

ive found this actually just exhausts me to the point that I don’t end up learning anything and just become a tad upset. i respond far better to brute repetition with minimal other busy work, like pre-made flash cards or studying with someone else. I also like rereading articles/study materials until I can imperfectly recite them comfortably :)
i know this wasn’t necessarily an invitation to anecdotes but i just wanted to make it known that this is NOT universal






agreed, when people are FIRST learning to read sheet music it can be helpful to keep your eyes on the page and learn to associate certain notes on the page with certain finger/hand positions. yes, I regret my reliance on sheet music earlier because now my ear is waaayy behind. i kind of see it like understanding a piece of writing. if someone asks you what the article is about and you have to reference the article directly to answer it then I wouldn’t consider that to be truly understanding the article. same with music, if you get asked to play something and you have to read straight off the page then I don’t think you “know” the music. you just know how to play it. for some, thats all they need.
if someone is really just looking to be given music and made to play it according to the page then learning to read and play will be all they need. if they want to reach that next level though, like writing music, improvising, playing in a band, playing without your music, being a more dynamic performer, etc. they should learn to know the music.
i appreciate you pointing out the thing about mastery. i dont know that its that I’m “more experienced” though. i think we just have different goals and different instructors. my instructors were always people who were in their 20s who had experience in rock and jazz. i suppose I’m just highlighting the limitations between classical training and being trained with rock and jazz in mind. my goal (and I’d assume the goals of most of your students, if I’m right to assume theyre on the younger end) has always been to be an independent jack of all trades who is capable of writing, performing with other people in an informal environment, and improvising. i think the style of learning ive been describing can be more conducive to that. i would ALSO ALSO argue that it is more difficult and “risky” to teach in that way. you need a deep, practiced understanding of music theory, of your instrument, of the students life and willingness to learn, etc. its far more resource intensive.
ive been writing about this far too long lol I’m gonna cut it off here. i appreciate your perspective, ive admittedly never had a career of teaching people about music, but I have definitely explained things casually to friends and other musicians. i think it would help me to pick up that experience by tutoring on the side at some point.