What is Muscle Memory?
Muscle memory occurs when repeated movement patterns become ingrained in our muscles, allowing us to perform tasks without consciously trying. Our brains "chunk" these patterns, enabling us to focus on other things while executing familiar actions, like driving a manual car or typing.
Muscle Memory at the Piano
In their 2nd Year Let's Play Music students learn the red, blue, and yellow chords with both hands. It's essential for your child to use the correct fingering, even if alternative methods seem easier. These hand shapes will recur, helping your child instinctively know how to position their fingers in the future.
Using a keyboard with full-sized keys is crucial for memorizing the correct stretches and distances. Once your child's brain has internalized the feel of these chords, they can focus on chord progressions and notes, making playing and sight-reading much easier.
Practice Makes Permanent
You might have hoped for "practice makes perfect," but only perfect practice leads to that! Sloppy practice results in lasting mistakes. Here’s how to ensure your child develops strong muscle memories:
Repetition: Regularly playing chords and completing the Let's Play Music program will help these skills stick for life.
Attention to Technique: Monitor your child's hand position, finger placement, and technique. Emphasize that it's better to practice slowly with good form.
Visualization: Muscle memory is a mental activity, too. Encourage your child to visualize playing correctly. During trips, bring an image of the keyboard from the songbook for "practice."
How to Help Your Child Learn Chords
When learning chords, movements will be slow and require mental focus. Emphasize correct fingering over speed. Remind your child to slow down during transitions.
Right Hand Yellow or Left Hand Blue Chord:
Have your child practice sliding her thumb over one key and back without playing. Keep other fingers curved and touching their keys; floating fingers can hinder muscle memory. After warming up, slowly transition between chords.
Right Hand Blue or Left Hand Yellow Chord:
Practice extending the hand, sliding all fingers into position while keeping the thumb anchored. This helps your child learn the correct distance to move. After warming up, transition slowly between chords.
What's Next?
As your child masters the chords, she’ll enjoy sight-reading music using red, yellow, and blue chords effortlessly. In her 3rd Year of Let's Play Music, she’ll apply these hand shapes to play chords in different keys and inversions.
After graduating, she'll recognize these chord shapes, intervals, and melodic patterns in written music, making them easier to play thanks to her muscle memory. I think I’ll set my computer password to "muscle memory." Good luck with the chords today!
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