

philosophy. It is so convinced that the left hand does ‘this’ and the right hand does
‘that’, that replacing this strongly held notion is inconceivable.

Of course, one may correctly state that the hands are physically separated; that
there are indeed five fingers on the left and five fingers on the right but one would do
well to recognise that some people are born with asymmetrical fingers yet are still
able to play the piano. How can this be?

The mind has simply learnt how to play the piano with, for example, four
fingers on the right hand and three fingers on the left hand. For such a pianist, this
philosophy of blending the two hands into one also applies: ‘these fingers’ doing
‘this’, regardless of finger numbers because each is simply considered as able as any
other, no matter the quantity.

Taking the previous four words, a very useful exercise, which may be
performed both at and away from the piano, shall now be presented.

If executing at the piano, a major scale or the chromatic scale may be used for
added interest and focus; if away from the piano, it is an excellent eyes-closed, silent
focus opportunity.

No matter the quantity of fingers and when at the piano, play each note of the
selected major scale using alternate fingers from each hand. Then, change the finger
combination.

For example, allow the currently perceived left hand’s ring finger to play the
first note and the currently perceived right hand’s index finger to play the second.
Ascend and descend the selected major scale within the same octave or however
many octaves apart one chooses.

Of course, one may be creative in terms of rhythm, key selection and tempo.

This exercise reinforces, if done regularly, the notion of each finger being as
independent and able as all the others and offers great strides in moving towards the
mentality of the Water Pianist: a complete blend of both hands into one mental limb.

When at the piano, consider the chromatic scale for alternate finger ascents
and descents but play with intervals.

For example, allow the currently perceived left hand’s middle finger to play
the first note and the currently perceived right hand’s thumb play the second. Ascend
and descend the selected interval within the same octave or however many octaves
apart one chooses.

Of course, one may be creative in terms of rhythm, interval selection and

tempo.

When away from the piano, and best of all, when in a silent environment sure
to offer no distractions, place the hands out in front of the body or on the legs and
spend as much time as desired on wiggling the fingers in the air and/or tapping the
fingers on the legs whilst working through every possible finger pair combination.

For example, allow the currently perceived left hand’s little finger to flex or
tap the leg and the currently perceived right hand’s index finger to do the same either
alternately or simultaneously.

Of course, one may be creative in terms of rhythm and tempo.

Daily repetition combined with steady persistence of these exercises shall

begin to have obvious, positive results sooner than one may imagine. Playing shall
become easier and fingering issues will reduce, become much more manageable when
they do appear or disappear altogether.

Scales will be played more fluently, widely different ‘hand’ requirements in

selected repertoire will become non-issues since the mind will no long be in a
dualistic mentality and one will finally give up with the dangerously impeding ‘finger
numbering’ tradition, knowing that no matter the number of fingers on each hand, the
piano is still perfectly playable.

 Study 16 – Understanding Limits
A common concern of newcomers to the piano and those in the early stages of
acquiring foundational knowledge is that there is so much to learn and be required to
do that it will take an enormous amount of time to reach what may be called a
‘proficient level’; a level which may even never be attained.

When the incredible scope of musical possibilities is acknowledged, it is easy

to understand from where this concern sprouts.

Whilst the opportunities for creativity are endless, when looking at the piano
and the body, it is important to recognise that there are indeed limits which means
there must be a fixed framework to first identify, master and then add the Self to.
This should reassure the mind.

The Water Pianist acknowledges the simple fact that a standard piano has 88
keys and a standard human has 10 fingers. There exists, therefore, a limit.

By identifying framework, it is to be understood that the 88 keys can only be

played within a fixed number of combinations, within a fixed range of dynamic, using
the 10 fingers within the limits of their stretch, dexterity, downward power and
rapidity of movement.

Due to the obvious fact that almost all piano-based music has been, is and
always will be composed on a standard piano by a standard human, it must fall within
this framework and therefore be possible for any individual to achieve what is desired
with the right amount of training; the calming of the mind, the strengthening of the
arm muscles, the enhancement of the fingers and the acquisition of relevant theory.

By mastering the framework, it is to be understood that the more time and

effort one dedicates to finger exercises as well as to total use and awareness of the
keyboard as whole, the more proficient one may claim to be.

The Water Pianist has an acute awareness of the value of one finger upon one
note. This is seen as dissecting what it takes to play the piano and enjoying the tiniest
components for their often neglected value and importance.

With the eyes closed or open, one may then become acquainted with the
nuances of touch and tone based on the force of the downward motion or the rapidity
of repetition on any given note. This experience is known as a ‘one-note study’.

Show great interest in, for example, the middle fingers’ range of power and
maximum speed of repetition whilst playing an Ab note. Playing slowly and softly
and slowly and loud is quite easy, as is playing fast and loud, but playing fast and
softly requires much more control because one is inclined to play loud. Such
discoveries are most enlightening to the Water Pianist.

Using current repertoire and playing it using widely different dynamic effects
and tempo modifications also gifts the performer the opportunity to experience the
smaller components of pianism at work.

By adding the Self to the framework, it is to be understood that, despite the

limited number of options available in terms of fingers and notes, one’s personality,
experiences, intentions, feelings, desires and purposes are without parallel.

Just as for the artist, limited colours and brush tips exist, as do materials and
sizes of canvas, yet the personality palette is always unique. This is what brings to
life the otherwise blank canvas of the artist and the wooden box of strings and
hammers for the pianist.

