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Dear Friends,
Finding time to practice isn't always easy. When you do find time, you want
to get the most out of it.
Come to these tip pages for ideas on how to do just that - get much, much more
done in the same time.
Here's the first tip...and it really works:
To fix a mistake, identify the exact problem spot, and practice it so slowly that
you can control what you do. Please read that sentence again and think about it
- understanding the idea will save you tons of time and will help you play without
mistakes. It's true!
Here's the key: "Practice doesn't make perfect; practice makes permanent" (Dr.
Shinichi Suzuki). If you can get yourself to slow down to a speed where you can
play a passage right every time - and practice it that way - you'll always play
it right. If you practice it too fast and play it wrong...you'll get real good at
doing it wrong!
OK -Here's how it works. Look at these two measures from the 1st violin part of
Mozart's Opera, Don Giovanni. Get the idea from this example and then work on your own
music the same way.
Let's say that you play a C# on the last note of the first measure instead of a B.
How to fix it fast and forever?
1. First, identify the exact problem spot: if you just play the phrase over and over
again from the beginning, you're not likely to nail it every time. Instead, try this:
2. Play it so slowly that you play it right each time: play D-B; D-B again and again
so slowly you can feel the muscles you use. This means moving (your arm, finger, lips,
etc.) roughly at the walking speed of a sleepy caterpillar. Concentrate only on the
feeling in the muscles.
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Isn't this is how you learned to do any conscious movement? How fast did you
button a button the first time? Or tie your shoes? Ask someone who was there.
You did it slowly enough so you could control what you were doing. You did it
slowly over and over and over again so your muscles memorized how it felt when
you did it right. Then, you never had to think about it again.
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Don't count exactly 4 beats; the whole notes just mean notes of
long duration. Concentrate on the feeling in your muscles!
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3. Then, start one note before the problem: play C#-D-B; C#-D-B again and again in the
same way - no faster than you can feel your muscles move.
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Remember - no tempo, no counting beats - you're re-programming
your muscles, "YO! MUSCLES! DO IT THIS WAY!"
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4. Starting one note before the problem, play to one note after the problem: work at the
same caterpillar speed.
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It's not enough to practice D-B; D-B - you have to put the tough
spot into context. Remember - just feel the muscles.
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Maybe you've worked on a problem spot, got it right, then went
back to making the same mistake when you played the piece through
- that won't happen if you work in this way.
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5. Now, start two notes before and play to one note after: Don't lose patience - this works!
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Don't think that you've got it and start playing it up to tempo.
Those muscles aren't re-trained yet!
Keep adding one note before and one note after and practice it the
same way. Do this for a few sessions with your own music - working
on each problem this way for only 5 minutes or so - and you will have
solved the problems forever!
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Try it. Don't expect it to be automatic after the first session - or the first day. No doubt
it took a couple of days for the young you to get your buttoning technique down cold, too. But,
done this way, your work will stick and you'll never make that mistake again.
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With All Best Wishes,
David Barg, Learning Center Director
The Classical Archives, LLC
email: david@prs.net
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