The Mindful Pianist: Piano Book

This book tackles the invisible side of piano playing, the mental and physical habits that either unlock or sabotage your students' potential. Rather than offering another technique manual, Tanner draws on wisdom from 25 respected pianists and teachers to address the real obstacles students face: memorization struggles, performance anxiety, repertoire selection, and the practical challenge of knowing where to begin with a new score.

The experience of reading this book mirrors the practice of mindfulness itself, it slows you down and invites honest reflection about how you actually work rather than how you think you should work. The inclusion of voices from leading pianists creates a sense of conversation and permission to explore your own relationship with the instrument.

This book serves serious amateur pianists who feel stuck despite solid technique, as well as professional pianists seeking to refine their approach to practice and performance. Piano teachers will find concrete strategies to pass along to students at any level who struggle with focus, memorization, or performance confidence.

• Map out your initial survey of a new piece deliberately; a hurried first read often embeds poor habits that require significant unraveling later
• Notice where your body tenses during practice and performance; physical restriction directly limits musical expression, not the reverse
• Build memorization into your learning process from the start rather than treating it as a final step
• Examine your repertoire choices honestly; playing pieces that genuinely speak to you creates motivation that technical competence alone cannot provide

Assign sections of this text to intermediate and advanced students as part of a practice curriculum, particularly before they tackle ambitious solo repertoire. For studio teachers, it serves as a resource to justify why certain preparation habits matter and to help students distinguish between surface-level playing and playing with real intention.

• Deliberate score analysis and planning for new repertoire
• Conscious body awareness during practice and performance
• Strategic memorization techniques integrated into learning
• Mental focus and concentration in both rehearsal and performance settings
• Self-awareness regarding repertoire choices and learning preferences
• Managing performance anxiety through mindful preparation