How to Practise Better Options

[schraeubchen]

Congratulations if you read this far (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) I made it! I can imagine that it is to much to try to memorise a piece and in the same time get all the technical problems solved.

For me that's impossible According to my very limited experience and narrow understanding of reality that's very unlikely.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)
But it seems to work for you. And that is what counts.
I still have records of me playing that I took more than two years ago. I keep them for a time when I feel I don't improve at all to remember me about the time it takes and on the improvement that is already done.
I don't have a clue how to get to memorise 20th Century Music and even the Pros I know play it with the score. Maybe it is just impossible. To me it's much easier to memorise music with clear harmic structure.

All the best to you for this.

corenfa, I am in the club of trying to memorise and work on technical issues at the same time because needs must.

Memorising is going very, very badly. Technical issues also unresolved. Maybe I should give up on memorising although I think it would help so I can feel more at ease with the piece I am studying and be able to concentrate more on musicality. But no time - has to be ready by Saturday.

I agree mental practising is useful but results of some hours of this on the plane over to the UK weren't showing in tonight's practice session. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

Probably too mindless. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

Desperately needing a "schraeubchen experience" of the puzzle clicking into place.

Sorry katica,
I didn't want to hurt you or someone else. But I agree with corenfa, sometimes it feels like you aren't improving at all for a long time. But then you suddenly realise that you made a hugh jump and you get this "schraeubchen experience" (thank you for this! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) ) Fingers crossed from my side that this time will come soon for you.

[corenfa]

...
I still have records of me playing that I took more than two years ago. I keep them for a time when I feel I don't improve at all to remember me about the time it takes and on the improvement that is already done.
I don't have a clue how to get to memorise 20th Century Music and even the Pros I know play it with the score. Maybe it is just impossible. To me it's much easier to memorise music with clear harmic structure.
...

Memorising any sort of music is made easier with some musical analysis - for me anyway. There's always a pattern, even if the harmonic language is not traditional. Most 20th century music has some harmonic structure, I wouldn't claim to be an expert by any means but I'm at a loss to think of any that has no harmonic structure at all.

Listening to old recordings of yourself is an excellent way indeed to remind yourself how much you've improved! I used to do that, but now that happens more when I play stuff from a year ago and it seems a lot easier.

[corenfa]

Talking to myself (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

Today's mindful thing was learning how to practise slow stuff. I like many pianists often fall in love with the "fireworks" passages, which are often important but not the whole story. I have a digital piano so I can record and playback immediately - and I find that in order to play a slow passage in time, it sounds rushed to me as I'm listening to it. In order to play it in time, I have to know that it sounds rushed and allow it to sound rushed in my head. What a strange idea....

[Steven Carr]

Today's mindful thing was learning how to practise slow stuff. I like many pianists often fall in love with the "fireworks" passages, which are often important but not the whole story. I have a digital piano so I can record and playback immediately - and I find that in order to play a slow passage in time, it sounds rushed to me as

Slow stuff is hard to play surely,because any mistakes are laid bare.

[corenfa]

Today's mindful thing was learning how to practise slow stuff. I like many pianists often fall in love with the "fireworks" passages, which are often important but not the whole story. I have a digital piano so I can record and playback immediately - and I find that in order to play a slow passage in time, it sounds rushed to me as

Slow stuff is hard to play surely,because any mistakes are laid bare.

Indeed. I ignored it at my peril...

[schraeubchen]

Talking to myself (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

Today's mindful thing was learning how to practise slow stuff. I like many pianists often fall in love with the "fireworks" passages, which are often important but not the whole story. I have a digital piano so I can record and playback immediately - and I find that in order to play a slow passage in time, it sounds rushed to me as I'm listening to it. In order to play it in time, I have to know that it sounds rushed and allow it to sound rushed in my head. What a strange idea....

Indeed a strange idea. I think if you play slow stuff in time, it shouldn't sound rushed neither to you nor to someone else. But maybe it's just you and someone else would think it sounds pretty good and maybe even laid back.

