Whenever I mention to some stranger that I play a musical instrument, half the time I get the same response- they say "You're so lucky, I have absolutely no musical talent at all." If I protest, they insist "No, you don't understand- believe me, I have NO talent at all!"I believe that anyone who enjoys hearing music has some musical ability hidden dormant somewhere deep within them.
My banjo student was 8 years old when he first came to me for lessons. He had a lot of enthusiasm, but he could not sing in tune AT ALL, and at first he couldn't even tell me which note was higher or lower if I played him for example a C note and a C# sharp note. He had a very hard time time tuning his banjo on his own without an electronic tuner, and if I sang a note to him, he could not sing the same note along with me. I figured he'd never be a 'natural' musician, but I loved his energy and eagerness to learn, and I figured he'd get some fun out of it anyway...
And my, how he LOVED to play banjo! He practiced at home more than any other student I ever had except maybe one. By regularly practicing at home and listening to music more, he has actually developed and trained his ear over the past two years, with only minimal suggestions from me.
Now he is 10, and not only can he tune his whole banjo completely, by ear alone, but he can hear even the tiniest differences in pitch when a string is ever so slightly off pitch. He can sing in tune. When I sing several notes randomly, he can sing them accurately after me. He hears right away when a note is not right and he corrects it. He can tune his banjo perfectly between six different tunings and not even need to use a tuner at all, all he needs is one starting note.
All this really surprised me, because I used to use a little test with any students' first lesson- I'd sing a note and they'd try to match it. And I'd sing two notes that were close to each other and they'd tell me which was higher. At first, my little banjo student couldn't pass those tests. Now I know that that will really not tell me whether someone will become a natural musician. Yes, I said become a natural musician ...because I now believe that we can train and develop modest abilities and skills that are lying asleep within us. We can become better at hearing tones and notes.
I no longer accept it when anyone tells me "I have absolutely no musical ability." Most people are not born musical geniuses, and most people will not become professional musicians, but I now believe that everyone has some amount of natural musical ability deep within them, waiting to be brought to life. And that this little ability, if nurtured, is enough to enable those who claim to have 'no musical talent at all' to experience great joy in making simple everyday music for themselves and their loved ones.
If you saw the nasty grams on my school report cards regarding music, you would never think I would grow up to play several instruments. Desire is much more important than talent. A person possessing a lot of musical talent, but with no desire to play, will never become a musician. The instruments will sit in the corner, unused. Someone with the drive to overcome limits of talent will accomplish much, as their desire to overcome limits will carry them towards their goals. Talk about drive, look here:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gszVb3rrol4
They told him it couldn't be done, but he didn't listen.
Paul
Thanks for the post! I used to hate seeing people post or talk about perfect pitch. I always thought people were born with it, and boy was I jealous!
ReplyDeleteNow I know there is "ear training", and it is a pretty big deal to music students on an academic level at least. So I kinda know in the back of my head that learning to recognize notes, and their relationship to one another is a matter of learning; although I do figure that some pick it up more naturally than others.
Still... this was my "theory", and I always admit I can be proven wrong. I often am, btw. I am heartened to see another admit to my "theory" to be a "reality". I too have a hard time knowing relative pitch, and I will not even attempt to guess at a note. I'd be happy to get the octave right! I am hoping that with playing, my ears will learn. Thanks again!
When I was thirteen or so, I really wanted to start playing an instrument, and had my heart set on trying out the violin. The grown ups decided that that would be far too difficult for me given that I was 'so old', and in the end I started guitar lessons instead. I kept going along and having some fun, though I never really got very far and was scared of the strings. My parents believed in that 'you can either do something or you can't' nonsense, too.
ReplyDeleteTen years later, I'm determined to actually start learning something by choice, and to teach myself how to *learn* rather than fall back on unearned talent/lack thereof and assume that that's all there is, and I like the story in this blog post for showing that you can start off really terrible at Doing A Thing and then *learn* how to do it competently.
When I was thirteen or so, I really wanted to start playing an instrument, and had my heart set on trying out the violin. The grown ups decided that that would be far too difficult for me given that I was 'so old', and in the end I started guitar lessons instead. I kept going along and having some fun, though I never really got very far and was scared of the strings. My parents believed in that 'you can either do something or you can't' nonsense, too.
ReplyDeleteTen years later, I'm determined to actually start learning something by choice, and to teach myself how to *learn* rather than fall back on unearned talent/lack thereof and assume that that's all there is, and I like the story in this blog post for showing that you can start off really terrible at Doing A Thing and then *learn* how to do it competently.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts! My son has never been particularly interested in music, though my husband and I both love it. We got our son to start taking guitar lessons recently with an experienced teacher in our area. Our son has never had much of an ear for music and I thought we were just going through the motions with him. I told him that learning to play an instrument is as important for music as learning how to bake a cake is for enjoying cake. Everyone should be able to make their own and get deeper enjoyment from that pride. You have helped me be optimistic that he can learn to hear more musically and enjoy his own music through practice.
ReplyDeleteI am loving your blog--I think it could be called, "Dulcimer Life Lessons" because so many of the concepts you share are applicable to our whole lives, and not just music in general or dulcimers in specific. I resonate strongly with this post, as I've seen it in my own life, and my children's lives. I spent my whole life feeling uncoordinated and failing at any physical activity. However, at the age of 40 I started taking tennis lessons with a friend. Although I never really became good at it, and didn't really develop a love for it either, I did actually change my abilities. I can now throw a ball straight, catch keys my husband throws to me across the room, and even point straight at things (my family says I used to point "straight" at things, but was always about 15 to 20 degrees off!) Who knew that coordination and accuracy could be taught to a certifiable klutz! Shortly after that, my youngest son, at 12, decided suddenly he was interested in music, although he'd always had an aversion to it before. At his first lessons, when given a note to begin warming up to, he always sang 1-3 notes below the given note. However, after six months, he was singing on pitch, and even had a solo in a school play. Music may never be his favorite thing, but he is enjoying his new-found ability to do something he thought he couldn't do before. I love the freedom that comes from learning and trying and repeatedly trying new things! It's the freedom (in my case) to choose to play tennis or not, but to actually have the choice, because I can. And the freedom for my son to choose extra-curricular music activities or not, because he CAN do music well enough to choose. Thanks for sharing your insights through your blog. You are a delightful writer, and speak about practical, relevant, and interesting topics.
ReplyDeleteDana thank you so much. You made my day with your lovely comment. So glad you are enjoying the read. :)
Delete