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Musicality: is it learnable?


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Just musing about this as I listen to dd play "100 Years" by ear on the piano...I'm not one to brag, but that is just amazingly beautiful! About an hour ago, ds was playing "March Militaire" - his piece from his lesson this week. He puts in fair effort, but he just doesn't notice musicality. For him, it's saying something if he manages to get all the notes right, nevermind dynamics or interpretive beauty. DD plays her lesson pieces or any other song she feels like learning with tear-jerking musicality. I could listen all day. :svengo:

 

Is this "natural ability" coming to play? Can a note-banger ever learn musicality? I have wondered how ds would play if he didn't have such a tough act to follow. What saith the Hive?

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Yes! A "note-banger" can learn musicality. It takes time and dedication. If he doesn't develop a passion for it, he may not want to put in the effort & I wouldn't force it. But if he wants to, he can learn it! And sometimes boys take longer to develop a real interest in "sit down" activities. I know professional musicians who were "note-bangers" (or trumpet over-blowers) once upon a time.

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The mechanics of music can be learned by just about anyone; however, some people do have innate musical ability. Having that ability doesn't mean they will necessarily be better than someone who has to work hard learning mechanically, because the former may not actually be as interested, or even inclined to work hard at it.

 

All three of our children take music lessons and have been successful with them. Our ds8 is involved in a special program for children who are musically gifted. Even the gifted need to practice, and those who lack the interest or don't want to put in the effort won't succeed.

 

Musicality is also a skill that can be learned, so don't count your ds out too early. :) Once the mechanics are mastered, there's more room for expression. The ability to express emotion through music comes with maturity as a person as well as a musician, but expressive playing techniques can be learned.

 

Here is an interesting blog article - http://www.violinist.com/blog/laurie/20099/10469/

 

I don't agree with her entirely, because I do think a person with more knowledge of the world around him complete with all it's pleasure and pain can more effectively translate those ideas into music. Still worth the read, though.

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Yes and no. Some people are just plain talented at things. Sometimes it takes someone who has very little natural talent a whole lot of effort to even equal just a minute effort of the talented person. So, as long as the person with a natural talent is putting anything towards learning, they will most likely far outperform someone with little natural talent. Of course, there are varying degrees within the spectrum.

 

I don't think our society likes to admit this. They like to think that as long as someone puts in the effort, they will see tremendous success. It just is not true. They will see improvement. (Which can be considered success.) But, as my dd says, it just isn't fair. Sometimes the person who puts in the most effort is still at the bottom of the pile when the day is done.

 

Example: My kids swim. There is one boy on their team who is phenomenal. Boy can basically just show up for practice, not try, just go through the motions, and be able to beat almost anyone on the team. If he does try hard at practice, he will be in the next Olympics. (And possibly win some events.:svengo:) Even with just the bare minimum of effort has him better than 90% of the population. With effort, he has the potential to be at 100%. Any effort above minimum has him somewhere between the two.

Edited by Lolly
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Is this "natural ability" coming to play? Can a note-banger ever learn musicality?

 

So, maybe the answer to #1 is "yes" and the answer to #2 is "yes." DD has a lot of natural ability; lessons are helpful, but she is good without it and possibly great with it. Ds might even be great, if he decides to own it and is willing to work.

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Is this "natural ability" coming to play? Can a note-banger ever learn musicality?

 

I agree: yes and yes.

 

I have one who works *hard* for the musicality he has. He begins a piece more slowly and takes his time before adding dynamics, phrasing, emotion, accents, etc. His polished pieces sound really nice.

 

I have one who *loves* to learn new pieces and seems to be able to hear and perform the dynamics, correct bowings, phrasing, emotion, accents, etc. from the first time she tinkers with the piece. She picks new pieces up quickly and plays them musically from the first.

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Here is an interesting blog article - http://www.violinist.com/blog/laurie/20099/10469/

 

I don't agree with her entirely, because I do think a person with more knowledge of the world around him complete with all it's pleasure and pain can more effectively translate those ideas into music. Still worth the read, though.

 

Abigail, thanks for the link.

 

I have to say that I fully agree with her. I do think young kids feel their emotions more fully. I liked her example about the kids greeting each other with such excitement.

 

I have listened to my dd work on musical vocabulary with her teacher -- it was a tough fit. She *was* naturally able to play the section they were working on very expressively, but instead of using words to explain the feeling or trying to imagine a social experience that would fit the piece, dd felt the emotions directly and wrote the words "dancing, crying, jumping, hot sunshine" into her music. She had strong emotions from the music, which were perhaps more directly linked to what she heard rather than brought forth by imagining some situation.

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So... can someone who may be tone deaf, cannot sing or play anything still, just maybe, possibly learn an instrument?

I always wanted to learn piano but as a child there was no opportunity and now I am on the other side of forty...:glare:

 

Very few people are really tone deaf. Dh was told HIS ENTIRE CHILDHOOD that he was tone deaf. After years of hearing the kids' Suzuki repertoire played over and over and over, he can sing *those* pieces in tune.

 

Just about anyone who's willing to put in the time and effort can learn to play an instrument. (I think some take to it more naturally and learn more quickly, but speed isn't the goal anyway, right?)

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Very few people are really tone deaf. Dh was told HIS ENTIRE CHILDHOOD that he was tone deaf. After years of hearing the kids' Suzuki repertoire played over and over and over, he can sing *those* pieces in tune.

 

Just about anyone who's willing to put in the time and effort can learn to play an instrument. (I think some take to it more naturally and learn more quickly, but speed isn't the goal anyway, right?)

 

That's good news. Maybe I will see if I can find some small, affordable piano and start easy and slow.

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So... can someone who may be tone deaf, cannot sing or play anything still, just maybe, possibly learn an instrument?

I always wanted to learn piano but as a child there was no opportunity and now I am on the other side of forty...:glare:

 

I was just wondering the same thing. My DH and middle son both have really nice voices, but neither can carry a tune. :lol: They CANNOT match their voice to the note. Why is that? What can I do to help DS? Would singing scales help? He is taking piano lessons and doing really well, unless his teacher asks him to sing along.

He loves singing, and is in junior choir at church. I wonder if he will catch on soon to the fact they never ask him to sing a solo...

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I agree: yes and yes..

 

:iagree: I have seen children who through hard work and maturity developed musicality in their pieces. One of dd's friends in particular seemed to have such a difficult time with the mechanical/technical aspects that musicality wasn't an option for her but after years of lessons and hard work, she is now able to play well though she needs to be taught how to play musically...every change in dynamics and all the phrasing needs to be explained to her.

 

I have also seen kids for whom the mechanical/technical skills of playing come very easily but who don't play musically...sound almost robotic with no phrasing or dynamics. Then there are the kids who seem to get all of it very easily.

 

I thought my middle ds was tone-deaf when he was little...he never sang in tune but after years of music training on guitar, he can sing whatever he hears in tune and can tune his guitar perfectly without a reference note. When he plays with his siblings, he tunes in and out of DADGAD throughout the performances.

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