CLASSICAL MUSIC ARCHIVES: Students Tip 15

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Students Tip 15
BREAK IT DOWN! BUILD IT UP!

Dear Friends,

I've learned so much through the years about how to practice to get results that last. I know the approaches work through my own flute playing, the playing of my students, and from the results other teachers report to me.

I'm going to share these approaches with you in the next few tips. The approaches are so successful - even if you find them a bit out of the ordinary - that I'm calling them "Atomic Practice Tips." The name comes from the enormous amount of potential power in an atom - if only we know how to access that power. It's just like the power that lies inside you and your musicianship - all you need is the best way to access it.

So, here's Atomic Practice Tip #1: Break it Down! Build it Up! Almost sounds like a cowboy herding cattle...at least to a New Yorker. Whatever... It's an approach to learning your music - or learning difficult passages - that I guarantee will get it learned quickly, well, and lastingly.

Two hundred years ago, it seems, I was a student at a music festival outside Philadelphia, and everyone lived in a college dorm. The walls were solid but you could hear everything going on next door.

There was this (mostly) terrific violinist living next door. He didn't snore - at least I couldn't hear it through the wall - but he did have a habit that drove me nuts. When he practiced, he would go back to the beginning of the entire piece if he made a mistake.

Didn't matter what the mistake was...back this guy went to the beginning.

He got really good at making that mistake since he practiced it over and over. One of the most important things to remember: Practice does not make perfect - it makes permanent. You do something a lot and you get really good at doing it...whether it's right or wrong. Thanks to Dr. Suzuki for this and for so much more.

I even remember one of the mistakes he made - every time. There was a run going up to a trill, then some notes after the trill, and then a run going down after it. He'd mess it up every time getting into the trill and then getting out of it and moving on. The runs before and after were fine, and I have no idea how he could move his fingers so fast to get the trill that great.

But for all the great scales and buzzing trills, it didn't work because he flumfed around at the top.

Finally I couldn't stand it any more and I knocked on his door and told him what I thought: it sounded great - really great (stressing the positive is a good place to start) - but why didn't he slow down at the problem area, strip the problem down to its basics, get them right, then add all the elements until everything was as good as the runs and trills?

He wasn't very open to the suggestion, and it's too bad but - never mind! I learned something and I've been teaching that approach with great vigor (and great results) ever since.

Now it's time to share it with you. I can't remember the piece that violinist was practicing, but I've made up something that illustrates the challenges he faced, and you can use the principles in your own practicing. There are quite a few steps involved in this approach, but making the time to go through all of them will guarantee your success. OK - here we go!

Take a look at this passage:

Go on, sing or play it through a few times. I just did - on my flute - and there's plenty of room for improvement. For you too? Ah! So how to do get that improvement quickly and in a way that'll last?

First thing is to break it down to notes only. Take away the rhythm practice only the pitches:

When you sing or play them as notes of equal value - and slowly! - you'll be able to concentrate on getting the correct notes, and getting them in tune because you won't be concerned at all with the rhythm; one thing at a time!

You'll also become more easily aware of any challenges in going from one note to another than you would if you were doing everything at the same time.

For instance, was there a bit of difficulty in going from one specific note to another? If there was - and regardless of whether you're a singer or instrumentalist - it was probably going from the eighth note in the example - C - to the next note - B - a major seventh higher. Would it be a good idea to practice that jump several times? Right you are!

Remember to keep the note values the same - slowly enough to get them right each time. And instrumentalists: a great way to hit difficult intervals (especially for you string players) is to sing the note before you play it. Go on! Nobody's watching or listening except you! It makes sense, doesn't it, that you'll get the note more easily if you know what it's supposed to sound like before you play it...right? Right!

Now practice it starting one note earlier so you can get into it, like this:

And now start one more note earlier than you just did:

Great - we've got the notes, now let's go to the rhythm; yes, I know I've eliminated the tie connecting the Bs on the third beat and the beginning of the fourth - that's so you can feel the rhythm more strongly.

Now - sing or clap the rhythm without the pitches. When we were working on notes, we eliminated the rhythm. Now that we're working on rhythm, I've eliminated the pitches,

In the following example, I've notated "A" but do sing any pitch that's comfortable for you. (If you're clapping, we won't worry about pitch!)

Did you find one of the rhythms more difficult than the others? If you did, it might have been the figure on the second beat - it's a bit squirrely, no? So how would you work on it? That's right - just break it down by isolating it from the rest of the rhythm you're practicing. Then, making sure the rhythm is right; go over and over it very, very slowly. It'll help if you put the rhythm somewhere in your body, like your legs (bounce up and down), or your hips (sway from side-to-side):

Great!

Now you're ready to build it up. Sing or play it through slowly. Note any little problems you may have. Break those spots down to the essentials - rhythm and notes - clean up anything that needs it, and there you go!

...at least for today. Tomorrow, when you sing or play this - or something else you've worked on like this - it won't be as good as just now. In fact, you'll probably have to start at the beginning and go through the same steps.

But it you do, you'll be learning solidly and for the long haul. Every day you start, you'll begin at a higher level and, after a while, it'll be right there right away. It works and you can do it!

With All Best Wishes,

David Barg, Learning Center Director
The Classical Archives, LLC
email: david@prs.net

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