Topmusicanswers
- Why do pianists have to memorize music?
- Why did performers start playing from memory and not use the sheet music?
- Does a Concerto have a soloist?
- How do classical musicians memorize?
Why do pianists have to memorize music?
Pianists memorize music because it helps them to play with better musical expression. Memorizing also helps better perform technically demanding repertoire and help eliminate page turns nad breaks in the music. Memorizing music is mostly reserved for soloists and less frequent for collaborative playing.
Why did performers start playing from memory and not use the sheet music?
They weren't expected to memorize music. This was mainly due to the fact that these performers had little time beforehand to prepare. New music was written and performed so quickly that memorizing it all in a short amount of time wasn't realistic or expected. Instead, audiences were looking for the “next big thing”.
Does a Concerto have a soloist?
In today's musical lingo, though, a concerto is a piece of music in which one player (the “soloist”) sits or stands at the front of the stage playing the melody while the rest of the orchestra accompanies her. The concerto soloist is the hero or heroine, the lead of the play, the prima donna.
How do classical musicians memorize?
One type of memory that musicians use is commonly called "muscle memory", but the memories are not actually stored in the muscles. Muscle memory instead refers to a type of "procedural" memory called motor learning, in which memories for movement patterns are acquired through repetition.
