PRACTICE TIPS #32: Practicing in Sections, part 1: Set Clear Goals

[Brent Hugh <bhugh@griffon.mwsc.edu>]

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PRACTICE TIPS is an occasional email newsletter with practical

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PRACTICE TIPS #32: Practicing in Sections, part 1: Set Clear Goals

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



In the past few issues of Practice Tips, I have mentioned that the primary 

way you practice a new piece is:



    * Divide the piece into small "Practice Sections"

    * Work on the sections one at a time until they're "perfect"



Here are some more tips for working with Practice Sections:



  1. The exact goal you set to pass off the Practice Sections

     (what you consider to be "perfect") is variable,

     and the specifics are up to you to decide.  But



              * Make a definite, specific goal that you

                are going to shoot for.



              * Set your goals high.  Don't tolerate sloppiness.

                If your playing tends to be sloppy then right now,

                when you're starting a new piece, is the time to

                stop it!  After a few weeks of months of practicing

                your new pieces sloppily, your slop will be so

                well-practiced you'll never get rid of it!



              * The *minimum* criterion for "perfection" would be:

                playing the section through once, with no

                mistakes, all correct notes, all correct fingering,

                correct counting, and steady tempo.



              * As your musicianship increases, you can (and should)

                add many musical qualities to this minimum: balance

                voicing, phrasing, shaping, rhythmic grouping and

                nuances, precise articulation, beautiful tone, ease

                and grace of your physical motions, etc.



              * To increase difficulty slightly, you can play each

                section 2,3,4 or more times in a row "perfect",

                instead of just once.



              * You can also do something like "3-pencil Practice" with

                each section. See

                  http://www.mwsc.edu/~bhugh/practicetips/msg00015.html



  2. Arrange the size of your Practice Sections and the difficulty

     of your goal for that section so that you can complete it, ideally,

     in 30 to 120 seconds.  If you're taking longer than this for each

     section, your attention isn't razor-sharp, as it must be.

     Solutions if sections take longer than this to perfect:



              * Make the section smaller (often the best solution)

              * Take the section hands separate

              * Make your practice goal easier (NOT by tolerating

                sloppiness, but perhaps by aiming for a slower, but still

                steady, tempo)





Next time: more on Practice Sections.





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 a small spot on the left rear

of the elephant's back--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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