PRACTICE TIPS #33: Practicing in Sections, part 2: CUT THEM IN HALF!

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

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PRACTICE TIPS #33: Practicing in Sections, part 2: CUT THEM IN HALF!

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In the previous issue of Practice Tips, I talked about how to practice in 

sections, which should be the primary practice method you use.  I mentioned 

these two ideas:



   1. Decide what is "perfect".  Set definite goals and standards

      for passing off sections.

   2. Spend 30 to 120 seconds practicing each section, then move on.

      Make sections smaller, if necessary, so that you can reach

      your goal in this time frame.



Now a very important third tip about working with Practice Sections:



   3. The pianist's natural tendency is to choose Practice Sections that

      are TOO LARGE.  A good rule of thumb is:  Choose Practice Sections

      that seem reasonable to you, then CUT THEM IN HALF!  Depending on

      the difficulty of the music, it is very reasonable to start out

      with Practice Sections that are 1/2, 1/4, or even 1/8 of a measure.





Even experienced pianists are prone to choosing too long 

sections.  Recently I started work on a new Rachmaninoff Prelude.  I was 

working through it section by section, with 1/2-measure Practice Sections, 

which seemed small enough (just two little beats!).  But it seemed that I 

was just getting nowhere.  It took forever to get a section up to 

tempo--sometimes 10 minutes or more.  Finally it dawned on me that my 

sections were just too large.



I cut the sections in half (now just one beat at a time!) and before I knew 

it, I was making literally ten times the progress.  I was able to get many 

Practice Sections up to tempo in less than a minute, and even difficult 

sections took no more than two or three minutes.



As soon as I gave up that ego thing of "I'm good, so I *must* be able to 

swallow huge chunks of this piece whole", practice time started to flow and 

I started making real progress.



Soon I *will* be playing two-beat sections, then four-beats, then whole 

phrases, up to tempo.  For for my abilities compared to the difficulty of 

this work, right now one-beat Practice Sections are just right.



Happy Practicing!





--Brent





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

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