PIANO PRACTICE, REIMAGINED

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Myth No. 5: Don't Look at the Keys While Playing!

One of the silliest, most misunderstood and counterproductive piano myths to ever roam the earth.

Watch previous Myths again

Next Week's Myth

Stay tuned for Episode No. 6 – where we will debunk a very dangerous myth that sabotages the practice process itself!

Video highlights:

00:02. Myth No. 5: Don’t look at the keys while playing!
00:16. The baffling modern desire to ‘play blindly’: my online teaching experience.

01:29. Myth Origin: the 3 noble intentions behind this myth.
01:38. The 1st noble intention: improving the student’s sight-reading skills.
02:05. The 2nd and 3rd noble intentions: improving the kinesthetic feel of the keyboard; ear training.
02:23. So… what’s wrong with developing these skills? The horse, the cart and the luggage.

04:01. Reality. In terms of ‘where to look’, do what feels natural!
04:34. Piano playing is not a competition or a horse race .
05:03. Analyzing the 1st noble intention: efficient sight-reading.

06:21. Myth Dangers. Beginners – the main victims of this myth.
06:57. What happens (and what sacrifices are made) when a beginner tries to read blindly. Understanding how the brain works.
09:26. Expressionless ‘note-typing’ and clinging to the keys – the biggest dangers of this myth. What IS ‘clinging’, anyway?
14:02. Video examples of great masters playing with ample movements, while looking at the keys.
14:51. Power and freedom don’t appear out of the blue when we are advanced.

15:18. Solutions. Where should we look during sight-reading? Tips for intermediate and advanced students.
16:04. The frequency of our ‘key glancing’ depends on several factors. Factor No. 1 – the layout of the text.
17:11. What is peripheral vision?
17:58. Factor No. 2 – individual learning style (visual vs kinesthetic).
18:45. Factor No. 3 – experience. Not forgetting your bigger purpose .

19:27. Why Freedom is Scary. Asking the right questions.
20:45. Piano practice is a flexible process, and there are no ‘bottled formulas’.

21:07. To Feel or Not to Feel? Analyzing the remaining 2 noble intentions behind this myth.
21:24. How to acquire a ‘better feel’ of the keyboard.
22:10. Can we close our eyes to hear the sound better?
24:22. Understanding our pyramid of priorities.
25:05. In time, you will inevitably look at the keys less often… but how you get there makes all the difference!

25:23. Conclusion. In the next episode…

This is why we do what we do

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I have been a member of the PCA site for several years as an adult beginner. I have found each lesson to be considered, thoughtful, expert, detailed, comprehensive, interesting, inspiring, highly professional, and deeply engaging for my piano journey. There is nowhere else I can expect to find such a breadth of knowledge, covering physiology, technique, artistry, musical history, musicality, psychology, performance, practice and much more.

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