Trigger Happy
in that small movements of the fingers result in beautiful music.
But musicians know that there is another phenomenon at work, which is also appropriate to a discussion of videogame playing: muscle memory. When a pianist attempts a new piece, most of her attention is focused consciously on playing the right notes according to what is printed on the manuscript page, and working out precise fingerings for particularly difficult passages. But there is a point at which these visual instructions are no longer needed, when the player has so thoroughly learned the music that she does not consciously think about where to put her hands next. People also call this “getting the music under your fingers.” It is only now, when the mechanics of playing have been assimilated, that the player can concentrate on performing the music.
The point is that the pianist begins really to play the music, and thereby enters into a “flow” state, at precisely the stage when she is no longer consciously controlling the individual movements of fingers. It is as if the fingers themselves know what to do. That is what we mean by “muscle memory.” The same thing happens when you drive a car or
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