[xraystyle]

I don't think that's really it at all. Most of us have to sit in classrooms for months or read and study to understand the intricacies of music theory. None of that is necessary to learning a few pop songs on a guitar or piano.

You can learn to play songs purely through muscle memory as long as you have a basic sense of rhythm. That doesn't mean you understand anything about musical composition, scales, chords, modes or anything else that underlies what you're playing.

The epiphany described in this case seems like it's suddenly and intuitively understanding all of that, in addition to the layout of the piano (why it takes the form that it does) along with the ability to actually play the thing competently.

I've been playing music for years. I understand a good chunk of theory. I wouldn't consider myself an expert by any stretch, but I understand the layout of the piano. I can't play the damn thing. Waking up one morning and having that ability would certainly be surprising.

[samsa]

^this. I have played guitar for quite some time, starting with basic popular stuff and then progressing to classical guitar. Despite being able to read music and play intermediate pieces I do not have the level of theory/understanding that the article suggests K A gained in his epiphany.

[romwell]

>I do not have the level of theory/understanding

Or do you? Here's the level he gained:

"I suddenly realized what the major scale and minor scale were, what their chords were and where to put my fingers in order to play certain parts of the scale. I was instantly able to recognize harmonies of the scales in songs I knew as well as the ability to play melody by interval recognition.”

Are the italicized concepts unfamiliar to you, after that some time (how long was it?) of playing? And note that KA might have played for longer than you have before getting there - the article doesn't specify.

[romwell]

I don't think you are disagreeing with what I said:

>Most of us have to sit in classrooms for months or read and study to understand the intricacies of music theory. None of that is necessary to learning a few pop songs on a guitar or piano.

That is not necessary, but once you play enough music, you learn the theory in practice. Or have enough data in your head to make that realization.

I challenge you to play 100 pop songs on an instrument - any pop songs, any instrument - and not at least know things like major/minor chords, basic chord progressions (like the endemic I - V - vi - IV, aka "four chords").

>The epiphany described ... suddenly ... the ability to actually play the thing competently.

>I've been playing music for years [...] Waking up one morning and having that ability [to play piano] would certainly be surprising.

It would be surprising indeed! It also never happened. Not in the article, at least.

Specifically, the article says: he could play simple popular songs from rote memory before

Once you can play simple pop songs, you can play them all. Kathy Perry's songs have as much harmony as the top hits from Beatles or Bob Dylan.

[xraystyle]

> That is not necessary, but once you play enough music, you learn the theory in practice. Or have enough data in your head to make that realization.

No, you really don't. You literally don't even need to know a single note name to be able to play a song from memory. You just need to know which keys to push or strings to pluck and frets to press in what order.

>I challenge you to play 100 pop songs on an instrument - any pop songs, any instrument - and not at least know things like major/minor chords, basic chord progressions (like the endemic I - V - vi - IV, aka "four chords").

Just because you're playing these progressions doesn't mean you have the slightest fucking idea what they are, or why they're numbered that way.

When I was about 6 years old I started learning piano. My parents took me to a teacher who used the Suzuki method. For those unfamiliar, it's a method of musical training that focuses solely on learning by ear with no discussion of theory or sheet music. I did this for years, and I absolutely hated playing the piano for reasons that had nothing to do with the piano itself.

Early in high school I picked up the electric bass, and did what you mentioned above, i.e. I learned a whole pile of pop and rock songs. I also played a bit of guitar around and between all this as well.

This constituted years of experience playing music. And yet, I did not suddenly and independently discover and understand the circle of 5ths. I couldn't tell you why a 7th chord was called a 7th chord. I didn't wake up with an intuitive understanding of time signatures.

I wasn't exposed to any of this stuff until I took a music theory class in college. It was at that point that the 'why' of what I had been doing to make noise on these instruments started to make sense.

And once I did start learning these things, there was still no intuitive sense of where to put my hands on the instrument to play the notes I wanted. I had to fumble around with it to figure out where the notes were.

And now, having spent years after high school playing in live bands in front of paying audiences, I still don't think I'm anywhere near what someone might call a 'great' musician, and my understanding of music theory is really far from complete. I still play all the time and can't sight-read, for example. I have to sit and puzzle out a piece of sheet music.

Additionally, I've read about this particular guy before in greater depth than is discussed in the linked article. Something unusual really did happen in his brain. He somehow gained knowledge and ability far beyond what we would consider normal.