-From the studio of Dr Courtney Crappell at UTSA -
Practice sessions/marathons can easily get repetitive - here are some different practicing approaches:
Learning a new piece
1. Hands Separate Practice – Especially useful during the first day of practicing a new piece--use 3x3 at this point: 3x RH, 3x LH, 3x HT (Lysinger)--and then the month before performance. This is an indispensible technique for accurate learning of classical music.
Practice sessions/marathons can easily get repetitive - here are some different practicing approaches:
Learning a new piece
1. Hands Separate Practice – Especially useful during the first day of practicing a new piece--use 3x3 at this point: 3x RH, 3x LH, 3x HT (Lysinger)--and then the month before performance. This is an indispensible technique for accurate learning of classical music.
2. Count Aloud – Be able to count at many different levels:
subdivisions, beats, measures, and phrases. This is a crucial prerequisite for
true artistic expression. Also, prepare to count the harmonic rhythm.
3. Metronome – Alternate sometimes with counting aloud. Work
from slow to fast. Also, prepare to play with the metronome beat on weak beats
or syncopated beats instead of on strong beats.
4. Rhythms – Related to group drills, but based on smaller
groups (L=long; s=short): play L-s-L-s, s-L-s- L, L-L-s-s, s-s-L-L, L-s-s-L,
s-L-L-s, L-s-s-s, s-L-s-s-, s-s-L-s, s-s-s-L; for triple divisions, L-s-s,
s-L-s,s-s-L, etc. After groups of 4 or 3, double to groups of 8 or 6. For
longer groups of rhythms, say letters for longs (A-B) and numbers for shorts
(1-2-3-4-5-6) to keep track (e.g. “6-A-B-1-2-3-4-5”)
5. Blocking – Play all of the notes that fit into a single
hand position. Supplement this with block-shift point practice—find the note
that ends one block, and begins another, then create smaller blocks that are connected
by those single notes. Often, the thumb plays the single notes.
Tackling trouble spots
1. Flexible Tempo (Gates) – Slow down your playing when you
feel your mind cluttering. Be able to change your tempo while playing at the
pinnacle of musicality.
2. Varying Tempos – Use flexible tempo, then slow, then
moderate, then fast. You can also use a metronome to work from slow to fast
(see “metronome” below).
3. Group Drills – (A variation on rhythm drills) For
particularly challenging passagework (e.g. cadenzas), practice playing the
first three notes as quickly as possible, then the next three, and so on. After
groups of three are simple, try fours, fives, sixes, and sevens.
4. Accents – Instead of changing the rhythm (as in “rhythm”
practice), add accents in the same patterns as those listed in rhythm practice.
An accent replaces long notes. Short notes are unaccented. Also, useful to
accent a specific finger number (e.g. finger 4) for awareness (Thompson).
5. Use the Aural Image (Gates) – For clarity in voicing
within a single hand, play a chord or pattern with two hands to get the
“perfect” aural image, then focus on the sound and play it with the single
hand.
Striving for artistry
1. Voicing – In polyphonic passages (N.B.: homophony, e.g.
chorales, is also polyphony), be able to voice each melody line.
2. Sing – Be able to replace any voice within the texture
with your own.
3. Experience Dynamic Contrast (Gates) – Be able to play
before and after dynamic markings.
4. Shaping – For more control and awareness, play passages
while counting crescendos, decrescendos, ritardando, and accelerando. Also,
while watching score, conduct dynamics, then play.
5. Play the Chords – Play the harmonies alone (for
contrapuntal works, play the implied harmonies—for homophonic works, simply
remove the melody) to get a sense of tension and release within the progression.
Techniques for solid learning and memory
1. Stop and Start (Thompson) – Add pauses or play even and
odd measures.
2. Backwards by Sections – Divide the piece into manageable
sections (6-12 measures long). Play the sections in reverse order by memory.
e.g. play section 10, then 9, then 8, etc.
3. Random Sections – Similar to backwards by section, but
sections are selected at random.
4. Hands Separate – Should be used at each stage in the
memorization process, but is especially useful in preparation for performance.
(Can begin process by ghosting RH or LH, then placing it in lap.)
5. With the Metronome, Counting Out Loud – Prepare to count
at different divisions of the beat (e.g. sixteenths, eights, quarter, etc.)
Want more? Here's a link for the entire document - it is a useful handout for reminders on varying your practice sessions. Dr Crappell also wrote a great MTNA article on Preparing Students for Vibrant Sonatina Performances