Hear it before you play it! (wise words from Leon Fleisher)

[music32]

The pianist's advice is pivotal to the whole process of practicing, developing and performing a composition. https://arioso7.wordpress.com/2014/08/17/hear-it-before-you-play-it/

[vertigoone]

At first, I thought that by "Hear it before you play it" you meant to listen to a performance of a piece before you play it yourself.  But, by the way that it is discussed in this article, I understand that this is not what you meant.  I agree that BEFORE a note is played, the performer should be aware of the context, direction, purpose, or 'whatever' of the music at the given moment.  I also have found that this requires more of a natural skill or talent, and is not simply a learned ability that can be passed on to anyone.  But I want to say this carefully.  Some people are simply just not musical enough to intuitively know how a note should be played before it is.  Maybe, just maybe, after years of hard work, any individual could... but, we're not all meant to be musicians.

When I play, I have found that this phenomenon of "hearing before you play" is habit.  I know that it is not merely natural because for years I played mindlessly before moving on to a more fine-eared instructor when I was 17.  She challenged me to truly hear myself.  This takes practice and has to be done on purpose!  By now, many years later, hearing myself is deeply embedded habit as well as hearing music before I play it.  But I also know, from experience, that there must exist a natural feeling for what should come next not just a willing mind.

If a pianist is struggling to understand the music on their own, should they listen to others' performances to get a better idea of the music?  I have found, for myself, that there is nothing that clears away all of the cobwebs and clouds like listening to another's performance of a piece that I am learning.  I have no problem with listening to a few different interpretations of a piece before I touch it myself.  I have taught myself, however, to not mindlessly copy the interpretations of others, but to find meaning myself.  To understand what about the music is important according to me.  I think the great question here is what are you listening for?  The problem, I think, is not the listening but what is being listened for.  The key to fixing the problem of mindless copy is not to never listen at all but to be aware of what you are listening for and to be smart about it.  To not allow one's self to be open to the great discoveries of other artists I think is doing art a great disservice.

Just a thought.

[flashyfingers]

thumbs up!

[dima_76557]

Hear it before you play it! (wise words from Leon Fleisher)

Undoubtedly true. Before complete euphoria sets in among the armchair theorists, however, there is a seemingly insignificant disclaimer involved: you also have to be physically and psychologically ready to execute what your inner ear dictates.