Can you study a score without touching the keyboard and still make musical progress?

This is something I've been thinking about for many years.

When we say we're "practicing," we usually mean sitting at the piano. But how much of learning actually depends on the instrument being there?

I don't mean simply analyzing harmony or marking fingerings. I mean mentally hearing every note, sensing the phrasing, following the direction of the musical line, imagining the tone, the voicing, the timing, and even the path of movement through the hands before a single key is pressed.

I've often found that some of my biggest breakthroughs happened away from the keyboard. When I returned to the instrument, it sometimes felt as though the hands were simply catching up with work that had already been done inwardly. This aligns with the way I now structure practice, where analysis and advanced mental practice precede the later learning and performance stages.

I'm curious how others experience this.

Have you ever made genuine progress while away from the piano? If so, what exactly were you working on, and did it transfer back to your playing?

10 replies

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    • Jessica_Chapman
    • 2 days ago
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    This is a timely topic for me as I am in hospital for some days and plan to look closely at some scores here. 

    I expect that how much you get from this depends largely on your reading/analysis skills and ability to 'hear' all the written notes and harmonies. I find I get most from practicing away from the piano if I have first listened to recordings of the piece played by several good pianists. A great skill to develop though. 

      • Concert Pianist • Piano Researcher • Piano Educator
      • Emma_Leiuman
      • 10 hrs ago
      • Reported - view

       

      I hope your hospital stay is a short one, and that the scores make good companions.

      I like your observation about listening to recordings first. It's almost as though they help "feed" the inner ear, making it easier to hear the score away from the piano. 

    • Vicki_R
    • 2 days ago
    • Reported - view

    Pianist David Chang posts so much on this topic on youtube, and there is a course here on Tonebase on that topic with him explaining his techniques  (as you may know already perhaps).

      • Peter_William
      • 21 hrs ago
      • Reported - view

       could you please post the class name ?i have seen David Chang play on YT—wizard !!!

      • Vicki_R
      • 15 hrs ago
      • Reported - view

        Hi there!  Under 'Livestreams', I searched the keywords 'mental practice'.  In the responses there is :

      Livestreams (on the side menu)

      1) Mental Practice That Actually Works: Tools for Real Progress (with David Chang)

      2) Why Mental Practice is Important! (Tips/Advice With Asiya Korepanova)

       

      Hope it helps! :-)

      • Peter_William
      • 12 hrs ago
      • Reported - view

      Great ! Thank you ! 

      • Concert Pianist • Piano Researcher • Piano Educator
      • Emma_Leiuman
      • 9 hrs ago
      • Reported - view

      Thank you,  ! I actually wasn't familiar with David Chang's work, so I really appreciate the recommendation.

      I couldn't find the course on Tonebase, although I did find that exact video on YouTube. I’m always interested in seeing how others approach the development of inner hearing and mental practice.

      • Vicki_R
      • 7 hrs ago
      • Reported - view

         Hi Emma.  It's on Tonebase under 'livestreams'.  See my post above to Peter.   Thank you for initiating this topic - it's an interesting one.  Myself, I can only 'visualize' the music and do the mental practice, once I've tried the piece (or passages), and only then can I perform  mental practice.  For any complex passage,  I find it very difficult  to just read the score without any attempt at the keyboard and visualize how it might realistically feel under my hands in order to commit it to memory. Are you able to fully memorize a piece (or section) without any attempt first at the keyboard?  David Chang seems to be able to do this I gather from his YouTube posts,  he mentions learning it even one hand at a time.   And in small sections, even half bars.  Perhaps my chunks are too large.  I'll have to retry with smaller chunks as training..

    • Peter_William
    • 21 hrs ago
    • Reported - view

    Hi Emma ,

    Is it even possible to learn this skill or is it just innate ability ? Meaning hearing the music in the head while just looking at the score away from the instrument. 
    I do not hear the music from the score unless it is played .. hence my question .. any thoughts on how to acquire this skill would be immensely appreciated .. Thanks in advance 

      • Concert Pianist • Piano Researcher • Piano Educator
      • Emma_Leiuman
      • 9 hrs ago
      • Reported - view

       I don't believe it's an innate ability. In my experience, it can definitely be developed, although it takes time, dedication, and a gradual progression.

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