In my own amateur level experience as a classical guitarist, I’ve found that all three possibilities apply at one time or another. Pretty much, I learn my pieces by heart, but still find it reassuring to have the music in front of me.
It’s somtimes a bit of B, not often A, rarely C, but there’s also other things besides.
The use of music by a soloist in this way varies from person to person. If we’re talking about top performers, even if they are not playing from memory, the piece is fully internalised, and they could quite probably play it through without the music, without a problem. But this does run the small risk of a memory lapse, hence opting to use music.
Being able to confidently play a piece by heart, in a concert situation, involves a greater knowledge of the music than simply playing it ‘off by heart’. To have complete confidence in one’s ability to play without music necessitates a more comprehensive awareness of the structure of the piece as a whole - this puts similar passages in a wider context and so prevents slips like you suggest in option C. (In some pieces this doesn’t work, however - rondos in particular are a right pain in the arse.)
Even when they are using music, the level to which they are actually reading individual notes is probably insignificant. With a familiar piece, such as the Bach you mention, just the overall appearance of bars and lines on the page can be enough to aid a faltering memory. When I perform from music with a familiar piece, I deliberately place the stand in a slightly inconvenient position in relation to me, the pianist and the audience, to ensure that I’m not looking at it unnecessarily.
Another whole level of memorising is when conductors perform from memory. To do this, not just one part of the music needs to be internalised, but all of them. I’ve seen people do this with the Rite of Spring :eek:
Oddly enough, when I played piano, I learned everything by heart and never looked at the music unless I was still learning the piece. But with guitar I find that having the sheet music there reassures me. Without it, I’ve had problem “C” happen where I change pieces midstream.
What’s odd about all this is that I am now a much better reader than I used to be.
What is your instrument, by the way? I know you’re a music teacher but I don’t recall anything about what you play as a musician.
In vocal music, there are certain arcane, unwritten “rules” regarding when you can and can’t use music.
In a recital situation (just you and a piano), it’s generally expected that you have everything memorized–unless you’re doing oratorio, in which case you can use music. (Why? Hell if I know. I said it’s arcane.) When singing with an orchestra, you can generally use music (unless, of course, you’re on stage, e.g. opera (opera in concert you can still use music)).
None of this, of course, is written in stone (except you still can’t use music if you’re on stage).
Yes, the conventions for vocal music are odd at times. I’ve sung in concerts where we’ve all known the work off by heart, but the conductor has asked us to carry scores “for the look of the thing”.
I salute you, and all who learn how to play loud or strident instruments. With the acoustic guitar I can practice while my wife is asleep in the next room.
Do you have any opinions about baroque suites? I get the impression that contemporary playing style calls for the allemande movements to be played slowly, but with a great deal of ornamentation. However, I sometimes think they overdo that and some of the “dancability” should be retained. In other words, they should be played faster even at the expense of ornament.
If you want to take this off line feel free to send me a private message.
I often find myself reminding pupils that it’s not supposed to be a quiet instrument! Although maybe it’s just because I get all the pleasant well-mannered ones, and the rowdy lot go and hit or blow things instead.
I think it’s an interesting cultural development. Most popular music has been performed extremely loudly for a couple of generations or thereabouts. So perhaps your pupils tend to think that all other music is meant to be soft by default. Yet a string quartet, or even a soloist, can fill a hall with music to the back rows.
Just wanted to add–this can afflict even top performers on a very bad day. Back in the 1970s I played (lived and breathed) ragtime piano. At the time one of the pre-eminent exponents of Scott Joplin’s music was classical pianist Joshua Rifkin. One of my fellow rag-geeks saw him in concert, and inadvertently switched pieces at the trio. :smack:
Ragtime in particular may be a style that you can learn from music, but then can’t really read it while you play, so maybe Rifkin didn’t have the music in front of him.
I often find myself reminding pupils that it’s not supposed to be a quiet instrument! Although maybe it’s just because I get all the pleasant well-mannered ones, and the rowdy lot go and hit or blow things instead.