The above practice routine seems so intuitively logical. Although human intuition helps us solve simple problems, when it comes to highly developed fields such as learning piano, intuition can not compete with learning tricks that past geniuses have discovered. Without these learning tricks, students are stuck with what we shall call "intuitive methods", that are not based on the most efficient practice methods. "Talented" students, it turns out, have teachers, such as Combe, who know some of the efficient practice methods, or have discovered them through a lifetime of dedication to piano, and can learn unbelievably quickly. Any student can progress equally quickly if there is a textbook containing all the known efficient practice methods. Though "intuition" generally denotes something good, I have chosen "intuitive methods" to denote the old, discredited teaching methods because the best methods are usually counter-intuitive, as we shall see.
上面的练习例程看起来如此直观。尽管人类的直觉可以帮助我们解决简单的问题,但是在诸如钢琴之类的高度发展的领域中,直觉无法与过去的天才发现的学习技巧相抗衡。没有这些学习技巧,学生就会陷入我们所谓的“直觉方法”,而这些方法并不是基于最有效的练习方法。事实证明,“才华横溢”的学生拥有像Combe这样的老师,他们知道一些有效的练习方法,或者在毕生致力于钢琴事业的过程中发现了那些方法,并且可以超快地学习。如果有一本包含所有已知的有效练习方法的教科书,则任何学生都可以平等地进步。尽管“直觉”通常表示好东西,但我选择“直觉方法”来表示古老的,信誉低下的教学方法,因为最好的方法通常是反直觉的,正如我们将要看到的。