I would like to get some experience regarding the performance of a piece with sheet music reading.
I mean, does the pianist (all of you) "read" the music they are playing consciously, note by note, or is the sheet music more of a help in case of memory lapses to glance at from time to time?
In that case, for those who are still beginners, in your opinion, is it advisable to still read the sheet music strictly during performance, after having studied it, even if this implies a slowing down of the performance itself?
Thank you
T
ttw
Member
Reply 2 by ttw
Posts
277
I fear I haven't fully understood. The sheet music is the symbolic representation of a piece of music, therefore necessary to know "roughly" what the composer is asking us to do. Now, it is not necessary during performance if we have internalized everything... conversely, it is there as a "warning".
I don't understand, however, why the presence of sheet music should slow down the performance
After studying a piece, I am able to play it from memory (what is referred to as hand memory). But sometimes I have memory lapses and I get lost. And that is where the need for the sheet music comes in.
And here is the doubt: should the sheet music be read note by note while playing, or should it be followed as an aid, perhaps "measure by measure"... just so as not to get lost?
Dear Fulvio, do you truly believe you know the piece by memory? Try this experiment: choose a very easy piece, much easier than the difficulties you are capable of overcoming, and learn it by heart. Then, when you think you have learned it, test yourself by performing the piece HANDS SEPARATELY AND FROM MEMORY. And verify. Based on what you claim, I believe that you possess a lot of kinetic memory and little visual and mental memory. Auditory memory also helps, but often, along with kinetic memory, it is unreliable. If you have a digital piano, try performing the piece with the instrument muted. You will discover many things. A good memory is a harmonic one, which leads us by the hand through the harmonic modulations of the piece. In a polyphonic piece, it is advisable to study the various voices separately and observe what happens when putting the hands together. It is evident that kinetic memory can help in very fast and virtuosic passages, but we must create mental "anchoring" points that keep us calm. If we repeat, repeat, repeat, with little or no awareness, then kinetic memory takes possession of us and makes us believe we know what we are playing, but a change in psycho-physical conditions or the discomfort of an instrument that does not perfectly match our expectations... is enough to throw us into a crisis. Memory loss is a nasty beast that pops up suddenly.
Knowing the piece by memory helps the performance. One of my Teachers, an Orchestra Conductor, used to tell me that Celebidache demanded knowledge of the score from memory. Only in this way can the Conductor or the instrumentalist concentrate on the technical gesture with ease. Having the sheet music and/or the score in front of us reassures us, but only for emergencies or even just to awaken and/or keep one of our memories under control—the visual one, that is, locating this or that passage at the top or bottom of the page... etc.
No slowing down must occur.
Another way to memorize is to study quickly with stops on the beat or the measure. I have spoken extensively about this in other posts.
One of my teachers used to have me test my memory by playing alternating measures with her, I would start from the first and then from the second... until the end of the piece.
Terrible!
N
nancy
Member
Reply 7 by nancy
Posts
521
In my opinion, the sheet music should only be set aside when the piece is ready to be performed. Until then, various levels of reading are addressed. After an initial phase, in which the notes are read and fingering is roughly defined, the piece is broken down into passages and actual study begins. By studying in passages, memorization begins. True memorization comes from a series of awarenesses... visual memory, kinetic memory, harmonic memory, etc....until the passage is resolved both technically and musically. When the piece is reassembled and broader sections begin to be sketched out in performance, the sheet music still remains an absolute reference. There will still be details to grasp. Then finally it will be put aside....by studying this way, it cannot be a hindrance to the performance even if one were to choose to keep an eye on it regardless. At least that is what I try to do.