Everybody has personal limitations. It is not important how many one has,
nor should it be considered negative how debilitating they may currently be; it is more
important how they are handled by the natural Self in such a way as to not have a
negative impact on time at or away from the piano.

To the Water Pianist, the natural Self is the observer; the ego feeds it
negativity in all its shapes and forms and the inspirational source feeds it positivity in
all its shapes and forms. Unfortunately, the ego is the strongest of the three so it wins
most of the time.

That said, one must recognise that there is a conscious, powerful choice to be
made: Should the ego’s voice be acted upon or should it be rejected? If it is, the
inspirational source will continue doing what it always was doing and always will do:
feed wisdom, ideas and positivity into the natural Self. The choice should be quite
obvious.

Nevertheless, until this moment comes naturally, one is obliged to live with a
little negativity and a few personal limitations but rather than seeing this as
detrimental, the path is not as unsteady or rocky as one may believe it to be.

Common personal limitations which can eventually be overcome with time

are:

- Impatience

- Frustration with a particular phrase

- Stage fright

- Boredom

- Lack of direction

Whilst these may not all be a result of the ego, they may still simply exist due
to external factors such as discouraging friends and family, lack of piano availability
or bad advice.

Impatience is never good in any environment; piano practice or performance

even more so. One may become impatient due to a combination of other factors such
as boredom or frustration but impatience itself is very particular to the pianist because
one may still be bored or frustrated yet not impatient at all.

In the realm of pianism, impatience generally refers to disinterest; a lack of

desire to wish to stick with a piece because one wants to jump on to the next,
performing or practising out of obligation and wanting it to be over rather than
enjoying the experience, etc.

This limitation must be examined by the Self. For what reason is the piece not
enjoyed? Why is it considered that practising this aspect is not as important as that
aspect?

The answers, if honest, will enable one to make changes in the way the piano
is approached and better help with managing time both at and away from the piano for
a more enjoyable experience. Once understood, this limit can then be said to be non-
existent.

The Water Pianist sees that which causes frustration as perfect stepping stone
whereas an untrained mind would see it as an unpassable obstacle.

It is simply beyond any human capability to acquire every new skill perfectly
the first time, from being able to walk, to riding a bike to playing a composition and
tackling all its demands with incredible ease.

One would therefore do well to recognise and then accept that progress only
comes from effort and that appreciation for the difficulty is the best replacement for
frustration. Once understood, this limit can then be said to be non-existent.

Performing in front of friends and family can be traumatic for some, let alone
performing in public in front of paying strangers. The fear of failure is incredibly
strong as a defence mechanism that it takes much training to learn to overcome its
negative effects.

The Water Pianist is reassured by the following philosophy: There is usually

at least 90% of the audience who would not dare to be the performer; they only
admire and respect. In addition, there is usually no more than 10% who are indeed
able to perform and therefore know what it feels like to be in front of strangers; they
also admire and respect.

In the end, this results in around 100% of the audience appreciating the
performer with no intention or need of having any negative sentiments. Once
understood, this limit can then be said to be non-existent.

There are many reasons for why one decides to take up playing the piano.
Usually, the reason is personal rather than on the demands of others, as the case can
be for younger children, but no matter the reason, there is never a reason to be bored.

Boredom at the piano does not necessarily mean that one does not enjoy
playing; it even need not mean that one is impatient. More often than not, it comes
from external factors which simply negatively affect one’s persona in general; being
at the piano is simply one of those moments when it appears most obvious.

If one is happy with life in general and does not react in extremes, boredom is
extinguished automatically; the pleasure of the moment is in learning from it, not only
from enjoying it or being disappointed or angry about it.

How can one be bored when every single moment is providing a learning
opportunity through either positive or negative experiences? The key is in
detachment from these extremes so that the moment may be relished for what it is
worth.

Once at the piano, if a feeling of boredom emerges, identify the true cause of
this feeling because it may not be the piano at all. If so and when identified, make
changes accordingly. Once understood, this limit can then be said to be non-existent.

The Water Pianist never experiences a lack of direction because no direction is

being purposefully travelled. Note the word ‘purposefully’.

The only reason one may feel that lack of direction is a limiting factor is
because a direction is being sought; this automatically implies a path which implies
difficulties on the way to a final destination or ‘goal’.

This notion is not to be understood as never setting goals but as not seeing
them as finalities to struggle towards, as if no other way is possible and that once it is
achieved, no more work is necessary.

With such a mentality, the present moment is neglected and the mind spends
most of its energy in the future which always appears difficult since it is completely
unknown.

By not seeking a direction and simply enjoying current abilities as

demonstrated during practice and performance opportunities, one is freed from the
weighty inconveniences of seeking and simply remains as the observer while progress
is being made. Once understood, this limit can then be said to be non-existent.
 Study 17 – The Expertise Illusion
It is dangerous to be guided by a self-proclaimed expert; a true expert is
humble and only identifiable by the reactions and behaviour of others.

Not only is the true expert sensitive to the equal value and importance of
students but also to the value in acknowledging that learning and self-betterment are
without limit; that no matter one’s current level of attainment, there is always further
to travel, rendering the notion of expertise an egotistical illusion.

Therefore, the Water Pianist does not care to become an expert, choosing
instead to master the next required component of progress in perpetuum and being
ever satisfied with present abilities, no matter any comparisons to others and
completely disinterested in whether considered an expert or not by others.

