Eyes on the MUSIC: How to Play the Piano WITHOUT Looking Down 🎹

[@ThePianoProfKateBoyd]

Watch this next: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jHjOe6J4lLtkmKc

[@niclasnightflame]

Thank you so much for this video. I would have needed to show this to my former piano teacher who told me that I'd always have a disadvantage when playing piano, because I'm blind. At that time I developed my playing skills by myself at this point while teachers were rarely empathic. Now listening to you I feel very motivated and comfortable. I guess that should be the feeling that teachers should actually achieve. I can't thank you enough for opening my eyes a little more and making me feel more determined again.

[@ThePianoProfKateBoyd]

This is wonderful! I'm so glad you had this experience! Good luck with your playing - you got this! 🥳

[@StefanGBucher]

I'm sorry, when your teacher said that... was there no opening to hit him with a bin full of Ray Charles and Stevie Wonder records? What an absolute putz!

[@niclasnightflame]

@@StefanGBucher The thing is that some people are so used to their own methods like using their eyes as their main sense that they can't imagine not having their sight so they think everything was impossible without seeing and project their own perception on someone with a visual impairment who has completely different solving strategies. That surely is not the ideal way but I can't blame anyone for that, because we only see the world through our own lense and if one person never encountered a blind one, they never had an opportunity to deal with this situation.

[@cantthinkofausername6749]

⁠​⁠@@StefanGBuchersaid that he has a disadvantage because he's blind? no shit he does, I'm pretty sure not being able to use your eyes would be a pretty fucking big obstacle in piano playing. that doesn't mean he can't learn piano, though. i'm sure that the teacher's at least heard of the concept of blind pianists, it's just that he was saying that it would be more difficult to play piano if you're blind. what's disrespectful about that??

[@run1492]

What a stupid piano teacher... Do you know Ignasi Terraza, the great jazz pianist? He became blind when she was 9, and AFTER that he discovered the piano.

[@susandunlap3409]

I'm an intermediate piano student and as my repertoire is harder and now I've gone back to overlooking. Working hard to use the choreography of the keyboard. It's super challenging !

[@TheTmackey]

Dear Prof, I have been so needing this lesson. I am so grateful for the specific tools you recommend as I have tried numerous times to play without looking. Now you have given us a path to succeed! Thank you!

[@ThePianoProfKateBoyd]

Wonderful! So glad it's helpful for you. I am working on an additional video about this topic as well - it was too much for a single video. 😊

[@Leon-xw3nv]

Thank you for the detailed information. It’s not easy to just not look down without an orientation.

[@ThePianoProfKateBoyd]

Glad it was helpful! I appreciate the feedback. Good luck!

[@yvonneng6123]

Thank you Dr. Kate. That is practical and helpful.

[@ThePianoProfKateBoyd]

Thanks! Glad it was helpful - good luck!

[@susandunlap3409]

Intermediate adult pianist here. Very helpful. Definitely takes committed practice! Thank you. I'm doing these practice strategies two times a day for 10 to 15 min.

[@ThePianoProfKateBoyd]

Glad you're here!

[@RobertBeaurivage]

Thank-you !!!

[@tfpp1]

Must've missed this video, got here from your most recent email update. As an excellent sight-reader, I'm always leaving comments on others' videos saying that this, THIS very topic is the key to becoming a better sight-reader. Full stop. Period. Thanks for making a whole video on the topic. Couldn't agree more.

[@ThePianoProfKateBoyd]

Couldn't agree more! You're very welcome! 😊

[@tfpp1]

@@ThePianoProfKateBoyd Btw, I'm the guy who wrote that piano duet that you commented reminded you of Hallelujah Junction, just for reference. I very much am a fan of your channel and what you're doing with it. I may not always respond to your newsletters, but I definitely read them and follow you. Keep it up!

[@ThierryPianoSolo]

I watched a lot of videos about "playing the piano without looking down" and I think this one is by far the most helpful! Thank you!

[@ThePianoProfKateBoyd]

Awesome, thank you!

