Learning music without paper
Does having digital scores mean we never need to commit anything to memory ever again? The musicians who have grown up with tablets hope this is the (1) ________, not to mention everyone else who feels the need to (2) ________ their habitual attachment to the latest electronic scores. Some music teachers fear that access to scores on tablets reduces the importance of remembering pieces. However, research shows that this remains (3) ________ important. When we perform, we use working memory and long-term memory. (4) ________ our long-term memory can be described as vast, our working memory is limited to very few items and is easily (5) ________. By transferring melodies to our long-term memory we free up precious space in our working memory, enabling us to manipulate and combine those patterns with new ones. (6) ________, memorising some pieces aids interpretation, as it creates a framework of known patterns, needed to be able to (7) ________ what we find in the score. Ultimately, while e-scores may appear to (8) ________ the need to memorise music, the reality is that performed music remains far more complex.