Psychological aspects of the methodology of working on a musical text

Safonova Tatiana PhD in Art History Associate Professor at the Department of Special Piano of Saratov State Conservatoire 410012, Russia, Saratovskaya oblast', g. Saratov, ul. Prosp. Im. Kirova, d. 1. tatianasafonova@mail.ru Other publications by this author

Any performing activity of a musician is aimed at its perception by the listener, necessarily implies some kind of impact on the audience. The nature and degree of this impact largely depends on how deeply the performer has mastered the deep inner meaning of the work, and, no less importantly, on his ability to express this meaning, to convey it to the listener. Achieving a genuine, emotional and spiritual impact on the listener requires detailed work on the work, the effectiveness of which is not always provided by the musician's intuition, but involves the development of a certain method of working with a musical text. Activities in this direction include a wide range of different tasks related to the preparation of the program for concert performance. The presentation of the program to the public requires stage endurance from the musician, assuming the strength of memorization and stability of performance. How to increase the efficiency of the process of memorizing the text and minimize the time required to master the work?

1)      Individual characteristics of the performer's psyche

In addition to various significant factors affecting the quality of text memorization, it is necessary to take into account the individual characteristics of the performer's psyche, his ability to perceive, analyze and memorize information. From the standpoint of psychology, human perception is based on various ways of obtaining information that determine the types of representative systems. The main ones are: visual, auditory, kinesthetic. In reality, these types do not exist in isolation, but form a system in which certain perception channels are dominant, which determines the specifics of the performer's individuality. Nevertheless, for more effective results, the work on the musical text should be characterized by an integrated approach involving the connection of all representative systems. Simultaneous use of all the main channels of information in the work on the text allows you to penetrate deeper into the musical material. In addition, knowledge of the individual characteristics of the performer's perception helps to intensify the work of musical memory, increase its effectiveness.

It is believed that the auditory channel of perception is of decisive importance for musicians. Comprehension of music in this case is carried out through hearing. This is determined by the very specifics of musical activity. And since music is the art of auditory representations, musical memory is, first of all, auditory memory. This idea is emphasized by many researchers. Thus, according to D. Kirnarskaya, "inner hearing ... is a necessary support for the development of musical memory" ^{[3, p. 205]}.  Inner hearing as the ability to mentally appeal with sound images, as the ability to pre-hear, is the driving force of the entire performing process. The fundamental role of inner hearing is devoted, in particular, to the work of K. Martinsen "Individual piano technique based on sound-making will" ^[7].

The issues of hearing development are fundamental in the work of a musician. In fact, what does the ability to technically virtuoso play depend on? What influences the process of "blurting out" a piece of music? All these processes are guided by a musical ear. According to E. Lieberman, the ability to virtuoso playing is determined by "auditory-motor psychic connections", i.e. the ability of hearing to navigate at a fast pace ^[5]. The role of hearing also becomes dominant in the mechanism of "chattering" of a musical composition. The latter arises as a side effect of the automation of the musician's gaming actions ("finger memory"), which is capable of blunting the auditory initiative, which, in turn, leads to problems with coordination, to failures in the gameplay, as well as to "deadening of performance" (the expression of A. Shchapov). Nevertheless, automation is an indispensable and obligatory condition for the course of any musical and performing process - this circumstance requires special attention of the teacher, the development of methods to overcome this contradiction.

2) Effective forms of work

What forms of work are the most effective? Of course, one of the most effective ways is to play at a slow pace. Such a mechanism allows you to control each note, destroying the usual inertial connections formed in the process of motor automation. In addition, playing with your eyes closed allows you to sharpen your hearing and tactile sensations. This is stated by L. McKinnon in the book "The Game by heart" ^[6].  Another form of work that solves similar problems is playing in the dark. G. Neuhaus writes about four types of work with text that are of great importance for performers. These include: 1. Playing with notes and with a piano; 2. Without notes and with a piano; 3. Without notes and without a piano; 4. With notes and without a piano ^[8]. To activate the inner hearing, the importance of the last two forms should be emphasized. In their performing practice, they were widely used by F. Liszt and the Soviet pianist G. Ginzburg. However, for most people whose hearing is not as developed as that of outstanding performers, "the most effective way," according to Kirnarskaya, is the study of musical material by a mixed method, when the inner hearing (the study of musical text) worked alternately with real hearing (playback).... So, the appeal to the inner ear turns out to be most effective when it has a partial character, including other, simpler ways of getting acquainted with music" ^{[3, pp. 201-202]}.

