Alright, friends!
Let's talk about practicing!!!
This is going to be a short post -primarily because I want to emphasize the simplicity of what a rehearsal time looks/sounds like to me. This past weekend, I was working on a jazz song called Heartburn Waltz by Vince Guaraldi (It's one of the gems he did for the Peanuts/Charlie Brown series). Why was I working on it? Easy. I'm not a jazz piano player, and I like stretching myself beyond what I already know. What was different about this rehearsal session? I used FB Live on the whole session. At the end, I declare that I improved 20 BPM, but in actuality it was 30 BPM on the metronome. In 45 minutes time, I'd forgotten what my starting number was. You can check out that video here: https://www.facebook.com/TylerLarsonMusic/videos/1708830812465995/?pnref=story
So, this video is almost 45 minutes long -if you'd like to watch the full video = I'd be flattered. However, the key part is this:
Practice your trouble spots in 2-4 measure increments! If you're having trouble with one measure in particular, start with the measure before it, and play the 2 measures together.
Practice it a few times to get a feel for it, and then add the metronome in!
You'll find that rehearsing this way isolates your trouble spots and helps polish those trouble spots without having to endure the full song. Save your full run-throughs for when you're ready to bump the metronome up -that way, you'll be able to hear your progress in context. Context also helps right off the bat to ensure you're using the correct fingerings on the keys (If you watch the video, you'll see that in the first 5 minutes I rehearse a section with the wrong fingerings after playing it in context). What do I do? Make the correction and keep moving forward!
ProTip: You're only going to be able to play the song as fast as your dirtiest trouble spots allow. Isolating your trouble spots is KEY!
I hope this helps with your rehearsal time!
Until next time,
-T.