One may be aware of the language trick in which a word is repeated over and
over and over again until it eventually becomes as meaningless as a foreign word.
This same phenomenon occurs during prolonged observation of a particular object;
constant staring of the hand, for example, eventually renders it a most bizarre sight, as
if it is no longer a hand or as if such a thing has never been seen before.

In pianism, this can be likened to having played or practised something many

times and it then losing the meaning, interest and impact it had the first time it was
executed. It is as if the mind has become not necessarily bored with it but numb to it,
resulting in an inadvertent reduction in quality of execution.

Such a mentality is common in the mind of a self-proclaimed expert; such a

skill level has been reached, such a number of practice drills have been repeated and
such a number of repertoire pieces have been heard or performed that the mind can be
said to have lost a certain degree of interest in terms of both practormance and even
the teaching of them.

The Water Pianist has transcended this unfortunate mentality by instead

treating every practormance opportunity and teaching experience as if it were as
exciting and new as the first. This brings with it a purer joy and appreciation for the
art, an increase in quality of execution and more effective teaching.

The difficulty in achieving this state, however, is the ability to overcome the
illusion of expertise; the more experience one has, the more difficult this task
becomes. One feels a sense of entitlement due to significant experience and herein
lies the problem.

One would do well to humble oneself more often. For example, set the
metronome at a rather slow and easy 120bpm and enjoy playing through each of the
twelve major scales with both hands, eyes closed, paying no attention to any
patronising thought being thrown out by the ego as to how ‘boring’ or ‘useless’ this
activity may seem to be to someone of great experience.

Or, if sight-reading comes very easily, allow the mind to overcome this sense
of superiority by playing incredibly easy pieces with few notes on the score. This
trains the natural Self to ignore the ego and return to a state of excitement about the
smaller, easier components of pianism which are oft-times neglected and disregarded.
A humbling experience indeed.

Whilst such exercises will not enhance current abilities, they will play a huge
role in a much more important aspect of pianism; an aspect far beyond any playing
ability; that of a balanced, inspired mind enjoying the present moment without any
ego noise.

Further to this, such exercises close the illusory gap between the mind of a
self-proclaimed expert and that of a purer, more balanced and joyous so-called
‘student’ pianist, even resulting in a much more refined output by the more
experienced pianist than ever before.

Put simply: remain forever humble, for there is no worse state of mind than
that of believing to have achieved perfection.
 Study 18 – Listening Eyes, Seeing Ears
Whilst it is very obvious that one sees with the eyes and listens with the ears,
it should be of no surprise that myriad events pass by consciously unseen and unheard
almost every moment of every day.

Furthermore, what does get caught by the eyes and ears is immediately passed
through a filter and then presented to the natural Self, the conscious mind, as a neatly
wrapped package to which a certain amount of importance is instantly attached and to
which one then reacts accordingly. This is known as an emotional signature.

In action, this may be witnessing the behaviour of a disobedient child causing

difficulties for the mother or listening to words of love spoken by one individual to
another on a park bench. The event is seen or heard by the eyes or ears, filtered and
then consciously acknowledged, resulting in countless adjectives to describe the
situation as per the emotional signature within.

One would do well to acknowledge the fact that all visual and audible events
as seen by the eyes and heard by the ears carry a value based only on the unique
characteristics of the personality of the observing individual and do not reflect in any
way the absolute truth, nor any deeper, unknown truths, of the event at hand.

It is therefore futile to trust anything filtered and presented as absolute,

trustworthy or beneficial to the Self having merely been received by the seeing eyes
and listening ears.

Not only is the above true, it assumes that one reacts based only on visual and
audible stimuli rather than the perhaps unusual concept of listening with the eyes and
seeing with the ears, both of which offer a window into the deeper components of the
absolute truth of an event, not to mention learning more about one’s natural
tendencies and become more in tune with one’s emotional signature.

Whilst this may appear completely irrelevant to pianism, it is actually a very

beneficial philosophy to apply to one’s studies, primarily thanks to an eventual
increase in the sensitivity of the aforementioned senses.

To begin understanding this new concept, one would do well to acknowledge

that what the eyes see are simply physical representations of an emotional signature
and what the ears hear are simply audible representations of an emotional signature.

Attention here may be directed towards the Mind Triangle concept. It may be
said then that the ego filters that which is seen by the eyes and heard by the ears and
provides judgement but that which is seen by the ears and listened to by the eyes is
the work of the inspirational source and provides imagination.

For example, if one were to witnesses, in the wilderness or on TV, a cheetah

chasing down and killing a gazelle, without any sound, a particular emotional
signature would be generated within the mind and a physical reaction based on that
would be produced; this may be the closing of the eyes out of pity for the prey or the
cheering for the success of the hunter.

Much in the same way, if one were to hear the screeching of brakes without
bearing witness to the reason (a potential fatality, for example), a particular emotional
signature would be generated within the mind and a physical reaction based on that
would be produced; this may be the wincing of the eyes out of fear of serious impact
or the appreciation for the quick reactions of the driver with no care as to why it was
necessary to stop.

Switching these two exact same events around, one may be very surprised at
how what is received is interpreted completely differently, thus resulting in a
completely different physical reaction due to the new emotional signature produced.