[@rickfiddler133]

Thanks, I too use a cardboard box as blinders. My poor posture from looking down excessively was causing my back muscles to tire from supporting my head weight. Thank you for all you do.

[@JesusLuvsM3]

I’m in my 60’s and re-learning piano. In my teens I could play some ragtime. I’m trying to learn The Entertainer and have been wondering HOW I was able to play the strides. Thank you, you’re a wonderful teacher.

[@ThePianoProfKateBoyd]

Thanks! Good luck - you got this! 😊

[@ajotech]

Excellent video, thank you so much Kate.

[@susandunlap3409]

I put a pizza box top under the music rack to cover my hands because I wasnt feeling that I was looking down my nose. Moving my head isnt the problem; rather it's my busy eyes. The box top works!

[@ThePianoProfKateBoyd]

Great idea!!

[@garyragonese4326]

So helpful!

[@leeclarke8993]

Thank you. You’re great!

[@ThePianoProfKateBoyd]

Thanks so much! Glad you're enjoying the videos.

[@antoniopizzileo5131]

Thank you very much, with this video you gave me access to a wonderful new world! thank you with all my heart

[@ThePianoProfKateBoyd]

Thank you! I’m so glad the video resonated with you: happy practicing! ❤️

[@JohnKostohryz]

Thank you. Perhaps the best video regarding sight reading ever!

[@ThePianoProfKateBoyd]

Wow, thank you! Glad it's helpful!

[@indradhanush5444]

Real teacher 🎉🎉

[@ThePianoProfKateBoyd]

Thank you! 😊

[@indradhanush5444]

@@ThePianoProfKateBoyd maa''m you teach composition ?

[@pmk351]

Very impressive

[@ThePianoProfKateBoyd]

Thank you!

[@rogeriosantana7953]

Thank you!

[@ThePianoProfKateBoyd]

You're most welcome! Thanks for watching!

[@ebolds4918]

Thanks for this informative explanation and guide🎹

[@ThePianoProfKateBoyd]

My pleasure 😊 Glad it was helpful!

[@celinavikstrom2807]

A lots thanks to this video! You’re really great! I was almost give up my piano learning when my teacher always complained “don’t look at your hands!”. But the problem is that I don’t know where my hands are when I play”. He said: “use your eyes to look both the notes and the piano tangent at the same time!” Unfortunately I didn’t have that kind of eyes as he has😢.

[@ThePianoProfKateBoyd]

You are very welcome! I hope this video was useful, and I hope you have been able to return to the piano since then!

[@dpm1964]

This is great thank you. You've earned a new subscriber. I especially like the part about intervals and measuring the distance between your fingers. Very helpful.

[@ThePianoProfKateBoyd]

Awesome, thank you! Glad you're here! Good luck with your piano journey! 🎹

[@aj6417]

Your videos are Awesome, and a great tool for learning. Thank you so much; Great job!

[@ThePianoProfKateBoyd]

Glad you like them! Thank you very much! 😊

[@ElizabethAnn660]

Thank you for some great tips.

[@leeciap]

I'm learning via youtube & pianote platform and I feel that truly learning the topography of the keyboard is something overlooked & underemphasized. It must slow beginners other than just me, often without our realizing just how often we are looking up and down. AND how I really thought I knew where the notes are but I DID NOT : 0 WOW... I am actually sort of starting entirely over with my beginner pieces, scales, chord inversions making sure I can do them all without watching my hands. Thank you so very much!!! my progress was slowed to a crawl, Thanks $ forthcoming.

[@ThePianoProfKateBoyd]

Glad it's helpful!

[@beverleyturney9207]

This is a great video My piano teacher is encouraging not looking at hands, feeling and listening Love your exercise’s, this will help me a lot. In the previous video I liked what you used to cover your hands My piano teacher holds the lid up over my hands in a lesson. I will try your idea when I’m practicing alone Many thanks 🎶 🎹🎶💕

[@ThePianoProfKateBoyd]

Thanks!! You can do it! 💪

[@hi5kona]

Thank you so much. I’m working on the Bach Fugue 2. I was having a few problems with some jumps, so I implemented your suggestions. What I found incredibly quickly, as within a few minutes, I was more aware tactically of what was going on, and I am better able to bring out the individual voices. It made a much closer connection between my fingers and my ears. I also found that some of those jump relationships were part of octaves that I had honestly not noticed before, so now I could more easily feel and find them. Thanks!

