Author: mrn
Date: 2010-06-23 17:19
Fishamble wrote:
Quote:
I'd have to practice at 140 to facilitate these in my basic technique, which made me wonder.
No you don't. You have to practice them SLOWLY to improve your basic technique.
It takes mental concentration to change what you are doing with your fingers. When you play scales quickly, you give your brain insufficient time to "change the program."
You'll get better results by staying at a slow speed longer and really perfecting what you do--slow and deliberate. Remember that practice, per se, does not make perfect--practice makes *permanent*. So what matters most is that your practice is *accurate*, not fast. The speed will come.
Remember "Karate Kid" (if you haven't seen that movie, rent it)--"wax on, wax off." It may not seem like slow practice will help you play faster, but it does. And just like Daniel-san, you'll suddenly discover that you can do it (play fast), even though you thought you were working on something completely different (playing slow). Fast, slow...there really isn't a difference. The only thing that matters is accuracy. Well....that and you have to have the patience and discipline to make it work.
It also helps to think carefully about how to make smooth and economical finger movements, using your entire hand as a unit when possible. I have found in my own experience that good mental preparation (even without the instrument in hand) can save hours of practice time.
You should read Tony Pay's remarks on "slow fingers" in the following thread, which I have found to be an invaluable mental aid to effective practice:
http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/read.html?f=1&i=275329&t=275017
Another good resource is Sean Osborn's notes on building technique, which contains many good tips:
http://www.osbornmusic.com/Technique1.pdf
Finally, I'd like to add that, although I value scale practice highly myself, I somewhat disagree with the notion that practicing scales will, per se, make you "equipped for most playing situations." (I don't know that you actually intended to imply that with your post, but I thought I'd address the subject anyway.)
This point was brought home to me when I was in college. I had a piano-playing friend who could play Hanon all day long at lightning speed in all the keys, but had difficulty sight-reading piano music that even I could play (and let me confess right now that I have very little skill as a pianist). So clearly, scales are just part of the equation--even with regard to technique.
In addition to scales, arpeggios, and exercises, you need to gain experience playing (as well as reading) as many varied kinds of passages as you can, including passages that have little relation to major and minor scales. The etude books by Uhl, as well as those by Jettel (some of Jettel's are extremely difficult, though--buyer beware), are good for this sort of thing.
The more different kinds of things you expose yourself too, the easier everything gets.
Post Edited (2010-06-23 17:28)
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