Last night, Haley was begging for a piano lesson so after she practiced fiddle I taught her a couple short songs from the John Thompson book. She quickly figured them out then picked up the Phantom songbook she had to have and said she could try to play those songs now. She only picked out the melodies but I was amazed at how she, after only a couple sessions sitting at the piano had figured out the intervals between the notes. It first occurred to me when she was picking out the Christmas song melodies...she doesn't make mistakes when she picks them out. It is like she knows exactly where the sound she wants is on the keyboard. Whereas when I am picking out a song on piano there is a lot of trial and error.
After she was finished, I sat with the Phantom book and read the music to play a couple of the songs (with Haley dancing around with her cape, singing at the top of her lungs). I realized that when I read music...I see the note on the page then know it's position on the keyboard. I don't think about the sound at all until I play it and hear it (then I correct a mistake using the sound but still checking it with the note on the page).
Last night I could hardly sleep because it occurred to me that maybe that is the difference between an average player and a really good one. I sees the note and associates it with the position on the keyboard while Haley sees the note and associates it with the sound...like the sound and it's postiion are one in the same. Does that make any sense?
I wonder if that is why her ear is so good or if it is because her ear is so good that she thinks that way.
No comments:
Post a Comment