Chapter 1
- Be positive
- Start with warmup or STRAIGHT TO THE FOCUS AREA (not play-through)
- 1 hour sessions most productive – 10 mins to get going, 20-40 max performance, 10 drops off at end
Chapter 2
- Avoid mindless repetition which does not help you develop – IF YOUR MIND IS NOT INVOLVED YOU’RE WASTING YOUR TIME
- Set Goals
- Play in different places, in different instruments
- Not more than 1 hour at a time
- Change the order
- Sight-reading and memory closely linked
Scales
- Listen for how different keys sound
- Vary pulse, rhythm, dynamic, direction
Studies and Excercises
- Make a ‘warm up book’ – 8 bar sections that are problems on pieces. 5 per day (when you add a new one, remove the oldest)
- After initial look, go straight to problem areas
- Exercises must be played musically – do not tighten up
Tendonitits
- Warm up exercises first.
- Take breaks (50/10 min)
- Minor discomfort to be expected when doing new things
Memory Building & Sight Reading
- Memory requires practive.
- ‘Proceduralisation’ – whole phrase follows an initial trigger (sight, sound and touch – each can fail us)
- Fix problems NOW not later
- Be accurate
- Tap rhythm so you can feel it
- ‘Dalcroze Today’ by Marie Buchanon – the physical and mental approach to rhythmic patterns and pulse
- Improve melodies using problem rhythms
Philosophy
- Good technique
- Well developed understanding and appreciation
- Belief in oursleves
- Need all three of the above
- Avoid over-technical practice that forgets musical feeling
- Ask yourself “Why can’t I do it?” – Psychological? Technical? Don’t understand the problem?
Musicianship
- Pulse – feel twice as fast to stop hurried sense
- Rhythmic awareness, sound quality, expression, articulation, form, phrasing
- Develop musical awareness and the same time as technique
Preparing for Exams
- Identify percentage of marks for each section
- What areas weakes
- Mental preparation – find ways of coping…
- Avoid others – fear is catching
- No post-mortems