Imagine only listening to the audio of a cheetah (unknown to the Self) chasing
a gazelle (also unknown to the self) through the wilderness. One would hear a
running animal, the brushing by of bushes and the pads of the paws as they stamp
against the dry ground but would be unsure as to the reason of the sudden stop (the
actual kill).
 As for the screeching brakes, if this rapid deceleration were witnessed without
sound due to headphones being worn or the video player being muted, one would be
unperturbed by it and possibly pay no attention at all.

And so it may be said that seeing with the eyes or listening with the ears to the
very same events causes completely different emotional signatures being produced
than those when the event is seen by the ears or heard by the eyes.

In this regard, the Water Pianist frequently both sees and hears day-to-day
events with both the eyes and the ears in order to develop an awareness of the
enormous variety of emotional signatures.

Such a mental exercise helps to bring the mind into the present moment, helps
with calming the ego and therefore allows the inspirational source to supply the mind
with much creativity during moments of both practice and performance.

Such an awareness of emotional signatures, not to mention the mind-training

benefits in general coming from this exercise, also enhances the general sensitivity of
the pianist and results in more refined, emotional and honest execution.

The Water Pianist is capable of converting emotional signatures to music by

having an awareness of Tonal Intervals.

A tonal interval is the distance between any two notes. It is most useful to
name the intervals based on the major scale.

Imagine an uncut key; this represents the major scale. As note values are
added, the addition of new teeth gives the key a unique shape.

Tonal intervals may be considered the master key; they are beyond all the
many scale types, which themselves may be considered a set of many different key
cuttings, because they involve every note of and out of the major scale template. In
other words, they provide access to every note. This is known as the chromatic scale.

This means that whatever the starting note is, that major scale becomes the
uncut master key and all the tonal intervals possible create the cut key. This cut key
becomes the master key providing the same results when used with all twelve of the
major scales.

For example, if the note were an E, every note to the right, ascending, would
be labelled based on the uncut key major scale of E (E, F#, G#, A, B, C#, D#) so that
all the notes in the major scale may be rapidly identified; the uncut key.

All notes then not in the major scale would be considered the teeth of the once
uncut, major scale key, other notes therefore being rapidly identifiable as well; the
master key.

Of course, this is purely an intellectual idea but in practice, as shall be

divulged, it provides both the improviser and composer with a magic key to unlocking
the emotional centres of any listener.

A very common use of emotional signatures connected to tonal intervals is that

of film music, without which, a film would be very lifeless and lack an enormous
amount of influence over the viewer.

Whilst the viewer may be unware of the technicalities behind the music, it
cannot be denied that certain instruments, tempos, chord types and notes evoke
particular emotions; these will usually go hand-in-hand with the content of the scene
so that a deeper connection may be made with the character(s) involved or a particular
emotion be brought forward.

For example, an accordion instantly takes one to the boulevards of Paris or

panpipes to the mountains of Peru, the Bossa Nova rhythm to the beaches of Brazil
and the Sitar to India. It would be most unusual to mix these but would certainly
provoke unique emotional signatures.

One may agree that playing a beautiful Chopin Nocturne on a piano during a
fight scene would be most bizarre. However, if it was intentional, it would be to
remove the harshness of the scene and promote thoughts of a gentler nature; a clear-
cut example of how the ears may ‘see’.
 In much the same way, playing music akin to a potentially scary jump-out
moment such as would be at home in a horror film would be incredibly ill-placed,
unless purposefully intended as such, during a romantic, candle-lit dinner scene.

Sometimes, no music is used at all. The director intends on the natural Self of
the viewer to apply their own interpretation to the scene; is it sad that the main
character dies, or necessary to the plot and survival of the others?

In such a case, no music would be a good example of the listening eyes; the
Self applies an emotional signature to the moment so that a particular kind of music
may then be identified from within. Should it be heroic or sentimental? Funny or
reassuring?

All music ever written for and used in films at particular moments is only
effective because of the tonal intervals contained within; that is, the interval from any
one note, the root, to the next.

The Water Pianist has spent much time identifying tonal intervals so that they
may be used at will during improvisational or compositional moments.

Further, when performing works composed by others, the Water Pianist has
developed an uncanny sensitivity in identifying emotional signatures of the tonal
intervals of the piece.

One of the best, but not limited to, composers to demonstrate this idea is
Chopin. His hugely diverse compositions provide a treasure chest of opportunities to
identify tonal intervals in action and provide the listener with further opportunities to
identify emotional signatures.

If one listens to his compositions with knowledge of his life, his longing for
his Polish homeland, his seemingly constant ill-health and personal life in mind, they
suddenly come alive in a way never experienced before. The tonal intervals are like
words speaking out from his heart in everything from anguish to deep love, from
lonesomeness to hope.
 One may compare such music to the Rock and Roll era or the 70s disco era;
due to the tonal intervals used in such music, Chopin-esque emotional signatures are
simply not evoked when Elvis Presley sings and plays his guitar.

Strive to acknowledge tonal intervals using each note from the root of a major
scale and identify an emotional signature against them, for this is a great secret
neglected by so many pianists and educators.

What is traditionally more important is sight-reading, the fallacy of correct

hand placement, excessive, mindless repetitions of finger exercises and the separation
of the hands. Awareness of sound and emotion is oft-times neglected absolutely,
despite being at the core of all pianism.

