In any sport that requires hand eye coordination, if you don't push yourself and practice, you don't improve. I watched a documentary on martial arts, where they tested the reflex of some martial artists. The man who was playing Tai Qwan Do would see a red light trigger, respond and punch it in less time than the signal would take to reach the brain from the eye for most people.
So while we don't develop new braincells after birth, we are constantly developing and wiring new neural connections so that we can adapt to whatever nature throws our way. Which brings us to my point. Yesterday I attempted to play a piece I learned (though not one I've played so often I can play in my sleep because that would be cheating) at a speed most pianists, even the 'playing as a hobby' ones, should have. It's not crazily fast like a Chopin piece, but on the fast side of normal. I did play it fast, but horribly with lots of wrong keys and chaos going on. But the interesting thing is, all throughout I felt my entire body was tensed and focused, not too different from when dad made me run beyond my comfort point with him on the green field. I could feel my brain struggling to keep up with the speed at which I wanted my fingers to move accurately, not too unlike when I'm struggling with a difficult problem in an exam with a time limit. It was awesome! I'm going to try it again today. (At least this vacation, despite it being boring, is having me practice all the time). Of course I did have to massage and stretch my hands before and after as with any sport, or I would have gotten really bad cramps like that other day.
Have you seen all the 4-7 year old kids all over youtube who were seemingly genius musicians. I've come to a conclusion after starting to learn the piano. I think reading and playing music is a skill, like writing, reading, drawing or typing. If you start teaching it to very young children they will pick it up fast, and become as good in it as they are in putting down thoughts to paper in writing. Of course some people have a little extra and become calligraphers or artists or virtuoso players, but everyone can learn how to draw and write, and everyone can learn how to play music, not just a little, but really well.
I think of it as typing. Doesn't it scare you sometimes how the words appear on the screen without any conscious effort of where your fingers are. I think this is where these kids are, they hear the music and the fingers automatically go to the right key or note.
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