I am still working with embroucher and tone support from my abdominals. The road I take is playing flageolets / harmonics. Yesterday I spent a long time on the step from C above middle C to G above that. I found out, that I have no idea how much power I need to get this done, normaly I miss the G and directly jump to the C above. But once one has found the reason why something doesn't work the way it should, the first step to solve the problem is done. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

Thank you for putting live into this thread again. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[randomsabreur]

I found starting playing the Alto Flute really highlighted that I wasn't that secure on the harmonics - kept missing the note I wanted on the alto... Then a couple of pieces had slurs with notes that were related harmonically (although not with identical primary fingerings) and I found myself getting "stuck" on the higher note although I'd changed the fingerings. Spent a couple of weeks playing with the harmonic series on alto and concert flutes, a few fanfares (trevor wye book) and my alto playing was a lot more secure and the slurs were working again.

I find that if I come across a technical glitch somewhere in a piece, it is more effective to work at that same problem in a different way - so if its a fingering issue - similar technical fingering exercises rather than drilling the particular problem. Rhythm issues (triplets was the first major one to rear its head) were attacked by doing a load of short pieces with the particular rhythm - various easy studies about 4 grades below what I was working on, combined with metronome work and I'm now pretty happy with triplets. Now I just need to work on syncopation - by having admitted it to my teacher - it's been an issue at band for ages - I will be doing syncopated duets and sightreading until that is sorted too.

For memorising, I've never tried before, but I'm getting there on memorising a really modern piece - the notes were "odd" with a seemingly random collection of accidentals and as they are unusual fingerings, needed quite a lot of work to get secure, but they don't sound random when you play them. So much repetition seems to put things solidly in my brain... Also listening to the piece following the music, so you really know what it's supposed to sound like seems to make it stick correctly and at least I know when I played a wrong note but am not looking at the music!

[corenfa]

Talking to myself (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

Today's mindful thing was learning how to practise slow stuff. I like many pianists often fall in love with the "fireworks" passages, which are often important but not the whole story. I have a digital piano so I can record and playback immediately - and I find that in order to play a slow passage in time, it sounds rushed to me as I'm listening to it. In order to play it in time, I have to know that it sounds rushed and allow it to sound rushed in my head. What a strange idea....

Indeed a strange idea. I think if you play slow stuff in time, it shouldn't sound rushed neither to you nor to someone else. But maybe it's just you and someone else would think it sounds pretty good and maybe even laid back.
...

That is a very charitable way of looking at it (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) in this case, I definitely am dragging. I played it with the metronome to check.

It should indeed not sound rushed to me - but the reason it sounds rushed is because in my head, I am hearing it wrongly. I have to retrain my inner ear.

Tonight it seems slightly better.

... So much repetition seems to put things solidly in my brain... Also listening to the piece following the music, so you really know what it's supposed to sound like seems to make it stick correctly and at least I know when I played a wrong note but am not looking at the music!

This may sound drastic but something that helps me memorise is to listen to something on loop in the background all day. I really do find my hands "just doing the right thing" after a few days of this - but of course, there's more to memorisation than this, and you also have to be able to not go bonkers listening to it on loop..

[schraeubchen]

I found starting playing the Alto Flute really highlighted that I wasn't that secure on the harmonics - kept missing the note I wanted on the alto... Then a couple of pieces had slurs with notes that were related harmonically (although not with identical primary fingerings) and I found myself getting "stuck" on the higher note although I'd changed the fingerings. Spent a couple of weeks playing with the harmonic series on alto and concert flutes, a few fanfares (trevor wye book) and my alto playing was a lot more secure and the slurs were working again.

Great to hear. I am working with the Robert #### book "Tone Development" at the moment. And there the chapter about natural harmonics. I find it helps a lot to solve some problems and to enriche the tone in general. Is this what you meant with "harmonic series"? Like playing f sharp in the third register with the fingering of low b.

Talking to myself (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

Today's mindful thing was learning how to practise slow stuff. I like many pianists often fall in love with the "fireworks" passages, which are often important but not the whole story. I have a digital piano so I can record and playback immediately - and I find that in order to play a slow passage in time, it sounds rushed to me as I'm listening to it. In order to play it in time, I have to know that it sounds rushed and allow it to sound rushed in my head. What a strange idea....

Indeed a strange idea. I think if you play slow stuff in time, it shouldn't sound rushed neither to you nor to someone else. But maybe it's just you and someone else would think it sounds pretty good and maybe even laid back.
...

That is a very charitable way of looking at it (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) in this case, I definitely am dragging. I played it with the metronome to check.

