 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: muppie
Date: 2014-01-22 09:33
I've been using the Rubank elementary method book to learn / practice the clarinet. I currently set my metronome to 70bpm and just focus on getting the reading and fingering right.
I'm wondering what should my approach be for the tempo. Should I vary it around a bit or should I stick to the same tempo at least in the early stages of my learning?
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Author: Tobin
Date: 2014-01-22 18:05
Vary it often and teach your brain to adjust -- this will help you on many levels. The more completely you know the exercise, the greater amount of tempo variation you can employ.
When learning a passage, however, it's best to always stick to a tempo that feels comfortable until it's learned.
Good luck!
James
Gnothi Seauton
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Author: Bruno
Date: 2014-01-22 19:54
Initial practice should be slow enough to play the phrase, scale, arpeggio, or piece perfectly. Our brains do not, and cannot discriminate between perfect practice and practice full of errors and interruptions. It is equally adept at learning mistakes as well as perfect execution.
I wouldn't worry about the speed of the metronome in the beginning. Play and learn your stuff funereally slow so you can play it perfectly. The metronome should be reserved for when you've learned it cold and can start at a slow enough tempo to play it perfectly and then raising the tempo notch-by-notch to whatever tempo is called for.
There are other approaches, all good, but this seems to be the time-tested method.
And bear in mind that learning new music should be approached in short segments - 4 to 6 notes long, because the learning center in our brains accepts short segments more readily.
Here's the age-old drill for scales, arpeggios, and anything else:
The first 4 to 6 notes cold.
The next 4 to 6 notes cold.
Etcetera, etcetera, as the king of Siam said.
Combine the well-memorized segments two at a time, then 3, then 4. You get the idea.
Some players suggest doing it backwards; learning the very last measure first, then the penultimate, then the 3rd from the end (the antepenultimate), etcetera, etcetera. This works too, as long as 1) you can play it perfectly, and 2) you keep the segments short.
Lots of good luck. I envy you. You are embarking on a wonderful sonic adventure.
bruno
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