Trouble hearing and playing at same time

[stillofthenight]

When I play a piece that has a melodic bass and treble line that take place simultaneously(not necessarily counterpoint), I sometimes have to try and remember where the notes are and as a result, I lose track in HEARING some of the notes I am playing. Is this bad? Should I be listening to every single melodic line as clear as possible being played by both hands for the entire time? Sometimes its difficult to have to hear every note register through my ears and brain while trying to remember which notes to play! So its basically a battle between hearing all the notes and remembering which notes to play. Is this common to happen to a lot of players?

I think if I was perhaps more organized on the piano I would not have such a problem. By organization I mean having certain chords and arpeggios "lighting up out of the keyboard" at me. This would let some strain off of my mind so I could end up enjoying and listening more to what I am playing rather than think which notes to play.

[dcstudio]

When I play a piece that has a melodic bass and treble line that take place simultaneously(not necessarily counterpoint), I sometimes have to try and remember where the notes are and as a result, I lose track in HEARING some of the notes I am playing. Is this bad? Should I be listening to every single melodic line as clear as possible being played by both hands for the entire time? Sometimes its difficult to have to hear every note register through my ears and brain while trying to remember which notes to play! So its basically a battle between hearing all the notes and remembering which notes to play. Is this common to happen to a lot of players?

I think if I was perhaps more organized on the piano I would not have such a problem. By organization I mean having certain chords and arpeggios "lighting up out of the keyboard" at me. This would let some strain off of my mind so I could end up enjoying and listening more to what I am playing rather than think which notes to play.

not listening--or loosing track of hearing...is a big problem for many pianists.  It's like there is a check list of notes and the student will believe he has played perfectly if this checklist has been completed.   There is no account of rhythm or tempo anywhere but in your EARS...  if you are loosing track of hearing you are more than likely loosing tempo and rhythm as well.

having things "light up" on the piano--takes training of the eyes, hands, and ears.   The eye must recognize it at the same time the hands feel it and the ears hear it.  To achieve this you have to practice chords and chord progressions.   Practicing with a metronome and learning to listen to and follow an outside source of rhythm can also really help teach you to keep track of your hearing.   You are right...it's like your ears shut down when you devote too much brain power to remembering the notes you must play and all of the sudden you don't hear a thing... I have been there.   Pianists are notoriously poor band members because most have been taught to tune out everything else and only listen to themselves.

this is a very common problem... I solved it by practicing and learning chords and chord progressions... maybe it will work for you, too.

[louispodesta]

When I play a piece that has a melodic bass and treble line that take place simultaneously(not necessarily counterpoint), I sometimes have to try and remember where the notes are and as a result, I lose track in HEARING some of the notes I am playing. Is this bad? Should I be listening to every single melodic line as clear as possible being played by both hands for the entire time? Sometimes its difficult to have to hear every note register through my ears and brain while trying to remember which notes to play! So its basically a battle between hearing all the notes and remembering which notes to play. Is this common to happen to a lot of players?

I think if I was perhaps more organized on the piano I would not have such a problem. By organization I mean having certain chords and arpeggios "lighting up out of the keyboard" at me. This would let some strain off of my mind so I could end up enjoying and listening more to what I am playing rather than think which notes to play.

No offense to "dcstudio," but the only compositions that relate to this problem are the Baroque and Post-Baroque literature.  Additionally, in that I have completed an advanced ear training course of study at Berklee, I am most familiar with this particular dichotomy.

Please list the specific piece or works wherein you have incurred this difficulty.  That way, "we" may be able to assist you.

It is no shame to fail, however it is to continue a lack of knowledge based on pride.
 

[thirtytwo2020]

When I play a piece that has a melodic bass and treble line that take place simultaneously(not necessarily counterpoint), I sometimes have to try and remember where the notes are and as a result, I lose track in HEARING some of the notes I am playing.

At what stage in your practice does this happen? Apart from practicing chords and chord progressions in general, perhaps it would be a good idea to make sure you have practiced and listened to the different melodic lines separately until you know each of them really well. Sometimes it will be best to memorise at least one of the voices.

Also, how is your sight reading? I think if you spent some time on that, part of the problem might disappear. The quicker you are able to read, the easier it will be to focus on listening.

Good luck!

[dcstudio]

no offense to Louis but there are other genres---such as walking a bass and playing a melody that would qualify.

my suggestion to practice chords was to help the OP "light them up" on the keyboard which is what I said.  If you want arpeggios to jump out at you -- you have to practice them. I was not answering his hearing question.

but what do I know... I have only been playing professionally and teaching piano for 20 years...which obviously pales in comparison to the advanced online ear-training course Louis has completed. lol.  what am I to do but humbly offer up a sample of my playing to be compared to the great Louis... then we can decide who can take offense.

click the link below

[pianocat3]

I am mostly a no nothing and I am confused by the back and forth and maybe thread hijacking, if so, sorry! I have worked on Faures Pavane and recall my teacher telling me there are two melodies or maybe she said voices, and i am to look at which way the note stems go, that is the way the composer tells the musician.  In Intermezzo by Manuel Ponce, she told me to bring out parts in the harmony in a singing tone, like another melody, which it's noted by the composer to have a singing tone there in the left hand part. OK, so is this sort of thing what is being discussed here? Hearing the main melody, and a second melody at the same time?

[dcstudio]

I apologize.   Faure's Pavanne is gorgeous.  practice chords...spelling them, playing them, writing them and they will start to jump out of the keyboard.  Losing track of your hearing will happen less frequently as you become a more advanced player.   Ear-training courses help you to recognize intervals, tonalities, rhythms, and chord progressions and can also be quite helpful.   Sometimes it takes a little while for the ears to catch up to the hands.   Your visual cortex is the fastest processor of info in your brain and sometimes in moments of deep concentration data from the ears is not processed as rapidly which is why you feel you are losing track of your hearing.

closing your eyes turns that off and forces your brain to process the other senses--I am not recommending that you always play with your eyes closed... but try it here and there and see what happens.

[pianocat3]

Lol I'm not the op, but checking to see if I am getting the issues or not. Can't believe I wrote no nothing instead of know nothing. My goodness, I am getting old!  I think where the extra melody gets lost is there is just so much to keep track of at once. Tricky timing(, I have worked hard on my counting, ) accidentals, etc.  I learn a lot here on how to move along on multiple skills! I am working many of these things, just starting on ear training though, but haven't quite put it together yet. I think I'm getting close to a big jump. Which that is exciting!

[xdjuicebox]

You can't do two things at once with your brain. And even if you could, unless you are superhuman, it probably won't be that good. But your brain can do one thing super well.

You have to hear all of the voices as COMPONENTS of ONE complete idea. Don't listen to the voices, listen to the choir. Don't see the trees, see the forest. However, the trees are part of the forest, each individual tree and its special features/uniqueness makes this particular forest different. But at the end of the day, it is still part of the forest.

I would listen to the composition again and again until you know all of the voices, and then see how they fit together. Listen to them "fitting together," the "complete idea," instead of two different things, because I don't know about you, but I can't do two things at once haha

Good luck