PRACTICE TIPS #17: Sorry & Mental Practice

[Brent Hugh <bhugh@GRIFFON.MWSC.EDU>]

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PRACTICE TIPS is an occasional email newsletter with practical

piano practice tips and ideas, by Brent Hugh



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Sorry About List Problems

-------------------------



First of all, I'm sorry about the unexpected messages that came through on 

the Practice Tips list this week.  Those messages (with various questions 

from subscribers about the list followed by various responses) are supposed 

to come to me only, not to the entire list. With the new listserv software 

our computer center installed over the break, some of the list settings did 

not transfer properly.  The problem should be solved now and you shouldn't 

receive any more of those messages.



Since I needed to send a message to everyone about these list problems, I 

thought I might as well take advantage of the situation to include another 

practice idea:





PRACTICE TIPS #17: Mental Practice

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This week, my college students are continuing with the second of the set of 

three "music learning experiments."  You are invited to join in our 

experiments, and I would be pleased to hear about your results.





Experiment #2: Mental Practice



(Reminder to my students: This assignment is due at your lesson the week of 

Feb 7-11.)



1. Choose a small portion of a new piece that you haven't practiced any 

other way. (2-8 measures)



2. Practice mentally on the section throughout the week. Strict rule: Do 

not, under any circumstances, play the section at the piano this week.



3. Suggestions for practice:

    A. Subdivide into small sections just as you would if

       practicing normally.

    B. Mentally rehearse hands separately.

    C. Mentally rehearse in very small sections.

    D. Do tabletop practice (play on the tabletop, pretending it

       is the piano).

    E. Mentally rehearse a section 2x while watching the music,

       then 1x with eyes closed.   Start with small sections;

       gradually increase their length over the course of the week.

    F. Play silently on a real piano (careful to not let *any*

       notes sound).

    G. If desperate, play on an electronic keyboard with power

       off (technically, though, this is cheating . . . ).

    H. Try to imagine all aspects of playing the piece: the sound,

       the feel of the piano, the movements of your hands/arms/

       fingers/body.



4. Play the section for the first time ever on the piano (by memory, 

preferably) for me at your lesson.



Happy Practicing!



--Brent





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PRACTICE TIPS is by pianist, teacher, composer, and internet nerd

Brent Hugh.  Brent knows about practicing mostly because he *does*

it, and in fact is toddling off to do some of it just about now . . .



Please remember that this tip is but one small part of the elephant's

left rear leg--it's not even close to the whole elephant that is

"how everyone in the whole world should practice the piano".



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+   Missouri Western State College Dept of Music, St. Joseph, Missouri   +

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