Should you listen to a demonstration before learning a new piece of music?

The teacher has assigned you a new piece of music. Would you like to listen to this piece first to get an idea before starting to study? When you listen to a piece of music and really like it, you want to play it. So, you find the sheet music and start learning. But during the learning process, if you encounter a problem you can't solve on your own, would you want to listen to a demonstration again, to learn by imitation? When faced with a brand-new piece of music and a brand-new sheet music, do you prefer to learn first and then listen, or listen first and then learn, or learn while listening? What are the differences and advantages and disadvantages of these different learning modes? How should we learn a brand-new piece of music? Today's topic, I won't explain how to learn a new piece of music specifically, but rather analyze the above learning methods from a macro perspective, so that everyone can understand their own learning patterns more clearly and how to use these two methods rationally.

In learning music and musical instruments, there are usually two methods: learning by ear and learning by sheet music. They involve entirely different inputs. One relies on external auditory input, which is then reproduced, while the other involves reading sheet music with our brains and translating it into music. Regardless of the method you use, the ultimate goal is the same: to learn the piece of music. As long as you can play it well, the goal is achieved. People typically focus only on the outcome, paying little attention to the learning process. However, different learning processes can reflect your true learning abilities and expose your blind spots and weaknesses. The premise I want to discuss today is the method of learning new music through sheet music.

Usually, people tend to use both methods together for various reasons. This means using one method to cover up the shortcomings and blind spots of the other learning method. In such cases of mutual concealment, many problems are often overlooked, which is very unfavorable for us to discover the various flaws and weaknesses in our learning abilities.

Next, let's take a look at the differences and advantages and disadvantages of each method together.

Listening to a demonstration before learning has its benefits. It helps you grasp the melody and style of the music, giving you a preliminary impression while also potentially avoiding errors on the sheet music. Additionally, it can increase your interest in the piece and improve your ear training, making it more suitable for beginners. However, if you rely on demonstrations every time you learn a new piece, it can reinforce dependency on them and weaken your independent learning ability, leading to a diminished understanding of sheet music over time. Moreover, this approach can lead to a lack of original thought as you simply imitate without personal interpretation, which is detrimental for becoming an exceptional performer as interpretations without personal thoughts lack soul.

Learning first and then listening may lead to making many mistakes initially due to the lack of guidance. However, this method has both advantages and disadvantages. Our progress often stems from our blind spots and mistakes. Knowing what we don't know helps us understand what we need to learn. Thus, filling these blind spots and correcting mistakes enhances our ability to self-learn, and such mistakes leave a lasting impression. Therefore, for some students, I would encourage them to self-study without any hints initially, and then explain during the class. At this point, the issues students discover can truly become the steppingstones to our progress.

What about learning while listening? As I mentioned earlier, some people simply can't learn a new piece of music solely through their sight-reading abilities. Consequently, they resort to continuously listening to demonstrations to mimic the performance. Essentially, this approach shifts the issues present in sight-reading to listening while concealing personal blind spots and deficiencies. So, what is the correct approach?

When learning a brand-new piece of sheet music, it's best to start by learning independently. Making mistakes is alright at this stage. Then, listen to the teacher's demonstration and explanation to identify your blind spots, errors, and any deviations or imperfections in your understanding. When you can learn a new piece of music completely independently, without relying on external help, that's when you can say you have developed independent learning skills. At the same time, possessing independent learning skills also means you have developed some capacity for independent thinking. You have insights into the music, which allows you to appreciate the differences when listening to the teacher's explanations and demonstrations or different interpretations by pianists. You can inject new thoughts and integrate them into your performance. This way, you not only possess strong independent learning skills but also have excellent listening abilities, which are essential for becoming an outstanding piano performer.