PHYSIOLOGICAL CONSIDERATIONS IN LEARNING OF MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS

Abstract

Musical instruments come in various shapes, materials, and mechanisms of tone production. Some are tubular, some are conical, while some defy conventional shaping. Some are blown, some plucked, and some struck, while some are fingered to produce sound. These peculiarities present challenges in learning the instruments. By virtue of their varied shapes and varied mechanism of sound production, musical instruments demand certain physical and physiological soundness from the learners as criteria for learning and mastery. Through related literature review, interviews and personal experience of the researcher, this research highlights some of those peculiar physiological criteria such as „long and thin fingers‟ for the piano and the strings; deep breath, firm lips, and strong tongue for the woodwinds and brasses etc. The findings further incicates that for a successful instrumental experience, the teacher and the learner must give attention to the peculiar physiological criteria demanded by a given orchestral musical instrument.