Category: Practicing
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Perfection vs. Evenness
If a piece has 1000 notes, and 5 of them are out-of-place, it can ruin the whole thing. You want a piece of music to be perfect. No blemishes. Nothing stands out or seems out-of-place. Everything is perfectly legato, or staccato, or whatever. A perfectly uniform touch. Most teachers will tell you to work extra…
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Should playing feel good?
When I play the piano, I strive to make it feel good. It is no fun for me to feel like I am struggling with my body while trying to play, and the music that results from that struggle is not something I would enjoy listening to. I want to be clear that I am…
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Looking for blind spots
In sharp contrast to the usual method of practicing, which is locating and correcting mistakes, my approach could instead be described as looking for blind spots. As always, I stress awareness over correctness. True change and improvement can only come from this place. What is a blind spot? As I have written about, there are…
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Practice demonstration – Bach B major fugue
I’d like to demonstrate some practicing using the waterfall technique. I chose the B major fugue from Book 2 of the Well-Tempered Clavier. Although I have played many Bach fugues, this particular one was completely new to me. It is a 4-voice fugue, with a lot of complexity. Here, I show how the fugue can…
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Rules for practicing
Do you have a clear set of rules you follow when you practice? It may be worth experimenting with this concept: think of practicing as a game. Here are some rules I follow. This isn’t a complete list, and you certainly don’t have to follow them. But I invite you to consider them, and to…
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Is it possible to play perfectly?
Do you want to play perfectly? Would there be an advantage to being perfect? (practice makes perfect) An 8-year-old student of mine was experiencing some anxiety about playing. Quite a lot, actually. He would not even put his hands on the piano to start playing. “Are you afraid of making a mistake?” I asked. He…