Use Visualization to Learn Away from Your Instrument

By Scott Flavin | From the November-December 2024 issue of Strings magazine

Visualization: the formation of a mental image of something

For string players, harnessing the power of the mind can result in great success, and visualization specifically is a great way to reduce negative internal chatter and resist internal and external distractions. For me, visualization equals guided imagery, mental rehearsal, and mindfulness, all of which can invite renewed mental focus, a heightened sense of well-being, and greater self-confidence. Athletes use visualization regularly, helping them project a positive outcome in competition or training, as well as inducing a feeling of calm. Using the mind to imagine specific details and how it feels to perform at the highest level can help you visualize clearly.

There are three main types of visualization that both athletes and others use to improve performance: visual—using positive mental images; kinesthetic—imagining how the body feels when it is performing at the highest level; and auditory—calling to mind the positive and encouraging sounds you hear (cheering crowds, for example). Do you think about all three in your playing, practicing, and performing? If not, consider using visualization.

Be Present

In his classic book The Inner Game of Tennis, W. Timothy Gallwey mentions how the challenge of competition creates adrenaline, making the heart beat faster, hands sweaty, and breathing faster and more shallow. The solution to combat these negative effects is to keep the mind centered on the present moment rather than focused on past or future events, which can burden the mental process. “When our brains get caught in thoughts of the past or thoughts of the future, it creates a stress response, and we can’t use that part of the brain that keeps us engaged in the moment,” says author and life coach Kristen Race. According to Race, mindfulness helps train the prefrontal cortex—the part of the brain that creates a calm and alert state of mind—to stay focused, avoid distraction, and perform at our best. She states that this is one of the best ways to calm the stress response in our brain; this allows us to notice our thoughts and emotions without getting attached to them. 

Visualization in Practice

Some years ago, I had to go through a rather lengthy and uncomfortable series of dental procedures—this became the perfect impetus for a thorough honing of mental practice. I was inspired by the great pianist Glenn Gould, who, by the necessity of being away from the piano while traveling, learned to practice mentally with great success. What else was I going to do? I needed to focus my mind on something other than what was going on in my mouth! In this case, I took a particular passage from the Beethoven Violin Concerto and went through it note by note over the course of a two-hour dental procedure. I found that it initially took a great deal of focus to concentrate so completely, but as I continued to visualize, the process became richer and more consistent, and I found that the result was learning in significantly greater depth.

Daniel Coyle, in his book The Talent Code, states that the brain recognizes mental practice just as much as physical practice. In the learning process, our brain’s neural circuits become wrapped in something called myelin, which helps signals move faster and more consistently. Studies have shown that when you practice mentally, your brain is creating just as much myelin as when you are using your body and your instrument!

Performance Anxiety

Positive visualization can also help you deal with performance anxiety by mentally putting yourself in a place of comfort and positivity. Picture yourself dressed in your concert clothes before a performance at a concert hall—the seats are filled, the lights are bright, and you’re about to step onstage. Now visualize feeling excited and positive about performing, about sharing your music making with an audience full of friends. You are energized, positive, and inspired rather than negative or anxious. As you walk out onstage, you are confident and comfortable and ready to connect with the audience. Your breathing is slow and deep, and you are filled with an inner glow and sense of flow. It can be helpful to practice accessing this positive mental state often leading up to a performance.

Before you actually perform, put yourself in a positive mental state backstage. You might devise your own positive inner talk: for example, “I’m going to play really well. I feel energized. I feel connected.” Remember, all of these visualizations will create positive growth in the brain, so this is not wasted effort.

Try it!

Here’s a visualization practice exercise. Choose a phrase or a short passage, and record it on your phone. Then put your instrument down, and visualize the passage completely three times. It may take you quite a while to be able to focus fully on the given passage, so be patient. 

Visualize:

Technical difficulties. Anticipate the passages that are technically difficult for you. They may be intonation, position changes, rapid notes, difficult bow strokes, double-stops, etc. Picture in your mind how you will solve each difficulty, achieving consistency and physical ease. 

Shape of phrases. Where do the phrases begin and end, what are the high points and low points, what are the shapes of the notes, and how does each note shape the phrase? Make sure every note has a purpose.

Color of sound (tone). What is the mood or emotion (dark, light, rich, transparent)? Hear the ideal tone in your head.

It is very important that you take your time to fully concentrate each time you engage the work. If you are not used to thinking in this depth without the instrument in hand, this may be a significant challenge! Invest the time to concentrate fully; it may take three to five minutes per phrase or even longer. The point is to make sure your awareness is at its highest level.

After doing the three visualizations, record the passage again. You may be shocked at the improvement you’ve made without having played a note! Most players who try this make a second recording that is notably cleaner, more in tune, and more emotionally connected. And all by simply harnessing the power of the mind.