Learning, Understanding, Remembering: The Collective Experiences of Musical Memory of Twelve Professional Classical Guitarists

Abstract

The intention of this basic qualitative study was to investigate the ways in which professional guitarists describe their musical memory, in an attempt to develop a conceptual understanding of musical memory from a guitarist's point of view, including the guitarist's experience and understanding of musical memory. Research into the experiences of professional classical guitarists is limited, and there is not necessarily agreement on which method is best for developing musical memory. While the process of musical memory has been investigated in other groups of instruments, similarities and differences between instrumental approaches are not properly understood. Data were collected through live online interviews conducted with 12 professional concert guitarists, purposely selected for their impressive musical memory. The findings revealed that the caliber of recall and remembering for the purpose of performing without sheet music is highly dependent on the quality of the learning processes involved and also on the extent of truly understanding the music. A conceptual model was identified in which five main themes emerged: pre-learning; active learning; understanding; performance: preparation, alterations, and learning; and remembering. The conceptual model describes a continuous, circular process that applies to the learning process both pre- and post-performance.