How to Practise Better Options

[nicki_flute]

I did a local concert last week. At the end, an 11 year old came up to me and said "Does music make you happy"? This, plus telling myself that there is only so much preparation one can do, mean that I am feeling pretty relaxed about my LTCL. It is a weird feeling. But, to put into into perspective that I am doing music because it makes me happy has made me less worried. I am not sure why, but I am going to try and continue this feeling!

[schraeubchen]

I did a local concert last week. At the end, an 11 year old came up to me and said "Does music make you happy"? This, plus telling myself that there is only so much preparation one can do, mean that I am feeling pretty relaxed about my LTCL. It is a weird feeling. But, to put into into perspective that I am doing music because it makes me happy has made me less worried. I am not sure why, but I am going to try and continue this feeling!

Great. Seems to be just the right moment. Thanks to the 11 year old. Keep continuing this feeling. I think it is just the truth.

[corenfa]

I did a local concert last week. At the end, an 11 year old came up to me and said "Does music make you happy"? This, plus telling myself that there is only so much preparation one can do, mean that I am feeling pretty relaxed about my LTCL. It is a weird feeling. But, to put into into perspective that I am doing music because it makes me happy has made me less worried. I am not sure why, but I am going to try and continue this feeling!

Great. Seems to be just the right moment. Thanks to the 11 year old. Keep continuing this feeling. I think it is just the truth.

Yes, I second that. All the best for your LTCL, nicki_flute.

[nicki_flute]

I still feel relaxed, but I know that I wouldn't necessarily be super confident about all of my pieces. I never feel this way. It might change after I've had my final rehearsal with my pianist tomorrow.

[corenfa]

This week I've learnt a lot about practising for building up speed. I'm a bit braindead but here's a braindump

- It takes a lot of forearm strength to hold my arms steady while my fingers are moving very fast. It's not that I'm forcing my arms still, just that if I had the right strength, it wouldn't feel like that much effort to hold them there without a lot of flailing. I feel as though I have to exert positive force to stop flailing whereas if I had the strength, I wouldn't be flailing in the first place.

- It's been a slow process recording each page and playing it back and building up a mental picture of why I tend to slow down at certain bits. Some bits are physically awkward and that makes my brain skip; brain thinks, hands are playing at the same speed, but it's slowed down.

- Once I know which bits I tend to rush / drag, I then have to keep this in mind when practising runthroughs.

- Runthroughs seem like a fun idea - who wouldn't like to just play through without having to stop and fix bits? Not so much fun when I'm trying to keep in my head not to rush / drag at certain bits. It's becoming more automatic though.

[schraeubchen]

I still feel relaxed, but I know that I wouldn't necessarily be super confident about all of my pieces. I never feel this way. It might change after I've had my final rehearsal with my pianist tomorrow.

Great! Here's hoping the feeling hasn't changed after your rehearsal. I am nervous to hear about it.

This week I've learnt a lot about practising for building up speed. I'm a bit braindead but here's a braindump

- It takes a lot of forearm strength to hold my arms steady while my fingers are moving very fast. It's not that I'm forcing my arms still, just that if I had the right strength, it wouldn't feel like that much effort to hold them there without a lot of flailing. I feel as though I have to exert positive force to stop flailing whereas if I had the strength, I wouldn't be flailing in the first place.

- It's been a slow process recording each page and playing it back and building up a mental picture of why I tend to slow down at certain bits. Some bits are physically awkward and that makes my brain skip; brain thinks, hands are playing at the same speed, but it's slowed down.

- Once I know which bits I tend to rush / drag, I then have to keep this in mind when practising runthroughs.

- Runthroughs seem like a fun idea - who wouldn't like to just play through without having to stop and fix bits? Not so much fun when I'm trying to keep in my head not to rush / drag at certain bits. It's becoming more automatic though.

Sounds like hard work but also like big improvement.

[nicki_flute]

Had final rehearsal with pianist and did a solo run through tonight. There were some interesting moments...

Hoping I'll enjoy the experience like this (but without the flute twirling): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlAaiBNCYU4

[corenfa]

Had final rehearsal with pianist and did a solo run through tonight. There were some interesting moments...

Hoping I'll enjoy the experience like this (but without the flute twirling): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlAaiBNCYU4

But have you got hair like him (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

All the best!!!

The only thing worse than listening to vile recordings of my recital piece is listening to MY vile recordings of my recital piece (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ph34r.gif)

However, painful as it is, I also know that the recordings from two weeks ago are much much viler. Asymptotically decreasing vileness is my aim.

[nicki_flute]

Unfortunately not. I love Dudamel's hair!

