28_Twinkle Lessons: Learn by Heart, Play by heart

At this time it is important to review, absorb, and finish. It is the end of the school year physically, mentally, and emotionally. The goal to the end is to be doing the most important learning in the present moment.

In the last blog I discussed the importance of Transfer in Learning. The students are in the process of transferring the ability they have developed in their Twinkles to the Right Hand pieces. Additionally, they are acquiring the left hand skills with very little instruction because they are transferring the learning from the Right Hand.

Also important in the development of ability is the contextual variety or differences in the pieces. For example, Clair de Lune and Long Ago both start with the first note repeated and then go up from the Do to the Re. Another example which is coming up for the students is Little Playmates and Allegretto II which begin with the same notes and same basic rhythm.
This challenges the student to differentiate between the two songs. Through repeated listening and practice they will be able to do this easily without confusion. This is the natural outcome of pattern recognition development that is discussed in the blog Ability Development and Pattern Recognition. This is done first aurally, then physically, and they also may be using some mental discriminators such as Clair de Lune has 3 repeated notes and Long Long ago has 2 repeated notes. By memorizing the aural patterns and connecting them physically and mentally they are internalizing patterns in a very different way from students who learn to read symbols and depend on the visual cue to "know" which notes to play. So, in addition to developing the ability to recognize patterns, we are developing the ability to understand the relationships between those patterns much like putting together words and sentences. They are able to "speak" and thus have a fluency and security in their playing. This is a much deeper knowledge/ability than having a piece "memorized."

Through playing the disc many hours each day we provide the most important part of the process for the child to be able to learn all of these skills.
It's amazing really how complex it is what they have to learn, contrasted with how simple it is to provide the right environment for natural learning.

After the student can play the correct notes with accuracy and tone it is important to help them keep the steady beat. The easiest way to do this is to continue to sing the solfege - not to help them find the notes or fingering -but to help them keep from slowing down or speeding up. At lessons I do this by playing with the student. Also we are working on deep and light sounds. This is the same as natural inflection in speech. It is good to mark the places where I am demonstrating deep and light sounds in your score and then you can sing in that same way at the home practice. This will help them to feel the beat and rhythm, and thus will help their music have "feeling". This is discussed in more detail in the blog "On the rhythm"

At the beginning of year I wrote "Fertilizing the roots" which refers to the idea of reinforcing the most basic concepts upon which the framework of learning is developed.
The roots have been fertilized well. The students have good posture, and good ready position.The students can produce a good tone and move their fingers. They understand how to listen to singing/playing and copying the sound. They can play many pieces, and are learning the left hand. They have their unique preferences and abilities too. This is also natural and part of individual sensibility that teachers and parents must always be aware of. Dr. Kataoka's book Sensibility and Education is a wonderful book to have and to read.

Now is a good time to affirm everything that they can do when they play piano. The concept of affirmation is presented in the blog "Affirm, Motivate, and Inspire" and is one of the Seven Principles of Core Education. This affirmation will help them understand on the emotional level (without the need for external rewards) how much they have really learned this year. As they practice, point out all of the skills they can do. It is not necessary to say that they are "good" or even "did a good job", but only to affirm what they can do. Also, please affirm the process such as "you are able to do that spot 10x now" . That is the most important point to bring to their awareness now. Intrinsically, they will grow from this understanding. Emotional growth is part of Integral Learning which is written about in this blog: Twinkle Lessons: Integral Learning.

In January 2009 I wrote an article on integral learning to the teachers in Philadelphia before traveling there to teach. Here is an excerpt from that blog which is relevant to the point we are at now:

Dr. Suzuki's famous quote "Character then ability" points to the recognition of developing the emotional and spiritual quadrants. In fact, the whole true way of "Talent Education" is to enable the student to develop physically, emotionally and spiritually as well as mentally.

"Playing by heart" is not just memorization. It is not just physically being able to play the notes without looking at the music. It has to do with what is going on inside when a person is playing. This is mysterious isn't it? For example, if we teach physical with mostly verbal/mental directions, students are probably thinking "move your fingers, drop your shoulder, don't drop your head, etc. etc." If we teach how to "interpret" the musical score with directions instead of teaching through sound, students are possibly thinking "Get louder here, slow down here, ...etc"
If we do not help the students achieve enough ability before a performance, we can feel/hear them get nervous when the hard part comes.

When you see a great performer, do you think they are thinking/feeling this way? Can we teach "playing by heart" through teaching students many things to think?
Dr. Suzuki called this way "playing with heart tone", which is in essence the place where the sound and the awareness are one without interfering thought.

With our best intentions and effort the children can play by heart at every practice, every lesson, and every performance. This is optimum learning.
Piano Ability is Life Ability

*Please enjoy the performances on the right side of this blog. The two performances are an excellent example of ability development, the concept of transfer, and playing by heart. Katie performed the Beethoven Moonlight Sonata 3rd movement for her level 9 Graduation performance, and the Beethoven Concerto #3, 1st mvt. for her level 10 Graduation performance.
**All the best to the Atlanta teachers and students on the upcoming Graduation Concerts. A Special Congratulations to Marjorie Saviano and her wonderful teacher Robin Blankenship. Marjorie will be performing the Beethoven Concerto #3 for her level 10 graduation. performance.