It should indeed not sound rushed to me - but the reason it sounds rushed is because in my head, I am hearing it wrongly. I have to retrain my inner ear.

Tonight it seems slightly better.

Good to hear that it's improving. Thinking about this I realised, that I actually play a slow piece that tends to sound a bit rushed. Maybe it's mentioned to do so. It's a Cantabile from Telemann, and to me Telemann nearly always needs a lot of energy.

I went on to work on slured jumps in natural harmonics and found out, I still need to feel more of the action my upper abdominals have to do while playing the upper register. One of the pieces I work on ends on f in the third register to played pp (pianissimo). And that is improving.

[randomsabreur]

C 2 ledger lines above the stave to the F on the top line is the one that catches me most often, but if not paying attention to support/embouchure top G to the D just below is another one that likes to stay up despite the finger change.

Part of it might be the increased sensitivity of the silver headjoint over my old flute, as I don't remember this issue in the past...

[katica]

Sorry katica,
I didn't want to hurt you or someone else. But I agree with corenfa, sometimes it feels like you aren't improving at all for a long time. But then you suddenly realise that you made a hugh jump and you get this "schraeubchen experience" (thank you for this! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) ) Fingers crossed from my side that this time will come soon for you.

Don't worry, you didn't! I always enjoy your posts anyway...
In fact you gave me hope. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)
I can't say I made any Great Leap Forward but things did sort of come together last Saturday and it was great fun... which was the most important thing!

Back to the "mindful practising" grindstone for the next couple of weeks so I have something half-reputable to take to Dartington. Lots of lovely new music to look at. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[viola-mad]

I am working with the Robert #### book "Tone Development" at the moment. And there the chapter about

This is an unfortunate bit of hashing-out!! In case anyone else was wondering, I think the chap's surname starts with D and rhymes with quick.

[schraeubchen]

C 2 ledger lines above the stave to the F on the top line is the one that catches me most often, but if not paying attention to support/embouchure top G to the D just below is another one that likes to stay up despite the finger change.

Part of it might be the increased sensitivity of the silver headjoint over my old flute, as I don't remember this issue in the past...

I know exactly what you describe. I am working on things like this too and I am pretty sure, the day will come, when I don't even have to think about it and feel like there has never been a problem at all. I am not sure if it is a question of head joints. Maybe it is more increased support power. Maybe I should try all this out with my old flute to sort this out.

Sorry katica,
I didn't want to hurt you or someone else. But I agree with corenfa, sometimes it feels like you aren't improving at all for a long time. But then you suddenly realise that you made a hugh jump and you get this "schraeubchen experience" (thank you for this! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) ) Fingers crossed from my side that this time will come soon for you.

Don't worry, you didn't! I always enjoy your posts anyway...
In fact you gave me hope. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)
I can't say I made any Great Leap Forward but things did sort of come together last Saturday and it was great fun... which was the most important thing!

Back to the "mindful practising" grindstone for the next couple of weeks so I have something half-reputable to take to Dartington. Lots of lovely new music to look at. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Thank you very much. And I think it is a good sign, that things sort of come together. And - most important - are great fun. Great to read you are going to Dartington. To me it is always a treasure if I make it to a special course and until now it always was followed by enormous improvement, sometimes it just seems to be a complete differnt flutist coming back from the course. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)
Have a good time there! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

I am working with the Robert #### book "Tone Development" at the moment. And there the chapter about

This is an unfortunate bit of hashing-out!! In case anyone else was wondering, I think the chap's surname starts with D and rhymes with quick.

Thank you very much, viola-mad, I missed to reread my post after sending it (shame on me). And you are completely right. I didn't even know that this word is such a bad one (english is a foreign language to me).

[schraeubchen]

@randomsabreur
I routed the question if it has got something to do with the silver headjoint further to a great flutist and teacher. She mentioned it would rather has to do with the wider spectrum of tone influence you get with a better headjoint than the material.

[Misterioso]

Since there are a few flutey people about, just wondering if I might gate-crash this thread? This is something I need to practise better, but am not sure how best to tackle it.

The Berceuse (B list, Grade 6 flute) is causing me some grief! It's that F# at the very end. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif) By the time I have played through the piece, I just don't seem to have the energy to support it, and there are no lessons now till the end of August. I have another B list piece on the go, but I think, on balance, that the Berceuse has a greater chance of survival in an exam situation.

Can anyone help?