The Clarinet BBoard

The Clarinet BBoard The C4 standard

New Topic | Go to Top | Go to Topic | Search | Help/Rules | Smileys/Notes | Log In

Previous Message | Next Message

Re: remaining focused when you play

Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2014-08-11 14:58

I'd say it's the opposite of meditation. You need to LISTEN to yourself critically, honestly, objectively at every moment. Practicing IS analyzing.

But how to keep that up for a decent amount of time? The advice that I am comfortable passing on comes from Itzak Perlman (not a shabby musician). He advised to practice for fifty minutes at a time. Rest (take a complete break from it) for ten minutes. Then, you can practice for another fifty minutes. Perlman actually said that practicing for more than three or four hours (as prescribed with a ten minute break) starts to become anti-productive.

Of course I know folks who have put in eight hours a day in college (claiming this was key for them) and went on to great careers. All I know for sure is that active practice (the listening stuff) is the only productive practice. What your minimum and maximum lengths for that would be is up to you.

................Paul Aviles

Reply To Message | Avail. Forums | Flat View

Newer Topic | Older Topic

Topics