Is it just me, or could this be DETRIMENTAL to students learning...

[perfect_pitch]

A video I saw because I was subscribed to New Scientist on YouTube.

It's bad enough that I've had students trying to play pieces that they learnt from the synthesia program with bad finger, and no sense of being able to read the slightest note on the page.

I think the problem may only get worse as more and more students these days have attempted to play things learnt off of youtube by complete amateurs.

Does everyone else see the potential danger in teaching this way, or am I just a neurotic crank???

[j_menz]

Or, for the non psychic:

[j_menz]

Does everyone else see the potential danger in teaching this way, or am I just a neurotic crank???

Tempting though the latter conclusion may be    I agree it's foolish rubbish. At it's best, it teaches you to be a midi device, not a pianist. At it's worst, it is deceptively easy at first and becomes less and less so until it soon becomes much harder than doing it the proper way.

And who can lug that screen around with them?

[cabbynum]

When I first started, I used synthesia for movie scores and tv shows that couldn't be found for free elsewhere.
It is stupidly difficult to use for anything more than a single note in each hand at a slow speed.

[lostinidlewonder]

I met a few students who learned from youtube copying peoples fingerings and doing all sorts of tutorials. Although the majority of them are inefficient learning methods they are still helpful when the student is taught a more efficient approach. From my experience the students who took the initiative to try and learn the piano with the many methods out there have a better understanding of how good a new method is when applied since they have past experience with the other lesser methods.

All of these inefficient methods however can be a real waste of time if people study with them long term. Hopefully they realize the better methods that are out there and not stick to an unorthodox approach.

[cabbynum]

I agree with all of that, I took an unorthodox approach to piano, but I've advanced pretty quickly.
I started with learning what a chord was from a friend and then I started playing a lot by ear, most easy Bach prides and easier Chopin nocturnes (if course I had mistakes and of course I didn't have the tempo right) but I got along pretty easily.
When I got a teacher they just assumed I knew how to read music based on my rep.
Anyway long story short, I have been reading music for about 1.5 years and playing for about 2 years and I am now working on Beethoven op.57, Chopin op.48 no.1, Bach p/f WTC 1 no.23 and I still can't find a modern piece for an audition.

[faulty_damper]

Does anyone see the potential dangers of playing Guitar Hero?  Or Garage Band?  No.  I think most people wished those games were more realistic so that they could transfer those mad skillz to real instruments.

[kakeithewolf]

Midi programs like this or Synthesia are usually indicative of one thing: The person can't read sheet music.

[rachmaninoff_forever]

Does anyone see the potential dangers of playing Guitar Hero?  Or Garage Band?

Hey you can hate on Garage Band, but DO NOT hate on Guitar Hero!!!

I'm a freaking boss at that game1

[kakeithewolf]

Does anyone see the potential dangers of playing Guitar Hero?  Or Garage Band?  No.  I think most people wished those games were more realistic so that they could transfer those mad skillz to real instruments.

And here I thought Garage Band was composing software.

[faulty_damper]

Hey you can hate on Garage Band, but DO NOT hate on Guitar Hero!!!

I'm a freaking boss at that game1

But the real question is: Can you transfer those BOSS skillz to real life?  I can barely make the green-orange stretch.

[nocturnetr]

Good luck with playing Rachmaninoff on that.

[timothy42b]

Interesting.

It IS reading music, but with an alternate notation language.

It seems to me it would get tricky when the chords get stacked high, but maybe not.  After all that happens with standard notation too.

I think you would quickly get past the point of matching your finger to the bar, and just read it as notation. 

[kalirren]

It runs the risk of people not learning how to reach sheet music.  That said, it's pretty good elementary sightreading training, decoupling the visual interpretation of a score from the physical preparation of the playing apparatus.  You get told where to move!

And I see no reason why musicality couldn't be developed if this tool were used under the guidance of an human teacher.

[arnost123456789]

You should try teach this from synthesia