Learning Repetoire away from the piano

I find these distinctions between aural, kinesthetic, analytic and visual memory a little arbitrary. We use all these memories, but some aspects predominate, depending on each persons particular strengths. I don't think that people simply HAVE a good aural memory or kinesthetic memory. It is something they develop through habits. They are able to memorize information of a certain kind because they are able ENCODE it efficiently and retrieve it later. Of course, some of us are stronger in certain areas but instead of just memorizing music in the way that comes naturally to us, we should use what comes naturally to us as a BASIS for improving our weaker spots. Ultimately, what matters is how INTEGRATED these different sensory modes are. Somebody whose aural and kinesthetic senses are integrated can play by ear and improvise, while somebody whose aural and visual senses are integrated can silently read scores and so forth. None of these modes can exist independently. So if you are best at recognizing visual shapes of notes, you should use that as a basis for recognizing sounds and kinesthetic sensations. If your aural memory is stronger, you can improve your sight reading by associating these note shapes with the sound they make and so forth. Pianists like Liszt, Rachmaninoff and Gieseking must have experienced music in an amazingly integrated way, so they could instantly translate the printed note into sound and kinesthetic sensations or the other way around.

Hi All Having read the above I've been thinking that sight reading is something I want to improve greatly. It's funny how Kannan mentioned visual memorisation with sight reading yet I'm not good at sight reading and perhaps that's my weakness. I think I could be but I think my eyes are moving in the wrong way. I'm going to rememdy this with a book I found called Super Sight reading secrets. It's not very thick but I like the principle based around the drills. I digress. I've never had a problem memorising in short time periods. I even learnt and memorised a Mozart piano concerto before performing it in 10 weeks. I do have a photographic memory that helps as I even see the marks written on the page. But equally I have a good ear I think because I'm able to recognise aural patterns very quickly so whilst learning a new piece providing I hear the notes slowly it's locked in on first playing. I know I can barely hear something on the radio if its being played ultra low and I can instantly recognise the piece with a few notes by the vague pitches and phrasing shape etc. When I said I haven't learnt anything away from the piano with success I meant that I tried to read and imagine the hands playing with all the fingering. I think however I couldn't quite hear everything from reading and maybe a missing element that stopped me learning in this way. What happened when I got on to the piano is that my muscle memory couldnt recall playing it even though I imagined it. When people learn away from the piano/keyboard are they able to play it straight off from memory or is there a "bedding in" period? Eric I'd be interested to know what your friend knows about Copenhagen and renting out service apartments over there ... I'm told it's not all that common to rent furnished apartments. I've only got a few weeks so at first I might just be in a hotel. But any information would be appreciated. Thanks

Hi Since my last post I thought I'd share some observations with you about my practice/memorisation process. I noticed when I work slowly and listening to all the sounds carefully (so on second playing I know its wrong if it doesn't sound the same) I play a bar or part of a bar at a time. Actually Changs method of learning where you break things into manageable playing chunks helps. If I repeat that bar over and over maybe anything between 3-7 times somewhere in that repetition my mind starts to switch off and think of something completely different but I'm still correctly repeating what I was playing conciously. I'm still listening but it's in the background and it seems to be automatic. Actually this is the stage I want because I don't want to read or think of the music too much when I perform as I want the spontaneity to come through. For those who have read the Inner Game of Music I see this allowing to play what the musical brain knows without concious thinking is Self 2. If you haven't read this book then I recommend it - it offers an explanation into the psychology that will help you unlock your natural musical ability during practice or performance. Getting back to my memorisation process - I occasionally think of chords when I need to remember a subtle change e.g Bmaj7, A7 aug 5th etc. I used to play the organ so chords are easy for me to recognise based on keyboard/hand shape. If I play slowly whilst listening as well as being on a semi automatic pilot mode, together with my photographic memory ability seems to guide me through a piece whilst memorising. Finally I tested myself on a few notes in a bar of Chopin. I looked at the RH and imagined playing with the fingering and listening to the sounds in my inner ear (I have heard the piece so I know how it goes). Then I looked at the left hand. I went to the keyboard 5 mins later and I managed to play some RH notes correctly and I could see the LH in my minds eye but I couldnt quite put the 2 hands together. I know this is a very short time span to learn something. But I wanted to see if there was any potential for developing this skill of learning away from the piano. I have 2 goals at the moment to tackle my weaknesses which I think will unlock the ability to learn (and even compose) away from the piano - good sight reading and sight singing (albeit silently with more polyphonic writing rather than just melodies and homophonic chords). So if anyone has any good tips/recommended books about these then I would like to know! On a last note to refer to Kannan's comments about different musical abilities - I'm a poor sight reader but I can memorise and improvise (more jazz style than classical) and compose. In fact if the music is not classical but has a melody and chord symbols I can naturally make up the rest of the accompaniment with rhythm. But I haven't been able to compose away from the instrument and I hear lots of parts at once of symphonic proportions and in many styles - I just don't know how to notate them and get them out of my head!! Oh and another thing - my head constantly plays music like a record! If i've just practiced or just listened to something whilst I'm doing my job or something else I still have it in my head constantly! Thanks

These are wonderful examples, very perceptive of you. Yes the Geiseking doesn't go into detail, but even the skeleton he provides is enough for a student to develop that whole process to a high degree. And Geiseking seems to imply that he worked with the underlying patterns, just as you seem to be doing yourself, and the chess greats. As for all your posts on the learning process - thank you, looks great to me! AFF