Bhairavi and Thoughts on Learning
This is one tough rAgam. It took me weeks to just get the ArOhaNam and avarOhanam right.
Once mastered the swara sthAnAs are easy to enunciate. My teacher has asked me to try Alapana for the next class. This is my homework for the weekend. I not only have to get the frequencies right but the permutations and combinations of the swaras have to be meaningful. Plus there is akAra sAdhana involved. Too many things too early? May be not.
My biggest sorrow w.r.t music is that my voice has not set. It is just like my handwriting. I do not have set penmanship. My voice sounds different at different times. The singing is perfect at times and at others, I can't even get the sruti right. At others, the swaras go wrong. I am getting tired adn disappointed and wonder if I should give up trying to learn to sing.
My voice should have been set by now and I should have been able to sing film songs without difficulty. I should at least be able to catch the tune and reproduce it.
Which brings me to another very interesting aspect of learning - intuitive vs. scientific. When we are children, we learn intuitively- by listening and observing- but as we grow older, we learn about the theory of a subject, the methods of learning, we try to understand our metacognitive skills and tailor our study to meet them. Surprisingly, knowing the science behind a subject ( be it music or a new language) retards our ability to learn quickly as we are constantly trying to analyse and understand the rules the lesson conforms to etc. This may make sense if we have a thorough mastery over the science of the subject but trying to learn the subject as well as its meta-information at the same time is not very wise.
I remember till I was in my PG, that all my learning was intuitive. Then I became friends with a "scientific thinker" and that must have influenced the way I think and learn. I have had this desire since then to reach the scientific depths of something, and it has not taken me very far. Its not a bad way to learn but I have not developed metacognitive skills in this angle. Time to do something about it.
Coming to music, the only solace is that my teachers ( barring the present one) have told me I have a beautiful voice. That is what gives me hope and desire to learn. However, my voice sounds different at different times and the swaras sound different each time. *sigh* . I wish I had the discipline to dedicate at least an hour each day towards focussed practising.
Once mastered the swara sthAnAs are easy to enunciate. My teacher has asked me to try Alapana for the next class. This is my homework for the weekend. I not only have to get the frequencies right but the permutations and combinations of the swaras have to be meaningful. Plus there is akAra sAdhana involved. Too many things too early? May be not.
My biggest sorrow w.r.t music is that my voice has not set. It is just like my handwriting. I do not have set penmanship. My voice sounds different at different times. The singing is perfect at times and at others, I can't even get the sruti right. At others, the swaras go wrong. I am getting tired adn disappointed and wonder if I should give up trying to learn to sing.
My voice should have been set by now and I should have been able to sing film songs without difficulty. I should at least be able to catch the tune and reproduce it.
Which brings me to another very interesting aspect of learning - intuitive vs. scientific. When we are children, we learn intuitively- by listening and observing- but as we grow older, we learn about the theory of a subject, the methods of learning, we try to understand our metacognitive skills and tailor our study to meet them. Surprisingly, knowing the science behind a subject ( be it music or a new language) retards our ability to learn quickly as we are constantly trying to analyse and understand the rules the lesson conforms to etc. This may make sense if we have a thorough mastery over the science of the subject but trying to learn the subject as well as its meta-information at the same time is not very wise.
I remember till I was in my PG, that all my learning was intuitive. Then I became friends with a "scientific thinker" and that must have influenced the way I think and learn. I have had this desire since then to reach the scientific depths of something, and it has not taken me very far. Its not a bad way to learn but I have not developed metacognitive skills in this angle. Time to do something about it.
Coming to music, the only solace is that my teachers ( barring the present one) have told me I have a beautiful voice. That is what gives me hope and desire to learn. However, my voice sounds different at different times and the swaras sound different each time. *sigh* . I wish I had the discipline to dedicate at least an hour each day towards focussed practising.
posted by Chetana at 9:13 AM
3 Comments:
I dont understand all you write here.
As for learning process, in my cases many times the science supports my intuition. So sometimes I would be learning something new but it would come easy to me and it would feel that I already knew it. THen I'd read the science behind it and again I would feel that I already knew it.
It really depends on the subject though. I dont know music so for music I will have to rely on lessons. Its not intuitive to me.
Sorry, Y. I'll make sure what I write is more comprehensible next time. How are you doing. What's happening thats exciting?
Doing ok chet. Check out my blog. Been busy with job stuff. I am happy you are updating :)
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