Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2015-10-11 20:19
Most of us practice a difficult passage until we get it right, sometimes stretching it to 10 perfect renditions in a row.
Two very interesting articles show that this is not the best way:
http://www.bulletproofmusician.com/why-the-progress-in-the-practice-room-seems-to-disappear-overnight/
http://www.bulletproofmusician.com/how-do-experts-get-even-better-5-differences-between-the-practice-of-expert-and-intermediate-athletes
The takeaway is that you practice a passage for only a short time -- say, 5 minutes -- and then go to another difficult passage for another 5 minutes, etc. This is more tiring, because you're constantly switching to unfamiliar difficult passages. It's also more effective, because you're constantly working hard.
For example, working on the F# major scale in thirds, starting very slow and repeating until you have it perfectly smooth, and then increasing the tempo, could easily take 30 minutes. Nevertheless, after about 5 minutes, you're working on something you already know, which take less effort and can become mechanical and boring. Going to a different scale -- say, Eb minor in thirds -- presents new difficulties, the solving of which takes more effort.
In excerpts, you could easily work on the big solo from Semiramide for 30 minutes before getting it perfect, and the same for Midsummer Night's dream, the slow movement of the Beethoven 6th and the opening bars of the Nielsen Concerto. Rotate them, spending only 5 minutes at a time, with full and fresh attention.
Next, play a Rose etude. At the beginning of line 2, start transposing up a step. At line 3, go down a step, at line 4 up 1/2 step, at line 5 down 1/2 step. Then grab a bassoon or cello part and read bass clef, and then bass clef up a step.
Anything to keep the difficulty fresh.
Ken Shaw
Post Edited (2015-10-11 20:22)
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