For the sake of clarity, I am creating a new thread on a subject raised by a member of pianoforum.net. Below was my answer to her. I hope you all enjoy it. best, tds----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------having a problem with thinking linearly is a common issue amongst pianists. Yet, the good news is that this so-called linear thinking can readily be learnt by anyone and everyone. do the following tips and it's guaranteed that you will be better after shortly:1. forget that piano music has to be played on the piano. 2. pick a slower, simpler piece, like the slow/minuet movement in a sonata.3. highlight the primary melodic line throughout the piece4. learn to sing it in the octaves that suit your voice range5. sing it continously, i.e without stopping. 6. be able to conduct smoothly while singing the line. observe the dynamic markings and phrasing. step 1-6 takes time (if this is the first time you are doing this kind of excercise, then practice step 5-6 for no less than 2 days before playing the piano).note: piano can ONLY be used for pitch checking/asssistance at these steps. 7. you are very comfortable with step 5 and 6, so it is now time to get back to your instrument. 8. play the piece AND use voicing technique ( as the main melodic line is most important in this excercise, you must sing it out, and for contrast, play all the rest super softly, pp ) IMPORTANT: this linear exercise focuses on the FLUENCY of your singing with the piano. wrong notes should not interrupt your rhythm. always confirm what you play with the melodic line you hear in your head. 9. now believe it or not you are a better musician by a couple of miles. congratulate yourself!all the best, tds-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Topic: how does one learn to think linearly?