Practise Tips
Posted by Doug Evans on Tuesday, February 9, 2010
the Daily Practise Routine.
In a piano player's daily routine should be a number of items which are sometimes not made clear during lessons. They are:
1. Memory songs (one's Repertoire)
2. NEW memory work (partial or full memorization of a page or so of a song or piece of music)
3. Sight reading music
4. Technique (scales, chords, arpeggios, octaves, riffs, etc.)
5. the songs which are in process of being perfected(at least 1 at all times)
6. Recording- an optional item, only for when songs have been perfected AND steeped for awhile.
Regarding #2- this often gets neglected from a players routine, perhaps because of thinking there's nothing the player would like to memorize at this time, or they just don't think of doing it very often. However, there are at least 3 good reasons for doing it anyway. One is that a large repertoire becomes an important factor for success in increasing the likelihood for a person to be called upon to play at any given time, as well as for the player's success in being able to play material which would be pleasing to the listening group whomever that may consist of, or for whatever purpose (fulfilling a 'musical need' shall we say..). A third reason is the simple exercise of it; exercising one's mind. Like any physical activity, this mental activity serves to strengthen and practise the neuro-pathways which are involved in memory, and enable increased speed and efficiency in future efforts of memory work.
So when this is brought into the practical application, let's say the player(maybe you?) memorizes a page a week only in this manner, that becomes approximately 50 pages of music in a year. Now depending on a person's level, that would amount to an average of 10 to 50 songs per year. This is around an hour of music. In 2 years, the player would be able to play their own concert if they maintained their repertoire of memorized songs! And they would be able to eliminate a number of their less favorite or non-applicable numbers! The challenge of maintaining a Repertoire is a subject for some discussion also. I'll do that in another post.. Play hard!
In a piano player's daily routine should be a number of items which are sometimes not made clear during lessons. They are:
1. Memory songs (one's Repertoire)
2. NEW memory work (partial or full memorization of a page or so of a song or piece of music)
3. Sight reading music
4. Technique (scales, chords, arpeggios, octaves, riffs, etc.)
5. the songs which are in process of being perfected(at least 1 at all times)
6. Recording- an optional item, only for when songs have been perfected AND steeped for awhile.
Regarding #2- this often gets neglected from a players routine, perhaps because of thinking there's nothing the player would like to memorize at this time, or they just don't think of doing it very often. However, there are at least 3 good reasons for doing it anyway. One is that a large repertoire becomes an important factor for success in increasing the likelihood for a person to be called upon to play at any given time, as well as for the player's success in being able to play material which would be pleasing to the listening group whomever that may consist of, or for whatever purpose (fulfilling a 'musical need' shall we say..). A third reason is the simple exercise of it; exercising one's mind. Like any physical activity, this mental activity serves to strengthen and practise the neuro-pathways which are involved in memory, and enable increased speed and efficiency in future efforts of memory work.
So when this is brought into the practical application, let's say the player(maybe you?) memorizes a page a week only in this manner, that becomes approximately 50 pages of music in a year. Now depending on a person's level, that would amount to an average of 10 to 50 songs per year. This is around an hour of music. In 2 years, the player would be able to play their own concert if they maintained their repertoire of memorized songs! And they would be able to eliminate a number of their less favorite or non-applicable numbers! The challenge of maintaining a Repertoire is a subject for some discussion also. I'll do that in another post.. Play hard!