In this way, the Water Pianist has acknowledged the incomparable value in
being aware of emotional signatures, how they are received differently by the seeing
ears and listening eyes and how music as a whole is based entirely on a combination
of this simple secret in order to evoke myriad emotions within the listener.
 Study 19 – Daily Practice
To most, such a term automatically implies time spent at the piano day after
day. It is believed that by playing the piano every day, one improves and that this is
the only way to improve.

This is a fallacy.

Almost all of what it takes, namely the theoretical, physical and mental
components of playing the piano, may be exercised, enhanced and even perfected
during ordinary, everyday life.

Results become obvious when playing the piano but it must not be ignored
that one does not improve only when sat at it as if no other opportunities exist.

What is most interesting about this philosophy is that that which needs
to be exercised, enhanced and mastered may be achieved through very unmusical
means.

Because playing the piano is the final link in the Mind, Body and Piano
channel, it is the piano itself which reveals what has gone on through a strong, trained
body and a balanced, still mind.

Therefore, what goes on in the body and the mind has a direct impact on the
output of the pianist.

Consider if only one arm was strengthened. Playing would be very

asymmetrical and certain passages would be unplayable by the unstrengthened side,
no matter how much the mind wanted to play them or how beautiful they may sound.

Or, consider a mind which has no grasp of musical personality and is of an

individual who has many perceived difficulties, challenges and frustrations in life?
No matter the perfection of the muscles and finger tendons, the results would be an
array of irregular noise when executed on the piano.
 Therefore, the Water Pianist constantly seeks, but never believes to have
achieved, perfection of the mind, body and thus, piano.

Daily practice provides the pianist with countless opportunities to enhance the
mind and the body towards perceived mastery and since mastery at the piano is only
possible when one has mastered the mind and the body away from the piano, sources
of daily practice tend to be most unmusical in nature indeed.

However, just because the sources of practice are unmusical does not mean
that they cannot be interpreted and used in a musically beneficial way and as always
for the Water Pianist, it is through a conscious awareness of the present moment and
the observation of nature where one begins.

It may be said that a sense of rhythm is the most important aspect of pianism;
no matter what one plays, without correct timing, it falls to pieces.

Many individuals claim not to have a sense of rhythm but although this is not
true, daily practice will allow the inherent sense of rhythm currently being blocked by
the negative, doubting ego to find a way out.

The most excellent way to develop a sense of rhythm is by focusing on one’s

walking.

Walking, when not in a busy location, is steady, paced and natural. Unless
specifically in a hurry, one does not tend to walk slower or faster for no good reason.
This makes for an excellent natural metronome whilst also bringing the mind into the
present moment.

Use each step to set the time signature; how many beats until the bar starts
again. Usually this is 4 but 3 is also common.

Spend some time walking at these times and counting to the appropriate
number. This focuses the conscious mind on the present moment, silences the ego
and allows the inspirational source to open up and connect to the rhythm of the steps
from within.
 After a while, the inherent ability of feeling rhythm will start to shine through
but in a most natural way rather than a forced, textbook way which uses words to try
and explain what can only be understood through silence and feeling.

By slowing the walking pace, one can begin to practise patience as well as
enhancing the sense of rhythm. Walking more slowly forces the conscious mind to
count more slowly, something which can cause frustration when done artificially at
the piano but when done as part of daily practice, especially when walking, all ego
negativity is removed automatically and the moment can be enjoyed.

Games may be played during this particular exercise. For example, one may
decide that two walked steps represents 1 beat, meaning the main beat always falls on
the same foot. In this case, “1 and” would be two steps, “2 and” would be two steps,
etc.

Or, one step could be two beats, giving “1 and” for one step, “2 and” for the
next step”. This rhythm is called ‘Shuffle’ and is common in the Blues and Jazz
world.

As can be seen, a sense of rhythm, as well as practising patience by slowing

down, bringing the otherwise very active mind into the present moment and using a
very natural, otherwise unmusical source, that of walking, one may practise
something which is quite boring and even difficult or impossible at the piano during a
regular, pleasant day’s stroll.

A further demonstration of unmusical sources of practice is that of finger

independence.

In this guide, finger tendon and arm muscle exercise suggestions have been
provided but this example focuses more on bringing the mind into the present and
allowing the fingers to experience ‘movement’ when away from the piano rather than
aiming to strengthen them as was previously discussed.

When sitting in traffic, lying in bed, walking the dog or waiting for the bus to
come, one is always able to discreetly give the fingers an opportunity to move. This
can result in many hours of movement per day to the most dedicated of Water
Pianists, something regular pianists do not experience.

Not only are the fingers moving but the mind is able to be brought into the
present to focus on a particular finger or finger combination and thus strengthen the
link between them.

With so much repetition, the pianist will find that, when practising or
performing, a lot less conscious interference will be present due to the previously
constantly moved fingers as part of daily practice opportunities’ benefits.

Simply wiggling exactly the same fingers is a good place to start. Again, this
is not about strengthening but moving and enhancing the mental connection with them
when away from the piano.

Then, try wiggling the associated finger on the other hand (right hand index
finger, left hand ring finger). Perhaps wiggling one finger in alternation with two
fingers, sharing this across two hands as well. The options are numerous and the
inspirational source will provide creative ideas if permitted by the silent mind.

Through repetitious daily practice, results will be noticed and improvements in

playing will be remarked very early on.

A way to make this exercise more interesting is to change finger combinations

every time something of note happens such as a blue car passes, or someone wearing
a hat passes; in nature, every time a dog barks or a bird tweets, change the fingers.

