forgetting notes (muscle memory)

[ch0p1n 0wnz u]

Hey

anyone had the problem where you learn a song so your hands can just play it automatically (muscle memory i think) but before you perform, you start thinking, what are the notes again, i dont even know what notes to hit! and you go up there and your hands cannot play all the notes 100% correct like at home when you practise, this happened to me once! is it just me, because i have this problem, i dont know if i explained it properly!

if you understand what i mean, how could to fix this, just not think about it ? ive tried!!!
maybe playing with music at home and on the performance more would help! or dont rely on muscle memory, ??

thanks

[maryruth]

Oh yeah, I know all about that.  Been there, done that.  It's probably best NOT to rely on muscle memory.  I think it's often in the same spots that we find ourselves going "what note do I play?"  Every time you find one of these spots, analyze it and memorize with your mind what it is you're playing.  I think it's always the "easy" spots that we aren't worried about that can cause all sorts of problems during performance--especially if only using muscle memory because you probably haven't ever had to think about that section and when you're nervous and freaking out, things can get nasty.  Never rely completely on muscle memory if you don't want to worry about severe train wrecks.

[maryruth]

Oh, and practice (from memory!) starting from different spots in the piece.  That way if you get lost you can always find your way from a variety of locations--not just the beginning

[lostinidlewonder]

When I was a young child like from 3-10ish I didn't think about what I did, I didn't know what this chord was called or that, or what scale I was playing, I just played and corrected myself if there was a wrong sound. But as I got older, my observation of patterns, common structures on the piano strengthened. This meant that when I played I became more and more consciously aware of what I was actually doing, and this meant that I had to deal with two methods of thinking. "Automatic playing" just playing procedure that I had been practicing over and over again and also "Thoughtful playing" when your brain starts to consciously observe what you are playing.

I have found in my experience in public peformances that these two thought processes move inbetween each other more frequently because of nerves and especially difficult techniqcal passages because you really want to make it clear so everyone hears it nicely controlled/cleanly excecuted.

I find that I am probably 90% of the times in Automatic Playing state, but now and then my brain says, HEY WAKE UP, THIS PART NEXT YOU MUST FOCUS, MAKE THIS CLEARER, ESURE YOU REALLY DRAW THAT OUT etc. When I was a teenager I would totally stop in the middle of a peice if this happened, or play wrong notes and totally stuff up, forget where I was. I learn't that you have to know how to play automatically, and also play with full conscious attention to your fingers and where they move. Perhaps not observing NOTE by NOTE each figner, but definatly a more conscious observation of the fingers and action. while you practice. I sometimes play a game and force myself to think about the notes in sections which are normally automatic. This just practices thinking in places you normally wouldn't, a trap which can stuff you up in public peformance.