Listening critically as you play... for or against?

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Listening critically as you play... for or against?

Рет қаралды 485

10 ай бұрын

philbestmusic.com/ Listening to what we play in an examining, scrutinising way might seem to be a skill that's necessary for developing expressive skills as a musician. I want to challenge this. Whilst we hear what we play and this helps us to make the sound we want, our response to the auditory feedback is entirely natural and needs little, if any, directing. In fact, critical listening might be the cause of a much more fundamental problem that makes people's playing sound stiff and unmusical.

Пікірлер: 19

@pleasedonotshootthepianist 10 ай бұрын

Phil, this is really a gem! After studying with you for a while, I have now understood (actually I should say "felt and lived") what you explain here, and this is a fantastic summary. Anybody who can relate to what you say here without further coaching will immediately improve their playing tremendously!

@PhilBestMusic 10 ай бұрын

Thanks, Davide! I appreciate that. I hope people might get some insight.

@jeffe2222 10 ай бұрын

Phil, I love your insights on performance. Thank you

@PhilBestMusic 10 ай бұрын

I'm glad it's useful! Thanks for watching!

@lshwadchuck5643 10 ай бұрын

Well-timed video for me. If I become more *familiar* what it *feels like* letting go, and practise defying the self-conscious feelings beneath critical self-talk... it'll set me free to, well, enjoy.

@PhilBestMusic 10 ай бұрын

The feeling of letting go - a relaxed defiance of our insecure, self-conscious, results-seeking motivation that has us listen to the music we play critically - is such a good feeling. Keep going for it!

@yoni23able 10 ай бұрын

Hi Phil. This and the last video you made, on expressive swing, have been wonderful. I'm not sure if there's a difference in intent, but you are touching on extremely high-level concepts in a way that is universal. As you know, storytelling is my thing. It's not about performance but communication at the highest level by trying to understand what the fundamentals actually are. That said, in the case of my playing, your swing video helped provide a deeper understanding of how groove and swing can come from poetic intention. This lesson applies not just to the performance of music but also to my other interest in physical movement (and you do mention dance). Not watching oneself but embodying the feel when moving fluently. Thanks.

@PhilBestMusic 10 ай бұрын

I'm so glad they resonated with you. Speech and language (poetry, storytelling or just chatting) and all kinds of movement have rhythm at their base, I believe. I'd even go a bit further and say that rhythm is the symmetry and flow that forms the fabric of reality!

@foaadfallah2143 10 ай бұрын

Very nice❤

@PhilBestMusic 10 ай бұрын

Thanks 🤗

@RobertHopkinsArt 10 ай бұрын

I can't play piano fluently... Yet... But someday I hope to be able to. Guitar, yes. Piano, no. It's so much more work for me to play piano than guitar. The two parts to piano make my little brain hurt while trying to improvise. Something that I enjoy and really helps my playing on guitar is to play along with Alexa, playing a random genre of my choosing, and I will play in complete darkness. Dark enough that I can not see the guitar fretboard. This has taught me to play with feeling and abstraction. I have learned to visualize the fretboard in my mind while I play. I have always kept accurate time using my back teeth too! I started out as a drummer and that made all the difference to my accurate playing. Great video, Phil!

@PhilBestMusic 10 ай бұрын

I totally relate to your description of playing in the dark. Going inside like that is where you find the magic! Thanks for watching!

@user-hp2hd5vy5x 9 ай бұрын

wonderful melody improvized in minor scale. the very ,That begins at about 11.15 min. I love all your performancies. the're just to say flawless.

@PhilBestMusic 9 ай бұрын

Thank you!

@adrianaclay7782 10 ай бұрын

Hello! Sorry to comment on a random video with this question. I just found your channel this afternoon and i am absolutely enamored!! I have been eanting to learn music in a way that felt like it was actually connected to me, not just receiving instruction on what to do all the time. And i am thrilled to find that there is special explanation. I didn't think i would be so lucky as to find something like this My question is: what all do i need to buy to get started? I feel a little unclear on that. I bought the 15 steps, and i am happy to pay more for the other peices that i need, but in different explanation points, it seems like you talk about the materials in different ways? Maybe it's just me 😅 anyway, thank you!

@adrianaclay7782 10 ай бұрын

Thrilled about **spacial explanation

@PhilBestMusic 10 ай бұрын

Thanks for watching and for getting some materials from PlayPianoFluently. I'm glad you feel inspired by my approach. I explain on the website that I recommend starting with the core materials. The 15 steps is the most essential and the concise model is a bit like a reference manual. The additional materials are designed to go deeper into specific areas and offer more prescribed practices. This unconventional structure is to promote self-directed learning (rather than a course with fixed objectives) and to help people purchase only what they need.

@TD-qj1rn 8 ай бұрын

I think the same goes for acting. Once you TRY to act, i.e. analyze how you look, speak, react, etc., it becomes unnatural and very obvious.

@PhilBestMusic 8 ай бұрын

Yes, I agree! There are very rare individuals who manage to "appear" natural and don't use any method acting but even then, I can't help thinking that real feeling would communicate even better.