Mental training for Musicians II: Transforming Inner Patterns – Musically and Mentally
- Dr. Teresa Wenhart
- Oct 16
- 5 min read
The second part of Mental Training for Musicians deepens the work on psychological patterns through exercises that connect emotion, body, and identity. Drawing on neuroscientific findings, the article illustrates how lasting change arises from repeated, corrective experiences. Three creative methods foster self-reflection, psychological flexibility, and authentic expression – enabling a freer musical experience both on stage and in everyday life.
After exploring your psychological patterns in the first part (see also: Mental Training for Musicians I: Three Powerful Exercises for Mental Strength – and a Look Behind the Scenes of Your Patterns) and learning some immediate coping tools, it’s now time for the next step: gradually reprogramming your brain toward more adaptive ways of thinking and acting. You may have already heard a lot about mental strategies like “positive thinking” – but this is not about short-term motivation through affirmations. Instead, it’s about concrete strategies and exercises to bring about lasting change in your own emotional, cognitive, and behavioral patterns.
See also: Schemata in Musicians: Reflecting Psychological Patterns and Strengthening Self-Competence and Schemaarbeit
Neuroscience teaches us that our brain remains adaptable well into old age. This applies not only to cognitive or musical abilities but also to psychological development. This principle is used, for example, in schema therapy. However, such change takes time, patience, energy, and repetition. Affirmations alone are rarely enough – true transformation requires deep self-reflection and corrective experiences that challenge existing neural pathways and open up new ones.
These corrective experiences can occur in real life – for example, through positive concert experiences or supportive, inspiring people in social situations – or imaginatively, through exercises that strengthen your self-confidence. All of the following exercises are client favorites ;-).
You can try all of them on your own in a safe, private setting!
However, be patient with yourself if it doesn’t work right away or if you find it difficult to observe your thoughts or emotions. That’s completely normal – since a large part of our psychological processes take place unconsciously, these exercises often work better with the guidance of a psychologist (see also: Coaching).
Advanced Mental Training for Musicians
1. The “Failure-as-Research” Approach: A Systematic Expedition into Mistakes
Psychological Background: Perfectionism often stems from a fear of one’s own imperfection, which we perceive as unacceptable. It can involve fears of social exclusion—worrying that we aren’t good enough, that we won’t belong without achievement, or that we haven’t “earned” affection from family or friends.
See also: Schemata in Musicians: Reflecting Psychological Patterns and Strengthening Self-Competence
These feelings can be explored and addressed through the “Failure-as-Research” exercise.
How it works:
Choose a simple piece, e.g., a children’s song or a Christmas carol, and play it intentionally with various “mistakes.”
Observe each mistake like a scientist: “Interesting! When I stumble here, I think/feel…”
Create categories: “Melodic Deviations,” “Rhythmic Experiments,” “Dynamic Surprises.”
Reward yourself for each new “type of mistake” and notice how it affects you.
For advanced players: Take challenging passages from your repertoire and play them deliberately wrong (different notes, dynamics, rhythms, or interpretations). Finally, compare with the “correct” version, but give yourself permission to make mistakes.
What’s especially important in this exercise is to observe what it triggers in you. You might notice thoughts like, “What if I can’t play it correctly afterward?” or “What will my teacher/the audience think if I…,” or feelings such as fear, sadness, aversion/disgust, or even joy and a sense of independence. Which past experiences or people come to mind? Keep a “Failure Journal” to record your most fascinating discoveries.
2. “Embodied Characters”: Using the Body as an Anchor for Alternative States
Psychological Background: According to current scientific understanding, mind and body are inseparable (embodiment). Our body not only responds in the moment to our psychological experiences but also stores these experiences in bodily schemas. Learned musical inhibitions (“I have to play it correctly,” “I mustn’t make mistakes”) are often physically “frozen,” and even recalling past performance experiences can trigger similar bodily sensations.
This can be worked on using techniques from body psychotherapy:
How it works:
When nervousness arises, don’t fight it—step into it. Observe it like an independent witness.
Exaggerate the bodily symptoms on purpose: allow the trembling to intensify, your breathing to become irregular, your heartbeat to quicken.
Then let the opposite happen: become taller, breathe more calmly, let your body move powerfully and take up space.
If you like, give each state a character: “I am Fear, protecting you from…” vs. “I am Freedom, and I…”
Switch between these states and conduct an inner dialogue between them.
This exercise can be practiced on stage (e.g., in a class recital) or imaginatively by visualizing an uncomfortable performance situation. For the positive counterpart, draw on a strong, positive memory from your life (ideally non-musical). In this way, you use the body as a gateway to the unconscious and integrate aspects that have previously remained in the background. Again, pay close attention to which emotions, thoughts, or memories arise in you.
3.Role Experiments: “Alternative Musician Selves”
Psychological Background: You are not just a musician. Every person plays different roles across various areas of life and social contexts. Even your musician role can vary. We are not fixed to a single “musician self.”
Observing and experiencing this can be very enlightening and liberating. The “Alternative Musician Selves” exercise helps with exactly that.
How it works:
Imagine different versions of yourself as a musician: the “Carefree Musician,” the “Experimental Musician,” the “Spiritual Artist.”
Explore each persona: What values does this person hold? What repertoire do they typically play? Who are their friends? What life experiences have they had? Do they have a favorite quote (motto) or a preferred stage outfit?
Before playing, “step into” one of these identities.
Ask yourself: “How would this version of me approach the music?”
Play consciously from this perspective and let the different versions interact in dialogue with each other.
Practice this already while working on a piece, and switch between different musician selves depending on the piece, your mood, or the concert format. This expands your expressive possibilities and frees you from rigid self-images of who you should be, are, or have been.
Change Begins in the Practice Room
The exercises in this second part of Mental Training for Musicians help loosen rigid self-images and activate untapped potential.
Every conscious break from habitual patterns is a step toward greater cognitive flexibility—one of the most important factors for mental health and artistic performance.
True change in your musical self doesn’t begin on stage, but in the practice room. There, you gather the courage to observe and question old programs, and learn that perfection is not the goal—but vibrant, authentic expression.
The most beautiful part: this work extends beyond music. When you learn to change dysfunctional patterns in your playing, this inner flexibility also carries over into relationships, work, and self-perception—indeed, into your entire life. Learning to navigate your patterns while making music teaches you to handle emerging emotions, thoughts, and impulses in other areas of life as well.
See also: Schemata in Musicians: Reflecting Psychological Patterns and Strengthening Self-Competence
Preview of Part III
In Part III, the focus continues on consciously reprogramming your music-psychological patterns. You’ll learn how to reinterpret bodily reactions and creatively rewrite biographical imprints. Drawing on approaches from embodiment, schema research, and modern neuropsychology, you’ll discover how deeply ingrained patterns can not only be loosened but sustainably redirected into helpful pathways. This fosters greater inner freedom—with positive effects on artistic presence, relationships, and self-perception.
Mehr lesen:
(Schemata bei Musikerinnen und Musikern)
Interview mit der Deutschen Orchestervereinigung Unisono: https://uni-sono.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/2024-11-28-Huebsch-im-Interview-mit-HIldebrandt-und-Wenhardt-2024.pdf
Wenhart T. Mental Stark, psychisch gesund - Konzeption von Schema-Workshops für Musiker:innen und Musiklehrkräfte. 2024 DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.21773.51686
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