UCL Discovery
UCL home » Library Services » Electronic resources » UCL Discovery

Towards an understanding of musical intelligence as a framework for learning to read and play piano notation

Chapman, Lorraine; (2023) Towards an understanding of musical intelligence as a framework for learning to read and play piano notation. Doctoral thesis (Ph.D), UCL (University College London). Green open access

[thumbnail of Chapman_10169386_Thesis_edited.pdf]
Preview
Text
Chapman_10169386_Thesis_edited.pdf

Download (2MB) | Preview

Abstract

The writing of this thesis was born from concern over the difficulties observed with some of the researcher’s piano students in terms of learning to read and play notation simultaneously. It aims to define and develop an accessible and understandable framework for musical intelligence that might support piano teachers in their practice, in particular with the teaching of the simultaneous reading and playing of notation on the piano. Inspired by Gardner’s concept of multiple intelligences (2004), the thesis also argues for different musical learning strengths, and suggests that musical intelligence is underpinned by aural intelligence. Following a literature search to determine whether or not a definition of musical intelligence existed beyond the work of Gardner (2004), whose chapter in Frames of Mind, The Theory of Multiple Intelligences (2004) provided no suggestion of how his concept of musical intelligence could be used for learning to play a musical instrument, in particular with the notation, the next step towards defining musical intelligence was to explore the real world of a sample of piano teachers, to try to ascertain: a) their definition of musical intelligence b) how they taught their students to read and play notation In terms of the latter, understanding the participants’ teaching practices might help me to improve my own practice and therefore the learning outcomes of my students. In addition, the latter step could serve to suggest what the teachers believed to be important to a musical education, particularly in terms of learning to read and play notation, and from this it could perhaps be inferred that their implicit definition of musical intelligence guided their teaching. The literature and the data were then used to inform and create a framework for musical intelligence, with a focus on learning to read and play notation simultaneously on the piano. The work of Gardner (2004), Gordon (1993) and Dweck (2016) have provided the foundation for the theoretical framework for this study. A summary of the study’s key findings follows: - Reading and playing notation simultaneously on the piano is complex, and is underpinned by strong proprioceptive, kinaesthetic and tactile skills, a reliable musical-spatial intelligence and above all a strong aural intelligence. - All the study teachers believed, whether implicitly or explicitly, that it was important to be able to read and play from notation, therefore this was inferred to underpin part of their definition of musical intelligence. - Musicianship was also regarded by the teacher participants as a central part of musical intelligence, and therefore the interpersonal and intrapersonal intelligences put forward by Gardner (2004) also form part of musical intelligence. - Students appear to demonstrate different musical strengths, generally either an ability to read notation or an ability to play by ear and learn by rote, therefore both need to be equally developed during music education. - The teachers demonstrated a lack of understanding of how some individuals are able to learn lengthy pieces of repertoire by ear, which seems to lead to a lack of confidence in introducing aural learning in piano lessons. This was evident also from their general lack of awareness of pedagogical research. - Mental strategies for learning to read and play simultaneously were not understood or used by most of the teachers. - Some teachers demonstrated an entity theory of intelligence. - Many of the teachers had engaged in continuing professional development. - A conclusive definition of musical intelligence is elusive, however it could be argued to be underpinned by the ability to think in sound and be at one with the instrument, thus requiring solid aural, proprioceptive, kinaesthetic, tactile and musical-spatial intelligences, together with strong musicianship, as well as the interpersonal and intrapersonal elements of Gardner’s (2004) work, gathered into a deep understanding of the craft of playing an instrument, here, a piano. The words that incorporate all of these elements of musical intelligence are ‘deep engagement and understanding’, in the same way that the Puluwat sailors demonstrate in their craft (see Glossary, p.379), but the ear rests at the heart of musical intelligence. A more comprehensive definition based on a synthesis of the literature, the teachers’ beliefs and the researcher’s inferences and interpretations can be found in Appendix 22, ‘A Framework for Musical Intelligence’.

Type: Thesis (Doctoral)
Qualification: Ph.D
Title: Towards an understanding of musical intelligence as a framework for learning to read and play piano notation
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
Language: English
Additional information: Copyright © The Author 2023. Original content in this thesis is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) Licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/). Any third-party copyright material present remains the property of its respective owner(s) and is licensed under its existing terms. Access may initially be restricted at the author’s request.
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education > IOE - Education, Practice and Society
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10169386
Downloads since deposit
197Downloads
Download activity - last month
Download activity - last 12 months
Downloads by country - last 12 months

Archive Staff Only

View Item View Item