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Tonight, in concert band we will sightreading 8 to 10 new pieces of music that arrived last night and this morning. I am following this protocol to be ready.
1. I immediately printed the music. 2. I created a new YouTube playlist of the pieces. 3. I studied the scores while listening to the musical recordings. I made note of the tricky bits. I did not necessarily listen all the way through, just enough to get a sense of the part. 4. I put aside all the music I can easily sightread. It will be read for the first time tonight. 5. I have made note of the tricky bits in the three remaining pieces: one measure in one piece, one section in another, and then put the third on the music rack for immediate attention later this morning. 6. I wrote in the stickings on the two easier pieces in the trickly passages. 7. I am preparing to practice the one tricky piece with my pencil, eraser, recording, drumkit, music ready at hand. I will let you know how it turns out tonight. David
1 Comment
 What to practice, how to practice, how much to practice, when to practice can be sources of anxiety to students preparing for a piano exam. To succeed one must spend time on each area of study.
Try dividing up your time on the piano bench as indicated in the drawing; give equal time to each area. Now if you are like me, your attention span is long as a puppy's. No worries, jump around. But keep track of your time in each area.
Good luck David Mimic the melody, as interpreted by each recording below. Chords will come later.
Why do we practice slow to go fast? We all play like we practice. If we practice carefully, thoughtfully, and methodically our odds of playing expressively, confidently, and at a steady tempo go up significantly. Let's consider one aspect of this: Slow practice. 1. Slow allows us to consider our motions at the piano. 2. Slow allows us to play steadier while learning. Remember playing quickly and stumbling about may make our stumbling get embedded in our playing. 3. Speeding up bit by bit, as our skills increase, the scales, chords, arpeggios, etudes, and pieces is a good strategy. 4. To play fast eventually we will have to practice fast. It is good practice to have our musical moves together before sprinting through the music. David revised August 2022  Sight-reading tips
Short story As a teenager I had the worst practicing habits. I had no focus or commitment to any task except sightreading, which was fun and easy. I loved spending hours reading my mother's piano books, so it is no coincidence that I've spent the last 45 years making a living as a sight-reader. First as a professional pianist and later as a teacher. Eventually though, I did get my practice habits straightened out and the rest is history. David Revised August 2022  Some days and weeks are going to be difficult. Life will get in the way. Here are some suggestions I gave one adult beginner to help relieve his practice room blues.
If I can help you, call me. David Revised August 2022 One of my adult students was asking tonight for some help planning his practice time. He is preparing for his Grade 8 piano exam. He is an engineer, a spreadsheet kind of guy. I'm sympathetic. Here is what we discussed. Warmup with sight reading. Use a metronome! Get into the zone. Now start practicing Technique with a 2-minute timer. Switch activities every 2 minutes = 15 minutes
Practice one short section to perfection =15 minutes Theory =10 minutes Ear Training = 10 minutes Review completed piece or pieces 10 minutes BOOM! one hour of accomplishment This may work for you. David Revised August 2022
Please excuse this short story in which I’m the hero. I’m learning to play the jazz xylophone. I started at Christmas 2021. I practice every day with my 100-year-old textbook, a stack of tunes that I want to learn, my video recorder and oodles of desire. Here is the process I usually follow.
The video below is an unedited version. Notice it took just a brief period of time to accomplish something because I didn’t try to do everything at once. David Revised August 2022 I found it extremely helpful over the holidays to practice with a video camera recording my progress or lack thereof. I played for 5 minutes and watched for 5 minutes. The camera was positioned so that the keyboard of the xylophone was visible. I was able to see and hear what was working and what was not and then adjust my next repetition accordingly. Video helped me to close the gap between how I thought I sounded and how I actually sounded. If I can help you, call me. David Revised August 2022 The above is the final take in ten takes over 20 minutes.
