Playing without looking

[Megan]

My learning curve.
Although I can play some pieces by memory with ease looking at the keys, my piano tutor gave me a sneaky exercise and covered over the keys and asked me to play blind as it were. I found this exercise very instructive because it made me really think about the sounds of the notes and position of fingering and then reproducing that myself. I didn't get it all note perfect though, but I found it to be a beneficial exercise.

[Peter]

Yes it is good to play as much as possible at times without looking at keys to develop aural awareness and keyboard confidence - just as blind pianists have to. Try playing some scales without looking, then some arpeggios - hard at first but you'll improve!

[Megan]

Yes, thanks Peter, I've been doing C major contrary motion and F major scale double octaves without looking. I like doing contrary scales and I quite enjoy doing broken chords. I'm not so hot on arpeggios yet though, I don't know why.

[Sorrano]

Organists have to learn to play pedals without looking, as well. ;-)

[Chris]

Organists have to learn to play pedals without looking, as well. ;-)

Yes, and I am amazed every time I hit the correct pedal after a sizable jump from the last one. Which definitely does not always happen!

[Megan]

Organists have to learn to play pedals without looking, as well. ;-)

Yes, and that always looks very complicated to me.

[Sorrano]

Yes, and that always looks very complicated to me.

Peter has some sound advice (sorry for the pun) and maybe I should be doing that, as well. Seems, though, that whenever I am practicing and start thinking about whether I am looking at the keys or not I tend to struggle more. Starting early helps it to be more natural so that you don't have to think about it.

[Megan]

I used to be a typist and still type without looking. So I'm thinking it is kind of similar in a way, learning keys without looking, but of course on the piano the keys are a bit of a stretch. Maybe in time I shall master it.