This is such very important practice since not only are musical components
being practiced when not at the piano but more importantly the mind is being trained
to be in the present moment, the ego is being silenced more often and the inspirational
source is being given more free reign than ever before. These are almost invaluable
benefits which are unattainable at the piano.

One may also take the opportunity of walking or being at rest to identify
fingering for the twelve major scales and to use walking to combine rhythm and major
scale enhancement.

It must be remembered that the fingers can do whatever the mind can imagine
them doing and they cannot do what the mind cannot imagine them doing; this is why
such daily practice is so important to the Water Pianist.

Listening is an indescribably important part of being a musician. It helps to

improve improvisational ability, it reinforces song structures and opens one up to the
enormous variety of styles present all over the world, components of which may be
taken and used as part of the musical personality.

Listening, however, is not confined to music; outdoors, in nature or busy

cities, is a melting pot of sounds which may be used as part of daily practice efforts.

Birds chirping, for example, is not only a wonderful opportunity to identify

melodies and rhythms through their natural song but yet another opportunity to bring
the mind into the present moment and practise the useful skill of listening without
ego, without opinions; one may say to listen mindlessly.

Listening to music in its common formats is of course a very obvious practice

and should be performed as much as possible but it is identifying with the natural
music of nature that the Water Pianist is able to calm the mind, find enhancement
opportunities away from the piano and be, as it were, a pianist at all moments when
not at the piano.

One would do well to listen to the words of others. It has been said by many a
wise person that those who know, do not speak and those who speak, do not know.

In Water Pianism, this is interpreted quite simply as the act, and art, of
listening; one understands the value of listening to advice, feedback and in general,
being situationally aware in both musical and natural settings.

If one’s playing is said to be too fast whereas it is felt to have been quite
acceptable, take the advice and consider its value; play the piece a little more slowly
and see if indeed it does sound better or feel more natural.

Just as when a stone is thrown into a lake, there is the initial contact and splash
but very quickly the ripples slowly fade and the water is still again, having completely
consumed the stone.

The target is always that of ‘honest execution’, no matter what one says about
one’s playing. This is the most noble of approaches to performance.

It can therefore be surmised that piano practice does indeed go far beyond the
gravity of the piano keys; one need not feel disappointed or frustrated at a lack of
piano playing opportunities because so many important facets to pianism are still
available away from the piano.

Over time, obvious changes shall be remarked: a combination of a heightened

sense of rhythm, greater patience, an increased sensitivity to tone, a more elegant and
refined touch, a quieter, less interfering ego and a far more admirable appreciation for
the mind, nature and the importance of always living in the present moment.

Such is the constant, joyful striving of the Water Pianist.

 Study 20 – Extremities in Practice
If a mirror is over-polished, the glass becomes damaged and the reflection is
tainted. An over-sharpened knife becomes smaller and smaller until it eventually gets
filed away. Giving a plant too much water drowns it rather than encourages it to
grow.

However, if a mirror is never cleaned, it cannot reflect at all, an unsharpened

knife becomes blunt and an unwatered plant soon shrivels up and perishes.

Nature teaches the Water Pianist that adopting either extreme is dangerous and
that choosing to adhere to what may be called a middle way is most desirable for best
results.

At the piano, it is very common for a newcomer to either feel it wise or be

advised that repetition of playing anything, from major scales to whole repertoire
pieces, is the only way to learn and improve; by wrote, one may say.

The repetition of a positive ideal surely creates habits which in turn result in
the ability to execute something ‘second nature’ but the advice of repeating is very
often interpreted to the extreme by both student and teacher.

As with learning new vocabulary in a foreign language, a little every day

works wonders. It is the mental cramming of 100 words daily with great effort which
causes most of them to be forgotten, stress to be experienced and then disappointment
in memory failure to appear.

Five to ten words a day, looked at from time to time and then consciously
forgotten provides the best, most natural and effortless progress in vocabulary
memorisation. Indeed, this is how growing babies acquire language.

What are words to the linguist are major scales to the pianist; without them,
sentences and melodies, expressions and chords are simply unplayable.

Just as a light sprinkling of water over the garden every evening is most
beneficial for grass growth instead of a flooding of water morning, afternoon and
evening, the most beneficial kind of practice is targeted and brief, yet regular enough
to become routine.

The Water Pianist recognises that, just as even the most green and beautifully
colourful of gardens still require routine attention, so too do the well-trained
components of the mind, body and piano.

By routine attention to the mind, it is to be remembered that, no matter how

strong the body is or how much piano knowledge has been acquired, a balanced mind
is imperative.

Everything a pianist plays comes from the mind. The feeling and emotions of
the present moment, sentimental memories, the audience, future concerns such as
exams or public performances, stillness of the mind and the level of conscious
interference and self-confidence all influence practormance quality.

Because of the above, it is necessary to do as with the garden; water it every

evening. This analogy of course need not be taken to the word and that one must only
focus on the mind in the evening.

One must recognise that one plays what and how one thinks. It is the mental
‘state’ which has the greatest influence over output; not only theoretical knowledge
and not only strong muscles and flexible tendons.

Spend some time in silence with the internal piano going over the major
scales, visualise whole pieces to identify weak points or memory lapses, listen to the
sounds of nature, observe the noise of the ego but treat it as a harmless mirage rather
than a solid object which can harm.