In addition to the activation of auditory activity, which plays a key role both in the work of musical memory and in the entire performing process, another form of text memorization should be distinguished – visual. It is noteworthy that at present the value of visual memory, based on this representative system, for the entire musical process is undeservedly underestimated. In particular, L. McKinnon notes:  "Visual memory ... can be very useful, but it is by no means mandatory for performing "without notes"" ^{[6, p. 21]}. Many theorists agree with this point of view, arguing that visual memory is not a priority in the work of a musician ^[2]. However, modern research in the field of psychology tells a different story. Scientists have proved that most of the inhabitants of the planet are visual, so the importance of visual memory in the work of a musician cannot be belittled. In particular, in the context of preparing a work for a concert performance, it is necessary to note the importance of such a form of work as playing by notes. Up to the stage, it is necessary to use and alternate active and passive repetitions. In addition, graphic notes are of particular value, focusing attention on the essential features of the text, helping to capture them better and more vividly in the performer's mind.

The next – kinesthetic – method of mastering the text is associated with tactile sensations, with the inclusion of an automation mechanism inextricably linked with tactile and motor types of memory. This mechanism is absolutely irreplaceable on the stage, in the event of a blackout, it is the accumulated automatism that allows you to play stably, without accidents and accidents. However, for its effective inclusion and functioning, it is necessary to pay attention to all the expressive nuances, strokes, fingering, which must be thought out and determined at the initial stage of work. It is also necessary to take into account that the psychological feature of human perception is the significance of first impressions, so you should not learn only the notes first, and then everything else, including expressiveness and meaning. You should remember about the comprehensive approach to the preparation of the work, which focuses on the fact that memorization was initially meaningful and expressive. It is well known from pedagogical practice that it is always more difficult to retrain.

3)     Awareness in the work of a musician-performer

Awareness as a determining factor in the work of a musician-performer is emphasized in numerous research papers. Memorization, coming from understanding the material, is an indispensable condition for its qualitative and lasting development. I also. Komensky emphasized that "nothing can be forced to memorize, except what is well understood..." ^{[4, p.171]}. In solidarity with him, L. McKinnon draws attention to the existence of two spheres of the psyche: consciousness and subconsciousness, which, in her opinion, should cooperate with each other, interact. The researcher considered the work of consciousness to be the key in the daily training of a musician. On stage, in her opinion, the performer should surrender to the sphere of the subconscious.

The meaningfulness in the performer's work is manifested in the desire to discover logic in the development of musical drama, to identify the cause-and-effect patterns of the text. This is facilitated by an understanding of the form, tonal and harmonic plan of the work. Thus, the basis for a better understanding of the text and its lasting memorization is a theoretical analysis of the text, based on several basic principles proposed by the author of this article: 1. Separation by form; 2. Separation by degree of identity (identification of similarities and differences); 3. Separation by degree of complexity of the texture. According to this approach to the text, it is necessary to go from the general to the particular, simplifying everything complex and isolating its basic structures. Here we recall the method of "technical phrasing" by F. Busoni, which he talks about in the context of working on technology, but this method also becomes relevant in the light of holistic work on the text. According to the outstanding musician, the mental rearrangement of a passage consists in dividing the passage not according to its spelling in the musical text, but "in dividing into a number of identical, convenient links that fit into the position of the hand" [cit. according to: 5, p. 54]. Thus, Busoni emphasizes that the process of working on the text should be creative, involving the inclusion of consciousness and analytics aimed at solving various technical and musical problems of the text.

One of the frequent disadvantages of inexperienced musicians is turning off consciousness from the general gameplay. At the same time, the creative activity of the musician turns into a mechanical one. In order to improve the effectiveness of classes and exacerbate active auditory control in the performing process, it is necessary to set new sound and artistic tasks with each repetition, focusing on any one aspect that requires work. In addition, an effective way to work with the text, helping to avoid "chattering", as well as to increase the strength of its memorization, is a game with accents on weak fractions of a beat. This method allows you to identify those parts that, in the course of normal execution, find themselves in the zone of the unconscious, which can provoke their vulnerability.

