If you are an organ enthusiast like the team here at Viscount Organs, you know how difficult it can be to go even a short time without practicing. In fact, many of our clients practice daily to stay sharp and maintain their technique. Still, there are moments when practice simply is not possible. Whether you are sick and confined to bed or traveling without access to a digital organ, you may wonder how to keep your skills intact.
Some people believe that skills begin to fade after only a few days away from practice. While this concern is understandable, there are ways to reduce that risk. Even without time at the bench, you can take steps to support your technique and musical understanding.
Learn by Listening
Research has suggested for years that we can improve our motor skills by watching others do the same activity we are hoping to improve at. For example, if your organ teacher shows you a new technique, it becomes easier to master. You can even do this by watching the professionals play.
However, can you do this with listening, as well? As it turns out, yes! Music recordings actually offer us quite a few clues about what sort of motor movements are needed to create a specific sound. This includes bow speed and weight for string instruments, or even the vibrato used for singers. With that being said, paying close attention to the sound could actually be a solid substitute for practicing when we are not able to.
The Listening Study
A study involving 36 non-musicians explored this idea further. Researchers asked participants to learn a 15-note musical passage. Each person practiced until they could perform the piece perfectly, with accurate notes and rhythm. After 48 hours, the participants returned for one of three listening sessions.
- The first group, known as the passive-listening group, sat quietly and listened to the passage for 20 minutes.
- The second group, the distracted-listening group, listened to the same music while completing a jigsaw puzzle on a computer.
- The third group listened to nature sounds instead of the passage they had learned two days before.
Results
So what were the results? After a week had gone by since they had learned the passage, all participants were asked to come in and play the passage with no warm up and only one try. Researchers paid attention to the note accuracy, correct rhythm, and dynamic range consistency. In each category, the passive listeners scored the highest. While the distracted listening groups did a proficient job and outperformed the nature sounds group, they did not score as well as the passive. Simply listening for this 20 minute period gave the passive listeners over 80 percent note accuracy, while the nature listeners scored under 50 percent for note accuracy. That is a large difference!
Will This Work?
It is important to note that the study focused on participants with no musical background. Results may vary for experienced musicians. However, earlier research suggests that active listening may have an even greater impact on trained players. Musicians often understand how physical movements translate into sound, which can make listening an especially powerful reinforcement tool.
Action Steps
Just because you are feeling under the weather or can’t take your digital organ with you on vacation doesn’t mean you can’t practice! Listen to the piece you are working on in your lessons while you do your groceries or while you hang out at the airport during a layover. While it is no substitute for actual practice, it’s a simple way to keep your music skills sharp during your time off.
Viscount Organs
When you are ready to sit down and get to the real practice, start with a digital organ you can rely on. Contact Viscount Organs today to learn more about our digital organs for sale. We want to help you master your technique and become a master for all your needs, whether they be for church, an orchestra, or just for recreation. Give yourself the best possible start with one of the finest organs available. Contact us today to learn more!