- Sat Sep 19, 2009 10:58 pm
#6893

Some people really value notation as a memory aid, for example, whereas for me, it just doesn't work. I can of course play something from notation, but it doesn't come naturally to me. Instead, give me a ten-second sound snippet, and I'm fine. I remember things by their melody and, to a large extent, by tactile memory. When I dredge up a rhythm that I haven't played for a while and have trouble remembering it, what I go for is the melody and tactile sensation in my hands (the pattern of movement and impact).
There are definitely many paths to learning a rhythm, and each person is different. That's why I keep advocating for students to have several different teachers, if at all possible. That not only means that they get exposed to more different styles, but also makes it more likely that they find a teacher they mesh with really well and who can bring out the best in them.

Cheers,
Michi.
That's entirely possible, yes, though it is difficult to be sure with the length of my postse2c wrote:michi, I think you said something a bit earlier about different styles of learning? (Long thread, I'd need to re-read to be able to quote.)

For sure, different people learn differently, and the analytical thing will not work for everyone.To me, it sounds like that's what we're talking about, for the most part.
Some people really value notation as a memory aid, for example, whereas for me, it just doesn't work. I can of course play something from notation, but it doesn't come naturally to me. Instead, give me a ten-second sound snippet, and I'm fine. I remember things by their melody and, to a large extent, by tactile memory. When I dredge up a rhythm that I haven't played for a while and have trouble remembering it, what I go for is the melody and tactile sensation in my hands (the pattern of movement and impact).
There are definitely many paths to learning a rhythm, and each person is different. That's why I keep advocating for students to have several different teachers, if at all possible. That not only means that they get exposed to more different styles, but also makes it more likely that they find a teacher they mesh with really well and who can bring out the best in them.
Mysterious are the ways of music...btw, the rabid theory fans I referred to earlier are all jazz musicians. Go figure!

Cheers,
Michi.