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Tips for amateur organists, like me

Luis Enrique

New member
I´d like to share some important advices for studying a new piece, learned at Baylor U. with Joyce Jones (and also with Pascal Marseault, from France)

1. After a global and analytical survey, sub-divide the piece in short sections, and when a section is dominated, go to the next, and then join them together. It is important to practice left hand, rigth hand, pedal, both hands, left hand and pedal, right hand and pedal...Study and mark the fingering and place the entonation marks for your own interpretation

2. Occassionaly begin the practice with the last bar, then the next to the last bar, until arriving at the beginnig of the piece

3. Stop at the rough places and practice them at least twenty times

4. To avoid tiredness is better to practice "little and often

5. Practice in a speed easy to your skills; then can go faster and faster. Be friend of the metronome.

6. Be concentratet and do not worry about final results (for now)

7- Stop at any syntom of staleness. Take short breaks

8. Although it is advisable to study at least one grand piece any semester, do no set for yourself absurd or impossible goals.

9. Set tempo and feel the rythm before starting to play

10. Avoid any tension or anxiety while rehearsing, even in difficult passages

11. Listen your music, feel the music and express yourself in your playing. Go beyond the plain edition

12. Remember the most difficult spots and those when you lose the tempo and the work on them.

13. Re-analyze the piece in its counterpoint and armonies modulations.

14. It is important to apply two psychological concepts:
a) OVERLEARNING:
WHY WE DO NOT FORGET EVEN AFTER MANY YEARS HOW TO RIDE A BICYCLE? Because one can learn that skill only PERFECTLY, NOT MORE-LESS.SO, if you learn the piece very well, it will part of your habitual repertoire, and you will be able to play it in a RELAX-SEREN AND ELEGANT MOOD.
a) You learn what you practice. So, if you allow mistakes in your practice...

Hola amigos, I hope these hints be useful for some of you
Luis Enrique
15. Every problem has both its origin and solution in the music itself
 

Krummhorn

Administrator
Staff member
ADMINISTRATOR
Very good points, Luis.
I have employed many of these in my own practice sessions when I was beginning, and still follow these easy rules to this day.

To the list I add one of my own:
Start and end every practice session with something you know well. Always best to end a session on a happy note :).
 

jhnbrbr

New member
Thanks Luis, an excellent list. With the right mental attitude, practice can be a pleasure, not a chore. I certainly agree about the metronome still being a very useful practice aid. It can be set very slow to begin with and then gradually cranked up a notch at a time as mastery increases, providing tangible evidence that progress is being made. I'll add a couple of extra points too:

- You don't have to use the "correct" registration while practising. It may be less stressful to practise loud sections quietly at first. Also, you can use regisration to emphasise the part you are struggling with (eg make pedals louder/brighter)

- Regularly record yourself playing and analyse the faults as if you were listening to someone else. This can be quite a harsh discipline as we are apt to imagine we are lot better than we really are (I speak from experience!)
 

Krummhorn

Administrator
Staff member
ADMINISTRATOR
. . .
- You don't have to use the "correct" registration while practising. It may be less stressful to practise loud sections quietly at first. Also, you can use regisration to emphasise the part you are struggling with (eg make pedals louder/brighter)

Excellent :up: - I employ this tactic as I oft have to practice when the adjoining church office is open for business.

jhnbrbr said:
. . .
- Regularly record yourself playing and analyse the faults as if you were listening to someone else. This can be quite a harsh discipline as we are apt to imagine we are lot better than we really are (I speak from experience!)

Quite true - those digital recorders don't lie ... :lol:. Plus, they can be a real positive reinforcement when we do things correctly, too.
 
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