4) The effect of fingering on the effectiveness of memorizing musical text

The issue related to the influence of fingering on the effectiveness of memorizing a musical text requires separate consideration. In his book "On the Art of Piano Playing," Neuhaus writes that he could play with other fingers during the performance of the work on stage, depending on his well-being. However, according to him, the fingering "should be learned, as a rule, one, firmly established, the best possible. After all, it is necessary to use muscle memory in practice, which, as is known, plays a huge role in any physical labor" ^{[8, p. 148]}.  Thus, a conscious attitude to the choice of fingering in the initial stage contributes to the connection of tactile memory, which contributes to a more lasting memorization of the text. This statement becomes especially relevant in cases where we are talking about inexperienced performers.

The effective inclusion of "hand memory" is facilitated by consistency in the choice of fingering. In the context of romantic and post-romantic texture with its wide and not always hand-friendly positions, the innovative principles of F. Busoni's piano concept become particularly relevant ^[10]. Its essence lies in positionality based on "five-fingered", alternating wide hand positions when replacing the frequent laying of the first finger, covering the entire passage, phrase. In striving for virtuosity, for thinking with technical complexes, for finding new ways to make complex things simple, Busoni came from his own performing practice, as well as from the pianistic heritage of J. S. Bach and F. Liszt.  One of the main tasks for him was the education of a rational approach to solving technical problems, the development of awareness in the work of a musician-performer.

5) The Zeigarnik effect in the context of the performing practice of a performing musician

The above suggests that the professional activity of a musician-performer should include not only the resources of musicology, but also the possibilities of sciences such as psychology. Of great interest are the ways of memorizing the text, aimed at increasing the efficiency and intensity of the work of musical memory. In this light, the research of the Soviet psychologist B. Zeigarnik is valuable ^[1]. In her book Pathopsychology, she examines the effect associated with memorizing completed and unfinished actions, as well as completed and unfinished figures. The experiment conducted by the author consists in the fact that the subject is offered to do several actions in a mess, and some actions allow them to complete, and others are interrupted at the stage of incompleteness. As the results of the study show, interrupted, incomplete actions are remembered by the subjects twice as well as completed actions.

It seems that the pattern revealed by the scientist-psychologist can be used in relation to memorizing a musical text. In the process of work, the performer identifies certain semantic structures that represent logically completed sequences. In particular, they include phrases, sentences. By memorizing them by heart, one should not bring memorization to the end of the construction, because, according to the theory of Zeigarnik, an incomplete musical phrase carries a greater strain of thought processes than a completed one, therefore, it is stored in memory better and stronger. Without bringing the musical phrase to completion, the performer feels more interest in the memorized material, which is accompanied by a desire to imagine it. Therefore, using this feature of memory, memorization of musical text is carried out more intensively.

Thus, it is difficult to overestimate the importance of psychological aspects in the work of a musician. Currently, scientific and methodological works are increasingly considering issues related to the process of preparing for a concert performance, with the search for methods that contribute to effective work on the work, its lasting memorization. An integrated approach is essential in the practice of a musician, due to the individual characteristics of the performer's perception. The paper reveals the possibilities of auditory, visual, kinesthetic ways of comprehending the text. From the position of including various types of representative systems, both traditional and new methods of work on the work are considered, which allow improving the quality of mastering the text, making the process as intensive as possible. It is emphasized that awareness is of particular importance in the work of a musician-performer. The article offers the author's principles of theoretical analysis of the text, its structuring. Effective methods of memorization are investigated, due to the possibilities of interdisciplinary interaction, related to the knowledge of the psychological characteristics of information perception and the mechanisms of memory. The idea of the expediency of their application when working with musical text is carried out. Special attention is paid to the results of the research of the scientist-psychologist B. Zeigarnik, which allow us to formulate a conclusion about the priority of the psychological approach in a variety of methods that contribute to effective preparation for a concert performance.