[@ThePianoProfKateBoyd]

I'm so glad to hear this was helpful for you. Good luck - keep it up!! 🥳

[@thepianoplayer416]

Great video & presentation...

[@ThePianoProfKateBoyd]

Thanks so much for watching - glad you found it helpful!

[@david_holter]

Yes!! Love your videos.

[@ThePianoProfKateBoyd]

Yay! Thank you!

[@Almightservant]

Very useful tips. Thanks for posting. Greetings from Brazil.

[@ThePianoProfKateBoyd]

Thanks for watching! Glad you're here - happy practicing! 🇧🇷

[@viviennehayes2856]

Excellent. Thank you so much. (Kiwi in NZ) 🤩

[@ThePianoProfKateBoyd]

Glad you're here!

[@lawrencetaylor4101]

Merci, you sent me to this video and I much appreciated it. FYI I thought I was suffering from Aural Aphantasia, since it is difficult for me to imagine a melody in my head even after over a year and a half of playing piano. And I had a lot of psychological baggage about my voice, since I was the kid the teachers told to move my lips and not make a sound. But I learned about the Rule of the Octave and started practicing that about 2 weeks ago. But I was trying to learn the 4 voices, and it was becoming another chord exercise. I started playing just two, with movement of either the tonic, third or fifth above the bass note. And I sang the note, and for the first time I felt the music. It was quite the experience. I know I'll probably stay on that level for days, weeks or months, but I think that's what I need to do. Do you have experience with adults (or smaller, younger versions thereof) with the same problem?

[@ThePianoProfKateBoyd]

Wow, thank you for sharing! I'm so glad that you've been able to experience the emotive power of music and that you've found a helpful method for doing so. I don't have much experience with students with similar struggles that you speak of, but I do know that for many people, it can be hard to conceptualize and audiate music on their own. Best of luck to you, and keep it up! 😊👍🏼

[@krasko78]

Dear Prof, thank you very much for this video. I was suspecting everything you are saying here but never before saw it explained and in such a simple way. May I ask a couple of questions: 1) After you've developed a great sensation of the intervals, do you still sometimes grope for the groups of 2 and 3 blacks keys or do you rely only on the interval sensation and finger substitution? 2) I've always been wondering - even after years of developing the interval sensation, are you not afraid of a mistake? Say hit a 4th instead of a 5th? We are all humans and make mistakes no matter how may billion times we've practiced something. Wish you a nice day!

[@ThePianoProfKateBoyd]

Thanks for your questions! 1) I rely on intervals and finger substitution, not groping for the groups of 2 and 3 black keys. 2) When I perform with music, I look down if I have a big jump or if I need to reference the position of my hand. When I perform memorized music, I look down at my hands or close my eyes throughout the performance. Many piano students struggle with the habit of reading music and looking down at their hands in order to play, and therefore they constantly look back and forth between the music and their hands. That's what this lesson is meant to address. Hope this helps clarify! 😊

[@krasko78]

Thank you, Prof. Boyd!

[@MichaelSiliskiSF]

This is timely for me, been trying to figure out if I’m looking down too much! Two questions: 1. When you talk about how the F feels under your finger, what are you actually feeling? Presumably the black keys brushing against your other fingers, since it’s not actually the key you’re playing vs any other white key? I’m curious about the details here since I’m not sure I use the same mechanism to navigate the keyboard (at least not effectively). 2. Often you’ll hear “don’t look at your hands except for big jumps”. Agree? And if so is there a rule of thumb on how big? On some left hand jumps (e.g. Chopin Nocturne in Eb Op 9 No 2, Chopin Waltz in Am posthumous, Schubert Valse Sentimentale No 13) I’m need to look down to hit the bass note, and I wonder if I should let myself glance or if I should force myself to learn these large interval jumps.

