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I had the same curiosity about offering a blank keyboard because I've been using one for 8 years or so after it was recommended by a former co-worker who I have

I had the same curiosity about offering a blank keyboard because I've been using one for 8 years or so after it was recommended by a former co-worker who I have huge respect for. So I'll give it a shot to explain the difference after I got adjusted to it: I did not realize that my brain was still wired to look at the keyboard periodically, specifically when dealing with special characters and really anything outside of typical alphanumeric. I only realized after the adjustment that each time I had to find one of these keys it was a minor interruption to my current thoughts. The best way to describe it is imagine a piano with every single key labeled as to what the note is. It would be difficult to teach people to think about the creativity and harmony and melody aspect of music and to directly translate what they hear in their head into muscle memory to reproduce it. With the keys labeled it would be like training wheels and difficult to get people off of this because the translation would constantly be: - I hear a "G" in my head - I see a "G" on the piano - I play the "G" on the piano Instead really what you want the brain to do is say: - Here's what I play to get the sound in my head With no in between. Or similar to learning a new language and having to internally translate things to your native language before you can understand (or the reverse for speaking). Instead you just want to immediately know what this language is saying with no native translation. TL,DR: Once you really internalize that looking at the keyboard makes 0 difference, it's one less minor thing for your brain to think about and your flow isn't interrupted as frequent by internal thoughts. Using a blank keyboard is just a (admittedly somewhat extreme) way to force yourself into this.

mmastrac 4y ago
This makes me wonder if I would have had an easier time learning piano with more explicit notes on the keys...
- chrismarlow9 4y ago
  I actually pulled that example from watching my sibling learn the piano in the 90's using that exact method. The teacher used stickers on the keys to speed up the initial muscle memory building (it also kept younger kids from getting discouraged so easily due to difficulty). After a few simple tunes and when they knew where "G" was without the stickers and without counting from middle "C", the stickers came off and the ear training began to play what they hear.
  - agentwiggles 4y ago
    One funny thing about being a largely self-taught guitarist is that I spent years with the instrument not knowing the names of the notes I was playing. Especially since guitarists tend to play a lot of tablature, you can get surprisingly adept without knowing the notes. This works out ok for a while, but eventually becomes limiting as you try to expand your fretboard and music theory knowledge.
    - TylerE 4y ago
      Guitar is much easier since it's just notes... whereas on piano a given interval can need a different stretch depending on the notes.
      - agentwiggles 4y ago
        Absolutely! In fact a pretty common entry point to gaining fretboard knowledge is to learn various interval shapes across string groups, usually starting with octave shapes. Then you move on to major and minor thirds, and fifths.(Although I'm sure for many self taught guitarists, like me, you learn a 5th shape before anything else, since this forms the common and remarkably useful "power chord"). It's complicated a bit by that pesky 2nd string, which is tuned to a major 3rd from the 3rd string (all other string pairs have an ascending 4th between them). But still quite useful in helping new players learn to get around the fretboard.
        freedomben 4y ago
        Self taught guitarist here as well, and it's fascinating to see another person having such a similar experience as me! Usually people look at me in confusion when I say this stuff.
HEI-Points 4y ago
I'm stealing piano analogy, thanks. I bought a blank keyboard half as a joke and ended up finding labeled ones slightly harder to use

mmastrac 4y ago

This makes me wonder if I would have had an easier time learning piano with more explicit notes on the keys...

chrismarlow9 4y ago
I actually pulled that example from watching my sibling learn the piano in the 90's using that exact method. The teacher used stickers on the keys to speed up the initial muscle memory building (it also kept younger kids from getting discouraged so easily due to difficulty). After a few simple tunes and when they knew where "G" was without the stickers and without counting from middle "C", the stickers came off and the ear training began to play what they hear.
- agentwiggles 4y ago
  One funny thing about being a largely self-taught guitarist is that I spent years with the instrument not knowing the names of the notes I was playing. Especially since guitarists tend to play a lot of tablature, you can get surprisingly adept without knowing the notes. This works out ok for a while, but eventually becomes limiting as you try to expand your fretboard and music theory knowledge.
  - TylerE 4y ago
    Guitar is much easier since it's just notes... whereas on piano a given interval can need a different stretch depending on the notes.
    - agentwiggles 4y ago
      Absolutely! In fact a pretty common entry point to gaining fretboard knowledge is to learn various interval shapes across string groups, usually starting with octave shapes. Then you move on to major and minor thirds, and fifths.(Although I'm sure for many self taught guitarists, like me, you learn a 5th shape before anything else, since this forms the common and remarkably useful "power chord"). It's complicated a bit by that pesky 2nd string, which is tuned to a major 3rd from the 3rd string (all other string pairs have an ascending 4th between them). But still quite useful in helping new players learn to get around the fretboard.
      - freedomben 4y ago
        Self taught guitarist here as well, and it's fascinating to see another person having such a similar experience as me! Usually people look at me in confusion when I say this stuff.

HEI-Points 4y ago

I'm stealing piano analogy, thanks. I bought a blank keyboard half as a joke and ended up finding labeled ones slightly harder to use