Strategies for Reducing Cognitive Load in Complex Polyphonic Music Learning: A Focus on Bach’s C Major Fugue from The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I

This study analyzed how piano instructors manage the cognitive load experienced by students when learning Bach’s Fugue in C Major from The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I, based on Cognitive Load Theory (CLT). In-depth interviews were conducted through Focus Group Interviews (FGI) with six instructors with over ten years of teaching experience, exploring various strategies to reduce cognitive load in complex polyphonic music learning. The results showed that students experienced a high cognitive load in maintaining independent voices, identifying the subject and counter-subject, analyzing the structure, managing rhythm and tempo, balancing voices, and memorizing. To address this, the instructors guided students to practice voices separately, visually mark the subject and counter-subject, and use recordings to enhance understanding. Additionally, students were assisted in mastering dynamics and articulation through diverse performance examples and encouraged to maintain tempo by tapping a steady beat. To reduce learning burdens, students were also allowed to explore freely without being constrained by fixed tempo, and sectional practice was used to effectively understand the structure and reduce cognitive load. This study suggests the applicability of CLT in complex polyphonic music learning and provides foundational material for developing effective instructional strategies in music education.