[@ThePianoProfKateBoyd]

Hi Michael, Thanks for your comment! 1) When I talk about how the F feels under my finger, I'm feeling the sensation of my fingertip against the keytop, as well as the corner/edge/side of the black key (depending on where I'm playing on the white key) on the part of my finger next to my nail. The white keys are cut differently (for the black keys), so you can feel that corner cut out of it and the black keys jut out. 2) For big jumps, it's totally appropriate and fine to look down as needed. I don't have a recommended interval beyond which you should/shouldn't look down; basically if you need to completely lift your hand and navigate to another part of the keyboard, your accuracy will be helped by looking. In the pieces you mention, you can actually practice looking at your LH and let your RH play by feel. You can, however, teach your arm to start measuring distances between notes, so you are less reliant on looking. I'm planning on addressing this as part of my next video.

[@audreyschley8517]

I memorized the GBD notes. I can now find any other note on the piano

[@Dumbstuffwatcher]

Im a music school graduate and decent guitar player, and am struggling badly to learn keyboard! Theres a "simple" exercise in the beginnig of my workbook that involves a 2-octave jump and that's where it tends to fall apart! It's going to take a lot of attempts and frustration to get comfortable, especially since I already have so much theory knowledge and it's a matter of catching my hands up to what would be simple for me on guitar

[@Ballarattrumpetguy]

Hi, I'm a guitarist too, and I have been teaching myself piano as well. I've recently had an insight that you might find helpful. Funnily enough, I've always seen traditional sheet music and tablature as two, very different animals, and always was more comfortable with the former, but like most guitarists, found guitar really not designed for trad. Music anyway. As I was playing piano though, I suddenly realised that trad sheet music on keyboard IS a kind of Tab! In a way that it could never be for guitar. To really improve on piano sight reading, I've found two things that few teachers mention. Play an arrangement of a song you REALlY like, and an arrangement that has close voices., and start with up to two # and bs too. As sommuch piano rep. Is in Eb, I would include 3 bs too, but 3 #s is somehow harder on keys. The second thing is audiate the familiar song as you play, while feeling loose in your fingers. it's a trick of the mind thing, but it works. Please let me know how it goes. Thanks, Gary

[@ThePianoProfKateBoyd]

I agree with all of the suggestions mentioned here! I hope you can have grace and patience for yourself in the learning process. It will take time, but your background guitar knowledge will help with chords, theory, and more!

[@Linda-d3d]

Are tou aupposed to actually lightly touch the 3 black keys tocfind the F key? (Maybe drag your finger tips over the 3 black keys)

[@ThePianoProfKateBoyd]

Yes, lightly touching the three black keys can be a great way to orient yourself to find F without looking down. As you improve, you’ll find that you need to rely on this less and less, but it’s a helpful technique while building spatial awareness.

[@lakmalnishanta637]

thank you so much. Kindly check the download ink, it gives an error.

[@ThePianoProfKateBoyd]

You're very welcome! 😊 And thank you for the heads up, I will check it out.

[@NhiTran-sk1ut]

Thank you very much for a very informative and useful video. I have a question: Should we try to learn not to look at our hands right from the start of our piano learning process or should we learn other things first (e.g. notes, chords, etc) before trying that?

[@ThePianoProfKateBoyd]

As you're early in the learning process, it will be natural to look down at your hands more. It is a skill that will grow more with time and as your comfortability with all kinds of piano skills grows!

[@NhiTran-sk1ut]

Thank you very much for your reply. ​@@ThePianoProfKateBoyd

[@donaldaxel]

At 11:00 - don't be afraid of making an exercise of lifting and returning to same position. Also, if you have advanced learners, they feel stupid when not being able to look at the keys, not at all looking - then, if they have a piece they have practiced and play well, turn out all lights, play at night without any light. You can hear when you play something wrong and then adjust without turning on the lights. The best is if this is done in VERY slow tempo on a very beautiful SLOW ballad/song because you (the student) need to build up a whole new feeling of movement in the hands, wrists and arms. The exercises finding all F and B by feeling the three-group is excellent, a good start. And pivoting, at 11:13, is a major good thing.

