What Does a Pianist See?
In this video, eye-tracking glasses are used to show exactly where the gaze of a pianist is directed while playing. A professional concert pianist and his student take turns using the glasses, revealing interesting facts about how experience makes a great difference in terms of effective eye movement, both when playing from memory and from a piano score.
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Comments
I’ve often wondered what I’m actually looking at when I play stuff like Chopin’s Waterfall etude. As far as I know it’s my second finger of the right hand everything else is peripheral... but who knows? Wish this stuff was cheaper…
I find that my eyesite moves to where I intend to place my hands a measure or more ahead. After long practice of a peice my brain knows where to place my fingers and where to move my hands but I seem to value a reference a few measures ahead. I have praceiced with my eyes closed and find that this is also possible with similar results to keeping them open. I have been playing for 69 years.
Was interested in “How do they do it?” about expert teachers and their results. The Un. Of Texas link went to another article about music and the brain
. Please, would love to read about expert teachers!
I would love to see what Glen Gould was looking at!