Re:No Causal Effect of Music Practice on Ability (2014) [pdf]
by TheOtherHobbes on Saturday February 10, 2018 @04:39PM
(#16349758)
There's a more fundamental problem. This study tests two different musical skills - i.e. playing (which is what most people think of as practice) and listening.
No one with a musical background will be surprised that ear training (i.e the ability to hear musical details) is only distantly related to finger training, especially if the finger training happens on an instrument with discrete pitches, like a piano.
Ear training is a separate process, and has to be practiced separately. Playing will improve it a little, but won't fully develop it.
In fact amateur keyboard players are notorious for poor pitch discrimination. Keyboards are just switches. You don't have to find the pitch while listening for intonation, as you do on instruments that don't have frets and require very precise finger or mouth control, as well as the ability to listen to the rest of an ensemble.
No one with a musical background will be surprised that ear training (i.e the ability to hear musical details) is only distantly related to finger training, especially if the finger training happens on an instrument with discrete pitches, like a piano.
Ear training is a separate process, and has to be practiced separately. Playing will improve it a little, but won't fully develop it.
In fact amateur keyboard players are notorious for poor pitch discrimination. Keyboards are just switches. You don't have to find the pitch while listening for intonation, as you do on instruments that don't have frets and require very precise finger or mouth control, as well as the ability to listen to the rest of an ensemble.