These three are the most neglected aspects of music study. Theory Skilled musicians see harmonic, rythmic, and structural patterns in the music, beginners see a string of notes. The purpose of theory study is to help us to see and understand these patterns and their significance, which over time, leads to artistry. As a former teacher put it, "understanding what you are seeing makes everything easier." How you think about the drum set, what you have heard, and what you understand about the musical past of the instrument determine how you play the instrument musically. Ed Soph, master teacher History
Different eras of music sound different. When you understand the broad outline of music history, you will have informed knowledge on the interpretation of the piece. Ear Training Ear training is a wide set of skills:
Some folks have it easier here than others, but I can confidently say that as a kid I started with a tin-ear, but over time, with practice I developed a high degree of skill. I can help you too. Call me. David Revised August 2022 Practice time is precious because of the myriad demands for our attention. Wasting it by messing around is counterproductive to our success. One illuminating solution, for more productive practice, is to know how we spend our time practicing. Do we carefully plan out our activities or do we run willy-nilly in all directions? It has been claimed that 90% of young music students play a piece through once, not even stopping to correct mistakes. Here is a way to find out where you stand. At your next practice record yourself on your phone. Later in the day listen back and ask yourself: 1. How did I spend my time? 2. How focused and methodical was I? 3. How did I sound? 4. What did I accomplish? 5. Did I meet my preplanned goal? For more on practice habits, as observed in the wild, check this out: (Http://www.escom.org/proceedings/ICMPC2000/Sun/McPherso.htm) If I can help you manage your time, call me. David Revised September 2022 Self-assessment is difficult because our minds play tricks on us. For more of the science of the dangers of self-assessment Google “Dunning-Kruger effect”. There are several tactics students can employ to overcome or at least minimize the “Dunning-Kruger effect”.
David Revised September 2022
These ten activities will simplify the process of learning a new piece of music.
David Revised September 2022 I practice piano and drums daily, except Sundays when I rest. This summer I'm practicing bass. My student Barb asked me, "how do you practice?" This is what I said.
Have Fun. David Story Revised October 2022 Here are some of the things I’m considering in a post-pandemic world. It may be helpful for your situation too.
Best regards, David Revised October 2022  Preplanning shortens the time needed to "learn" a piece of music. I start, if I can, by listening to several professional performances. Some of the marks on the score reflect what I heard in a particular performance and other marks are a result of my own deliberations. As I revise this blog, I regret that I didn't mark down what was what and from whom.
Planning an interpretation
David Revised October 2022  4 hours of practice: All joy, no grinding. My top 5 tips for practicing any musical instrument
 Theory
If you would like some help, call me. David  4 hours of practice: No Grinding. Top 5 tips for practicing any musical instrument
Playing
General and Jazz Specific Theory
If you would like some help, call me. David How I Prepare to Learn Or Teach A New Piece of Music: Haydn Sonata in C And Bourrée in F By Telemann1/8/2021 When I take on a new piece of music of any complexity I will go through some or all the following steps. My goal is to have a clear artistic impression of the piece before I begin. 1. Compare the different scores available to me. 2. Seek out professional recordings. 3. Print the music as I will be marking it up. 4. Study the form and phrasing of the work. Sometimes, as in the Telemann I will mark in the phrasing. 5. I will consider the era in which it was written for clues on possible interpretations. 6. I translate any unfamiliar terms I find in the score. 7. I might consult other sources to explore the style and era of its creation. For the Sonata in C, I enjoyed re-reading the section on Haydn ornaments in the book below. 8. I will listen to multiple professional performances and mark on the score ideas of interest. I often will slow down a recording to hear how the artist plays their ornaments. 9. I might consult with a colleague or my piano coach as well. In short, I will have a clear set of ideas, those I discovered and my own, to explore as I now start to "learn" the piece. I will share these with my students. If I can help you discover intriguing world of classical music, please call me. David  
 
  Know more than the notes. Exploring the questions of sociological context, compositional techniques, recorded history and more will add depth and sophistication to your playing and security to your memorization. Click on the picture for more, or for the "science" click the link. Here is a simple example: 1st Movement of Sonata in F minor op. 1 Who created it? Beethoven, German Romantic era composer 1770–1827 When and where was it created? 1795 Vienna Austria Why and for whom was it created? Dedicated to his teacher Joseph Haydn. Apparently it was his first publicly published work. What does it sound or look like? Dramatic opening rocket type theme of the tonic, then dominant chord announces that there is a "new kid in town". Great dynamic contrasts throughout the movement keep us focused. A composition of a young man. What kind of structure or form does it have? Classic Sonata Form What is its subject? The interplay is between the 2 main themes in the exposition and their development through many key centers. What is being expressed? Youthful exuberance, drama and compositional skill demonstration of the classical era style. What techniques did its creator use to help us understand what is being expressed?
David  Ten hours plus a week on your instrument. Is this possible? Yes, maybe.
There are some adults and many teenagers who log more than 10 hours a week.
They are united by an intense desire to learn and achieve. Their lives are organized around practice. They take lessons, they take responsibility, and they persevere through thick and thin. Some final thoughts. If you want to ramp it up, do it slowly to avoid injury. Add a 10% to your practice time each week. Be sure to ask advice from your instructors. Best David Story |
You've got to learn your instrument. Then, you practice, practice, practice. And then, when you finally get up there on the bandstand, forget all that and just wail. AuthorI'm a professional pianist and music educator in West Toronto Ontario. I'm also a devoted percussionist and drum teacher. Categories
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