Time spent on the mind in such different ways will bring it into an eventual
constant state of relaxation and improve playing quality by unimaginable amounts but
only if executed from time to time rather than for intense, excessive concentration
periods followed by weeks of no focus at all.
 By routine attention to the body, it is to be remembered that, no matter how
balanced the mind is or how much piano knowledge has been acquired, a strong body
is imperative.

One need only spend five minutes a day stretching the finger tendons, doing
arm muscle exercises and performing finger dexterity exercises for enormous
advantages in technical ability.

Of course, this may take place both at and away from the piano and need not
be musical in nature.

At the piano, major scales, chord arpeggios and chromatic scale runs, interval
repetitions and jumps are all excellent for finger and arm precision enhancement.
These are, of course, most beneficial when performed with eyes closed so as to allow
the mind and body to build a stronger connection by reducing conscious interference
to a minimum.

One need only play two octaves of major scales, at a comfortable speed,
arpeggios of different chord types, at a comfortable speed, and the chromatic scale, at
a comfortable speed, for five to ten minutes per day to notice improvements within
weeks in all other areas of playing.

One need only spend a brief time on repertoire to allow it to sink deeper into
the mind and become completely internalised. Mindless repetition will cause the song
to be forgotten quicker. It is also of great use to play old repertoire to keep it current
from time to time and perhaps experience it in a new way with a purer mind.

Excessive practice is simply flooding the grass; the first drenching was enough
that any extra water is wasted.

Away from the piano, there are always many chances to flex the fingers,
strengthen the muscles and improve dexterity between fingers and a little from time to
time will always provide the most fruitful of results.

By routine attention to the piano, it is to be remembered that, no matter how

balanced the mind is or how strong the body is, piano knowledge, music theory and
repertoire is imperative.

However, it must always be remembered that no amount of theory will have

an impact of natural ability and will not, as theory alone, enhance any current ability.

With this in mind, study theory and acquire knowledge as and when it feels or
is necessary. For example, if one has not yet mastered all twelve major scales, there
would be little use in memorising fifty Italian musical notation terms since they will
not become part of one’s current scope or path for perhaps many years.

That said, once sight-reading is commenced, should that be part of one’s

journey, acquire knowledge of the notation used only in pieces which are being
studied. Learning about the life of the composer is also very beneficial to build a
picture of the individual behind the black dots.

This may be compared to an artist who is sitting within a splendid view and
has the opportunity to paint every detail in sight, yet chooses to paint a different scene
from a previous day.

As may now be understood, it is detrimental to either completely ignore one of

the mind, body or piano components or to focus only on one of them.

Only a light, routing sprinkling of each produces the most desirable of results
and contributes to the highest standards of playing possible by the dedicated
individual.
 The Destinationless Journey
Given that the Water Pianist takes most inspiration from the teachings inherent
to water, it would seem unusual not to study the natural path of water known as the
Water Cycle.

Since it is a cycle, a circle of sorts, there is no identifiable starting point or

finishing line, meaning that a drop of water cannot be said to ‘start here’ as a cloud or
‘end there’ when it joins the ocean.

However, as with all things nature, one is able to identify similarities with
human undertakings and as it were, find a way to ‘fit in’ with a natural process so as
to identify or help to comprehend a particular teaching or philosophy.

In the case of the water cycle having no true beginning or end, the Water
Pianist identifies the beginning of the cycle as the existence of a cloud, recognising
that this is simply a starting point in philosophical terms and that the cycle indeed
continues around and around throughout the life of the pianist, just as it does for
water.

By following a drop of water from the formation of a cloud, its fall down to
the Earth, journey across the lands and rise back up into the atmosphere to start the
destinationless journey once again, one may pick out similarities which can be paired
up with the typical path of becoming a pianist in order to understand and even
overcome certain difficulties, notions, beliefs and obstacles, either of the mind or
body, so ever present on that path.

Water Pianism identifies with six stages of the water cycle: As part of a
drifting cloud, as part of the falling rain, as part of a steady stream, as part of a mighty
river, as part of a wave on a vast ocean and as part of the invisible rising, only to
forever repeat.

Each stage may be said to represent the mentality of the regular pianist. Each
stage must be experienced many times before fully understanding the true way of the
Water Pianist.

And so it is that:

As part of a drifting cloud, one begins by looking at the world of pianism from
a distance. The journey to travel appears to be risky, dangerous and full of difficulties
and there seems to be no place welcoming or easy enough to endure.

One looks down at the Earth and witnesses all the other drops falling as rain,
seemingly fearless, provoking thoughts of negativity, self-doubt, a lack of trust and a
false sense of impossibility along with the incorrect idea that once on the surface of
the Earth, the journey of the drop shall come to an end; that being the rain is ‘it’.

What is unknown and goes unrecognised at this stage is that every raindrop
shall fall upon its own unique location yet not one raindrop has ever, ever landed in
the wrong place and is one reason that the cycle must be experienced at least once;
such realisations requiring multiple rounds to be acknowledged.

Finally, one takes the plunge.

As part of the falling rain, one instantly compares one’s performance with
those nearby; speed, size and shape or the hand and all such qualities are compared to
the Self and often result once again in negative emotions. One drop may be a little
slow, boosting the ego; one may be faster, deflating the ego.

The time spent as rain is long and is greatly and easily affected by the natural
winds which, at first, is most agitating.