[@ThePianoProfKateBoyd]

Really great points - thanks!

[@RedWaveComing2024]

i can't play ear and way too hard to memorize music....so which is best when playing classical: the visual to music sheets or memorizing the music score?...i'm doing okay playing without looking at the keys at this time

[@ThePianoProfKateBoyd]

If you want to become proficient at learning from sheet music, I recommend working on improving your sight reading skills. It's typically much faster to learn something from reading it on the page than it is to learn it by rote from listening to it. (Think about the difference between memorizing a speech by reading it on the page vs memorizing it by listening to someone else recite it.) A good sightreading resource is Piano Marvel - they have a free trial so you can try it out. You can sign up with my affiliate link to get $2 off the monthly subscription if you decide to subscribe after the trial period: thepianoprof.com/PianoMarvel Good luck! 👋

[@danlefoka3405]

What a brilliant idea for finding your way through the keyboard

[@ThePianoProfKateBoyd]

Yay! Glad you're here! 🎹

[@KandMe1]

Had extreme difficulty swithching over to using touch and ear from eyes an ear. It was extremely uncomfortable trying to do this. It was a vexation and an extreme one by the end of my practice time for the day OMG my head was all but done in completely, I guess having an aim to use my left and right hands independantly added to that quite a lot because coming to piano from guiter; although I do play guitar in a classical style which is much like piano but always my right hand is playing those notes the the left hand holds onto the frets and so am using both hands in parallel. This is one thing I am trying to break from. With those 2 being forced I find this just very difficult to execute. I found a way past it today using a sleep mask from flights I took years back. Put it on that took away the easy look at the keyboard when I got dissorientated. Often it happens when I try not to look and do it as a knee jerk reaction; now this changed relying on ear and need to reorientate if I hear a wrong note (obvioualy this is forcing reliance more on ear). Not really trying to learn sight reading but aiming to improvise and and be creative. I would like to sight read but seems too difficult and like I would lose ability to create and be creative because reading music is way to left brained is how it seems. I beleive I would get drawn into that and away from being creative with music. In the meantime made a lot of progress today soon as I switched over to using the sleep mask and improvising some melodic things. Attempts to keep a smooth bass line goind while doing some sincopations with melodic phrases mixed in on the right hand seemed more attainable today but still not quite getting it just a few times I might have done it and all with the mask on.

[@ThePianoProfKateBoyd]

Sorry to hear about how difficult it was - I commend you for being so determined! I suggest that you just set aside a portion of your practice to practice by touch, because in the end, we use all three senses when we play: eyes, ears and touch. Just my 2 cents! Congrats on your progress and the self-discovery that came along with that!

[@KandMe1]

@@ThePianoProfKateBoyd Decided on a strategy of diving in the deep end on this; using the sleep mask for 3 hours and one hour without and using a book of songs I compiled. Going with the 3 hours until I break through on this if God is willing. Made some good progress today. Thank you for triggering this 'don't look' approach. A few times today I experienced some flow in progress wearing that mask.

[@ThePianoProfKateBoyd]

@@KandMe1 Wow - admirable!! Good luck!

[@jackjack4168]

As a beginner you need to look down. As time goes by familiarity to the keyboard mapping will come. Don't push yourself without looking down.

[@rickyvidad-menezes7967]

Does this mean you shouldn’t ever look down at your hands? I sometimes glance at the keyboard every now and then but, also use the topography of the keyboard at times when I’m not looking at the keyboard.

[@ThePianoProfKateBoyd]

It's totally fine to look at your hands sometimes. When I play from memory I look at my hands for much of the time. This is more of an issue when there is the tendency to read music and constantly look between the music and your hands. For example: sightreading or learning a new piece and looking back and forth between the music and your hands to check that you are playing the correct notes.

