is it really important?

[|Ridzick|]

As I said in a preverious post, I'm learning piano playing and I'd like to know if it's important to be able to play piano without looking the keys...
I'm asking because I see many people doing so.

[BoliverAllmon]

As I said in a preverious post, I'm learning piano playing and I'd like to know if it's important to be able to play piano without looking the keys...
I'm asking because I see many people doing so.

Look at the keys if you want to. To become a good sight-reader though you have to learn the feel of where the keys are.

[jamie0168]

It depends, if you are going to accompany people or sight-read alot, you should lean towards not looking at the keys since there are so many other things you have to pay attention to: sheet music, soloist, ensemble, conductor (if there is one). If you're heading towards just playing solely, you should plan on memorizing your pieces and then you can  look at your hands without sheet music distracting you. However, I've found sometimes when I trully have a piece memorized, I'll look away from the keys or close my eyes, and I feel more expressive than I normally do when just looking at the keys.

[luiszt]

No, It's not really important...
Is it really important to look at oneself in the mirrow to comb one's hair?...Just kidding!

bye, bye

[thalbergmad]

Once i have learnt something well, i often play with my eyes closed. I find that if you don't use one sense it increases the others.

[nanabush]

I don't think it's possible to close your eyes and be more emotional when playing for example Baba Yaga's hut on chicken legs by Mussorgsky...or La Campanella, or the Second Hungarian Rhapsody.  On the other hand, many of Chopin's Waltzes and Nocturnes are possible to play with your eyes closed.  If a piece is insanely jumpy, fast then I suggest you look at your hands to make sure you play the right notes to start off with..

[bachmaninov]

After you memorize a piece, then it is your choice on what to look at. I would figure looking at your hands is natural, because nobody is forcing you not to.

[Glyptodont]

It seems to me, you need to look at your hands if the piece has a number of jumps.  Not look all the time, but glance to see you are coming down on the right key(s).  Isn't this common sense?

If you move on to the next note or chord and part of your hand is still anchored somewhere (e.g., little finger touching F#, for instance) you probably don't need to look because you know where you are.

If you are dropping your left hand two octaves to pick up a bass note, it is hard to see how you can avoid looking.   Ditto anywhere that your hand must completely leave the keys.

I find on my good days, even then sometimes I can jump and I don't have to look.  But I have days where I will miss the right key in such situations.  It shouldn't have to be a guess, it should be a sure thing.  So look in those instances.