Soon, a nice landing area is identified but drifts out of sight as the winds
change once again. Frustration sets in and feelings of jealousy begin to show their
ugly heads as other raindrops land where the Self was hoping to land.

Eventually, a forest thick of trees comes up and the arrival is slowed down by
sturdy branches and wide leaves before finally one settles amongst other drops in a
dark, damp ravine.
 As part of a steady stream, one may relax from the fall and feel a greater sense
of security but the darkness and slow progress feels frustrating and worrisome. Other
raindrops fell further on up ahead and are enjoying the warmth of sunlight squeezing
between overhanging fauna and beautiful views.

Time passes, the waterway picks up a little speed yet remains small and
hidden. Due to the shallow water, many rocks and pebbles bash the drops about;
some happen to miss them, some go over them, others try to take them on by force,
only to lose and make no progress.

The stream twists and turns, passes under little footbridges and sometimes
diverts suddenly due to larger, man-made obstacles. Nevertheless, it never stops
flowing and sooner or later, a great noise can be heard as the water picks up speed.

As part of a mighty river, the drops are not unaffected by small stones, are
strong enough to carry heavy boats, carve landscapes and be full of wildlife; animals
drink from this source, live in this source and wash in this source. It is an
inspirational place to be.

It may be felt at this stage that the drops have finally made it; that by having
taken the plunge all that time ago, this is where it all led to, this unstoppable flow of
powerful water.

What is unknown at this stage is that the river is yet still small to the ocean
and that an unimaginable freedom exists beyond this currently enjoyable setting.
Nevertheless, it is enjoyed and is where many drops are happy to end their journey.

As part of a wave on a vast ocean, the drops see no limits and the horizon is
far, far away. Such a freedom could never have been imagined as the water bobs up
and down with grace and calm.

Some waves are enormous, others tiny and of short duration; some create great
swirls while others are so smooth as to reflect the sunlight off them like shiny glass.

The depths of this ocean are incomprehensible, can be traced and explored
forever and provide the seeker with plenty to experience.

As part of the invisible rising, drops are separated from each other and leave
the ocean. They are less fearful than when falling as rain and take with them many
happy memories from their journey.

Before long, and with the right conditions, the drops come together once again
over newer lands, this time perhaps longing to fall once again as rain.

Consider now the path of a regular pianist who is just about to embark on the
journey towards assumed pianistic mastery.

As with the drop in the cloud, the student is nervous. No end is anywhere in
sight, only questions of doubt and concerns of the unknown are present.

From a distance, those who have recently started their journey seem to be
doing so well; perhaps, it may be believed, even better than this student pianist will
ever achieve.

After some encouragement and when the pull is strong enough, the first steps
are taken: books are acquired on ‘how to fall as rain’, unaware that the falling takes
place outside the mind, and discussions are had with others for advice on how to fall
and where to land, what to expect and what is expected.

As with the drop in the rain, the student now compares progress to others,
looks around for encouragement and attempts to pick a few other drops to mimic
since they appear to be being drops really quite well.

After some time and the feeling that the fall is being controlled in a
satisfactory manner; major scales and basic fingering are being acquired and one or
two songs are being studied, a direction is selected and aimed for, of course, in vain.

As with the drop in the steady stream, the student feels both a sense of
disappointment at the deceptive path that is being taken, despite making good
progress and spends too much time comparing progress with others.
 A good posture has been acquired, a few more major scales are known and a
few more pieces are being worked on but many perceived obstacles are being
encountered; playing with two hands separately, a sense of rhythm, sight-reading
ability, etc.

After a while, speed and confidence increase and playing ability in general is
felt to be improving.

As with the drop in the river, the student now feels that many goals have been
achieved and what is in truth a false sense of success has set in; small obstacles are
overcome or ignored and the vastness of this mentality dupes the student into
believing that everything is now possible.

As with the drop in the ocean’s wave, an almost blissful feeling is achieved.
Much is to be discovered, much is to be learnt and it is believed that there is enough
time to remain in this ocean of knowledge and repertoire forever, having entered it
from the river and the river from the stream.

It is believed that this is a place few drops reach because of its grandness, its
endless opportunities and seemingly effortless means of survival. One has ended the
pianism journey until, one day, a strange feeling befalls the student: what next?

For the first time, the student has come to an important realisation beyond the
realms of pianism and theory, repertoire and technique: what to do next? What does
it all mean?

As with the drop invisibly rising, the student finally ascends and looks back on
all that has been achieved and acquired. Not only this, but looking forward, new
clouds of new drops are visible; countless new drops as nervous as it was.

Finally, the experienced yet once again beginner drop takes the hand of
another, detaches from all that has been acquired and jumps from the cloud with eyes
closed, without hesitation, teaching the beginner the most important lesson of all: Of
all the drops from that cloud, in this rainfall, to be travelling across the lands and
floating in the oceans, not one will ever reach perfection yet not one will ever land in
the wrong place, not one will ever be totally satisfied and not one will ever escape
from this forever cycle.

Therefore, it may be said that the Water Pianist enjoys the moment while
floating as a cloud, effortlessly falling as rain, while effortlessly flowing as a stream,
while effortlessly charging as a river, while effortlessly existing as an ocean and while
effortlessly experiencing new realisations as the invisible rising, only to repeat this
exceptional, destinationless journey forever and ever, enriching the lives of others
whenever the moment presents itself.

I wish You well, fellow Water Pianist.

Daniel Bennett (aka danthecomposer)