[@charlesschwab1858]

I have issues with making large jumps form one position to the other ....

[@ThePianoProfKateBoyd]

Here are some additional videos that might be helpful to you! kzbin.info/www/bejne/iomZgKuEq7-th7c kzbin.info/www/bejne/aXeTkIt5asqor7s

[@audreyschley8517]

I memorized GBD for my reference points. After that, I can now find any note

[@ThePianoProfKateBoyd]

Great strategy!

[@michelprimeau4531]

When playing hymns, I feel it's easier to play those in key of E flat, B flat and D than key of C. And ragtime is way harder than it looks for me because of the jumps and I lose that proximity. I have a long way to go before playing that.

[@ThePianoProfKateBoyd]

Thanks for your comment! It makes sense that the keys of E-flat, B-flat and D are easier for hymn-playing, because you have so many more black keys to use as landmark notes. C Major is actually a difficult key (also in scales and arpeggios) because there are no reference points (in terms of black keys) built into the scale. Re: ragtime, I recommend taking a look at Martha Meir's "Jazz, Rags and Blues" books. It's a 4-volume series of books, ranging from late elementary to late intermediate, and consists of original ragtime pieces. You can use the "page preview" option to choose the volume that's the correct level for you. These books make good entry point for ragtime - they're much easier than Joplin but allows you to practice the stride bass pattern and gain confidence and skill at the style. Good luck!

[@mtsanga3421]

​@@ThePianoProfKateBoyd Thank you for the link to Martha Meir' work and for your great videos !

[@nuahsembiring4762]

many thanks mom, this is really enhance my understanding about finger moving from one point to another to get fluently rhythm.

[@vinotinto8547]

If you ever think that it is not possible, just rememeber Nat King Cole smiling at you when casually cruising on the piano.

[@Daniel32396]

Okay, I gotta rely on feel? I don't want to have look or feel my way around. I want it to be pure instinct.

[@ThePianoProfKateBoyd]

Understood. That's how you get to instinct. Feel first, then instinct kicks in after you've internalized the distances around the keyboard.

[@Daniel32396]

It's gonna take so long!@@ThePianoProfKateBoyd

[@jeffsims5683]

Do exercises, in the dark, or with eyes closed.

[@claudioviteri8113]

👍🎶

[@knobby7342]

Hi Kate, you probably won’t like this observation, but who cares about whether you look at the keyboard. The most important skill any pianist can develop is the ability to audiate musical ideas. Unfortunately, not one of your videos is about this topic. We spend many years learning stuff that is a waste of time. Playing by ear is the only skill we should develop. Any of the greats don’t need something written in front of them to make music.

[@ThePianoProfKateBoyd]

Thanks for your comment! I agree that playing by ear is a valuable and important skill to develop. Being able to read music is also important if you want to play music from the page, which is a different skill from improvising or learning by ear.

[@anneobrien8367]

I don’t agree with you, I am lucky to have a good ear and can play at great deal by just hearing but because I could memorise very quickly I became a poor sight reader. This militates against learning vast amounts of the classical repertoire quickly as you have to decode and memorise all the time. Now I spend a lot of time covering the hands of my own piano students in the early stages to force the hands to become independent of the eyes. It is possible to develop both skills

[@andygossard4293]

Ray Charles and Stevie Wonder do it why cant WE

[@markcrayton8151]

"Evolved"?--As if time and chance caused perfectly designed nerve systems to just happen--like a phone book could just happen to drop out of heaven if given enough time and chance!

[@AlanThomas-hp3fn]

Be born Jerry Lee Lewis

[@ElleMolinaChannel]

You gottanpook down , this also applies to idiots who would love to ruin others happiness

[@jeffh5388]

Thanks!

[@ThePianoProfKateBoyd]

Wow, thanks so much! Much appreciated! Let me know if there are any particular topics you want me to try to cover. Best of luck in your piano journey!

[@mariadmartinez7]

Thanks!

[@ThePianoProfKateBoyd]

Thank you so much!! 🥰