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If you can play the piano, does it mean you're good at maths

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Meistersinger
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23 Jul 2013, 7:14 am

Who_Am_I wrote:
I've heard a lot of people thinking they must be linked, but I've never noticed any great mathematical ability in most of the musicians I know, and I know a lot of musicians.


But you have to know how to count, as well as divide.



naturalplastic
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23 Jul 2013, 3:13 pm

Your friends who say that obviously have their heads up their arses.

Why would the ability to place your fingers on a keyboard be related to an aptitude for math?

Its no more related to math ability than being court stenographer who can rapidly place his/her fingers on a keyboard typing a court transcript, or being David Becham and having the ability to kick a ball around a goalie.

you're an athlete who can control the small muscles of your hands. you're not being a number cruncher.



TenPencePiece
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23 Jul 2013, 3:22 pm

I was told, when I first started playing the piano 10 or 11 years ago, that because I was good at maths in school I'd be good at music. Well, I'm good at music, but the maths has definately slipped!


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skibum
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23 Jul 2013, 5:59 pm

I started playing piano when I was three. I am not a great piano player by any means. I can pick up just about any piece of music and given enough time I can learn it though. And I am good at music theory and even majored in music and always did very well in theory classes. And even though music theory is very mathematical I'm rubbish at math and I always have been. I did do well in geometry and algebra one (mostly word problems) but I had to drop out of algebra two after a couple of weeks because I could not get it at all and I never got any higher in math than high school geometry. Sometimes I have a hard time with simple math too like adding and subtracting. I have always been much better at the language type classes. So I guess it might be a myth. Unless I'm just a weirdo! :0)



skibum
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23 Jul 2013, 6:03 pm

naturalplastic wrote:
Your friends who say that obviously have their heads up their arses.

Why would the ability to place your fingers on a keyboard be related to an aptitude for math?

Its no more related to math ability than being court stenographer who can rapidly place his/her fingers on a keyboard typing a court transcript, or being David Becham and having the ability to kick a ball around a goalie.

you're an athlete who can control the small muscles of your hands. you're not being a number cruncher.

Well, in their defense music theory is mathematically based.



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24 Jul 2013, 1:54 am

It all depends on what kind of player you are. There are really two kinds of players, people who play instinctually (through hearing the song and having a good feel of their instrument) and those who play by thinking in sequences (remembering fingerings). No one plays exclusively one of those two ways but they'd have preference. If you're more of the latter kind of player then you'd generally be good at maths if not you'd be more of an artistically inclined person.

Also, the rhythmic components of playing require more mathematical thinking because you have to count beats, where as the melodic component of music is easier to play feel. So if you play an instrument more reliant on rhythm such as drums and piano it'd be more likely that you'd be mathematically inclined.


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24 Jul 2013, 2:28 am

My older brother can play the piano extremely well(i.e. moonlight sonata, etc), and he's also very good at math.



Who_Am_I
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24 Jul 2013, 2:40 am

Meistersinger wrote:
Who_Am_I wrote:
I've heard a lot of people thinking they must be linked, but I've never noticed any great mathematical ability in most of the musicians I know, and I know a lot of musicians.


But you have to know how to count, as well as divide.


That doesn't take great mathematical ability.


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skibum
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24 Jul 2013, 6:24 am

Who_Am_I wrote:
Meistersinger wrote:
Who_Am_I wrote:
I've heard a lot of people thinking they must be linked, but I've never noticed any great mathematical ability in most of the musicians I know, and I know a lot of musicians.


But you have to know how to count, as well as divide.


That doesn't take great mathematical ability.
Sorry, but what you said made me LOL! Don't know if it was meant to be funny but it was hilarious to me.



auntblabby
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24 Jul 2013, 3:39 pm

Who_Am_I wrote:
Meistersinger wrote:
Who_Am_I wrote:
I've heard a lot of people thinking they must be linked, but I've never noticed any great mathematical ability in most of the musicians I know, and I know a lot of musicians.


But you have to know how to count, as well as divide.


That doesn't take great mathematical ability.

but it does take lots of neural processing efficiency/speed/reflexes.



naturalplastic
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24 Jul 2013, 4:35 pm

skibum wrote:
naturalplastic wrote:
Your friends who say that obviously have their heads up their arses.

Why would the ability to place your fingers on a keyboard be related to an aptitude for math?

Its no more related to math ability than being court stenographer who can rapidly place his/her fingers on a keyboard typing a court transcript, or being David Becham and having the ability to kick a ball around a goalie.

you're an athlete who can control the small muscles of your hands. you're not being a number cruncher.

Well, in their defense music theory is mathematically based.


Thats like saying "designing a car takes an engineering degree which requires math, therefore the ability to drive a car shows prodigous math aptitude."

Grasping music theory has little to do with the ability to play an instrument.



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24 Jul 2013, 7:32 pm

naturalplastic wrote:
skibum wrote:
naturalplastic wrote:
Your friends who say that obviously have their heads up their arses.

Why would the ability to place your fingers on a keyboard be related to an aptitude for math?

Its no more related to math ability than being court stenographer who can rapidly place his/her fingers on a keyboard typing a court transcript, or being David Becham and having the ability to kick a ball around a goalie.

you're an athlete who can control the small muscles of your hands. you're not being a number cruncher.

Well, in their defense music theory is mathematically based.


Thats like saying "designing a car takes an engineering degree which requires math, therefore the ability to drive a car shows prodigous math aptitude."

Grasping music theory has little to do with the ability to play an instrument.


Wanna bet?

Basic Theory includes how to read the grand staff, how to count, how to subdivide the beat, how to read a key signature, etc.



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24 Jul 2013, 7:40 pm

naturalplastic wrote:
skibum wrote:
naturalplastic wrote:
Your friends who say that obviously have their heads up their arses.

Why would the ability to place your fingers on a keyboard be related to an aptitude for math?

Its no more related to math ability than being court stenographer who can rapidly place his/her fingers on a keyboard typing a court transcript, or being David Becham and having the ability to kick a ball around a goalie.

you're an athlete who can control the small muscles of your hands. you're not being a number cruncher.

Well, in their defense music theory is mathematically based.


Thats like saying "designing a car takes an engineering degree which requires math, therefore the ability to drive a car shows prodigous math aptitude."

Grasping music theory has little to do with the ability to play an instrument.

I was actually being lightheartedly sarcastic. Sorry if you misunderstood.

There are many people who can play by ear and have no knowledge of theory at all and they play very well. But a proficiency of theory always makes one a better musician never a worse one. But knowing theory is not a requirement for being able to play an instrument.