Abstract

Open libraries are so cool. They motivate by themselves. Borrowing and kind-of a limit of time makes the book even more attractive.

Here I just do own notes to review them after I finished reading. It is not something pretending to have been carefully extracted and distilled. Sometimes in the process I just do not record stuff, sometimes I record alot more.

The Book

Piano, Guided Sight-Reading. [A New Approach to Piano Study.] By Leonhard Deutsch.

It can be found and read on openlibrary.org or archive.org.

Before

I’m subscribed to some quora topics (God forbid reading political stuff there). And in piano topics email there was a comment on what is the most valuable skill. And there was a reference to the book.

Also I feel like arts are a necessary language to know and to use. So I pursue this in a way.

After

Interestingly I found stuff to be not as detailedly explained as I wanted. But this process implies imitation by the student.

Also interestingly teacher is encouraged to learn from student too. But not piano but pedagogy experience.

Anyway I assume it should be fun and stimulating thing to play around alone too.

Notes

The author is smart.

The author has another book probably on psychology of students for teachers. (Individual-psychologie im musikunterricht und in der musikerziehung.)

Ear, eye, hands cooperation.

The skill can fit for random enthusiasts who just want to have addittional source of fun and a path do develop misicanship.

Developing the skill requires focusing on accuracy and evenness. While leaving fluency to be the fruit to be developed.

One developed skill is the ability to have utterly concentrated effort. That is necessary for the resulting skill.

Three devices of development:

• rich study material
• approaching pianistic tasks/problems
• concentrated mental effort

There is a memory value for doing music costruction.

• the principle of cooperation: listening and playing simoultaneously (maybe some tool can be used there)

• there are initial difficulties to overcome first, then the progress is steady

• sight-reading is a stimulating task by itself (gamified by itself?)

• harmony, polyphony, form/architecture

• The musical ear ... is measured by the complexity of the musical structure which he can grasp in all details.

• ... infinitesimal shades ... reflect the player's temperament and frame of mind, his maturity and imagination ... whole personality

Practice Notes

• play the selected piece using both hands and in continuity
• see both hands staves together
• never look at the keyboard
• fingers go after the eyes
• easy and relaxed tempo, no stumbling or tripping - no metronome, adjust pace when needed
• mistakes handling - no process break? correct by ear?
• igrone fingering info
• both hands strike precisely simoultaneously
• even rather soft touch, pay attention to shades of expression
• not overly difficult, not non-challenging/non-stimulating at all
• choose what can be played slowly and meaningfully (more details in the book)
• shorter pieces repeat 3-4, longer: 2 times only or on several consecutive days only ignoring what degree of perfection is acheived
• work on several pieses, varied in style at the same time - stimulating this way
• sessions are not too long to have healthy concentration and interest
• ~1 hour a day will do (implied guided? homeworks - starting from 0.5 to 1 hour, addittionally?)
• have a list of pieces and records of practicing with notes (how the piece appeals, difficulties) review when returning to the piece later (see progress, understanding, taste)
• value of accompaniment
• most weak students are always on the verge of giving up
• during practice: not tired or bored
• in the beginning it is a rather strenuous job, but with growing experience you will gain security and ease your playing will become more and more colorful and fluent, and eventually your practicing hour will be a source of sheer enjoyment