I know what you mean - some bits of the last thing I recorded sound not so good. I am just hoping that overall it sounds musical enough.

Someone told me to record the first time you have a go at something, to show how far you really do come. I bet you sound better than you think.

[corenfa]

Unfortunately not. I love Dudamel's hair!

I know what you mean - some bits of the last thing I recorded sound not so good. I am just hoping that overall it sounds musical enough.

Someone told me to record the first time you have a go at something, to show how far you really do come. I bet you sound better than you think.

Yes - even though there are bits that sound terrible, there are some bits that are musical. I usually record my first runthrough of the day, then I record my last. There is usually a small positive difference.

[nicki_flute]

Unfortunately not. I love Dudamel's hair!

I know what you mean - some bits of the last thing I recorded sound not so good. I am just hoping that overall it sounds musical enough.

Someone told me to record the first time you have a go at something, to show how far you really do come. I bet you sound better than you think.

Yes - even though there are bits that sound terrible, there are some bits that are musical. I usually record my first runthrough of the day, then I record my last. There is usually a small positive difference.

I have just recorded my LTCL run through - going to try and be realistic when I listen.

[schraeubchen]

Unfortunately not. I love Dudamel's hair!

I know what you mean - some bits of the last thing I recorded sound not so good. I am just hoping that overall it sounds musical enough.

Someone told me to record the first time you have a go at something, to show how far you really do come. I bet you sound better than you think.

Yes - even though there are bits that sound terrible, there are some bits that are musical. I usually record my first runthrough of the day, then I record my last. There is usually a small positive difference.

I have just recorded my LTCL run through - going to try and be realistic when I listen.

I hope realistic is not as critical as normal and I hope you enjoyed your recording. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[schraeubchen]

Yesterday I once again faced the question "Am I too loud?"
It's really terrible, I can't get rid of this. My teacher is happy with my bigger tone and tries hard to get me away from thinking I am too loud, but it seems to be impossible for me.

[Pixie*Porsche]

The most well pieces I have ever played were the ones I took to bits - which are very few pieces and all on piano. I literally cannot take a piece to pieces on the clarinet! However, I'm still struggling to actually take pieces apart and don't know why.

I know *how* to do it and what works for me.
I know *what* taking apart achieves.
I know it makes my overall playing *better*.

BUT I *STILL* find myself looking at something and thinking hmmm I can play that and run through pieces that *should* be taken apart and not used as sight reading exercises.

[corenfa]

Yesterday I once again faced the question "Am I too loud?"
It's really terrible, I can't get rid of this. My teacher is happy with my bigger tone and tries hard to get me away from thinking I am too loud, but it seems to be impossible for me.

I used to have that problem. I got over it by intentionally playing "too loud" (what I thought was too loud but my teacher said was OK) for some of each practise session every day. It felt really uncomfortable but I forced mself to do it. After a few weeks I had got used to the "too loud" sound being normal.

The most well pieces I have ever played were the ones I took to bits - which are very few pieces and all on piano. I literally cannot take a piece to pieces on the clarinet! However, I'm still struggling to actually take pieces apart and don't know why.

I know *how* to do it and what works for me.
I know *what* taking apart achieves.
I know it makes my overall playing *better*.

BUT I *STILL* find myself looking at something and thinking hmmm I can play that and run through pieces that *should* be taken apart and not used as sight reading exercises.

Sounds silly but have you thought about writing yourself a large physical reminder - "DON'T PLAY THROUGH ALL THE WAY" or something like that, and sticking it in the clarinet case? I've not done that with practising, but with other things that I know I'll forget.

One week to go before two recitals (only one piece though). It's been quite a journey working on one piece for the last six weeks. I wasn't sure if I would get everything in in time, but I'm pleased with the progress so far. I've got it comfortably there slightly under the tempo that I would like to do it, if I can make it in this last week that will be great but if I can't then I will be satisfied with this tempo, and the knowledge that just to learn and polish one piece to this level is pretty good.

This last week the practising thing that has jumped out at me is how as a pianist I can't get too used to my own instrument. I have to always imagine what it will sound like on a grand piano, on a piano with stiffer keys, lighter keys, etc. I ran through the piece on a grand and I am heartened to see that some aspects of technique do carry over from the digital piano.

I've been working on how to play the really sharp marcato accents (the ones indicated by wedge-shaped marks). My problem was that I kept missing especially when it was on a black key (narrower than white keys). In the end what worked was to "prepare" the accent by tensing some finger muscles before the hit - careful here because it has to be just enough to "aim" the finger but not enough to stiffen it - and as soon as I'd figured this out I realised that this was the same thing I did when I was a horn player, only then it was with diaphragm to do the accent with a sharp push of breath.