I need some practising tips. i had a lesson today, and i felt like i couldnt do any of what my teacher asked. metronomes are my enemy (i find it so hard to stay with them)
the piece im working on is very hard. there is alot of 16th runs. when i practise them, i get frusterated, and it hurts me rather then makes me better if i practise when im frusterated. its so much easier to play stuff i already know. what should i do?
Good practise tips?
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Good practise tips?
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Flute/picc
- Posts: 7
- Joined: Mon Feb 06, 2006 7:37 am
I hate metrenomes too. They say I don't really keep a steady beat..... grrr. What I had to start doing was putting down my flute and going through the rythms and clapping or singing (whatever helps best) Until I could hear in my head where all the notes went. Once I can hear it I usually play it alot closer to what it should be. - shrugs - hope this helps you.
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piccolopete
- Posts: 15
- Joined: Tue Sep 19, 2006 6:20 pm
- Location: Inside of my new flute case
the idea of pulsing on every beat while playing sixteenth notes really helped me on my chromatic scale. My teacher challenged me to play my sixteenths at 150 beats per minute in sixteenths, and I was fast enough, but not consistent. The pulses took a while to get at this speed, but I did it all with the help of my metronome (which I hate, but still have to use religiously.... it's an evil thing, that metronome...)
I'm going to be the best flutist in state! CHA!!
The secret is: do it step by step. Don't try to do everything at one time.
Select groups of bars to work on, and practice with the metronome these small groups, changing groups every ten minutes, so you don't get bored.
You only try to play everything together after you achieve proficiency in each one of those groups.
Zevang
Select groups of bars to work on, and practice with the metronome these small groups, changing groups every ten minutes, so you don't get bored.
You only try to play everything together after you achieve proficiency in each one of those groups.
Zevang
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fluteguy18
- Posts: 2311
- Joined: Sun Jul 16, 2006 3:11 pm
Also, another tip is to learn it in reverse order. Learn the last half of the beat, then the whole last beat, then the last beat and a half (and so on). Also, you can learn the runs backwards. Example: if you have a pattern: A B C D G then learn to play it in this order : G D C B A I have found this method very effective.
hmm, my reply might be a little late. 
but maybe some of my tips will help you with practicing:
i like to run through a song once or twice (at a comfortable pace, even if it's a slower tempo than what the song calls for) and then go back and mark all the bars i had problems on. keeping a pencil handy is always nice!
i tend to have problems with fast slurs and 16ths also, the key is to slow down until you can play each note evenly and concisely. i like to step back for a moment and to read each note of the part i'm having trouble with to myself-sometimes the problem with playing at the tempo called for is getting your cognitive skills (the mind) to work with your physical skills (your hands, embouchure, etc.) it might seem frustrating to play so slow but not as frustrating as trying to play at tempo and only getting sloppy results.
if you are hurting yourself you are probably tensing the muscles in your body too much, ideally in your hands and upper body. relax! keep the fingers loose and allow them to move fluidly over the keys.
metronomes may seem annoying but as a player that tends to play faster than she should (especially when nervous) it really helps to keep me in count, especially on songs that are meant to be played at a rather slow adagio tempo. it also helps with scales which i tend to try to slur together as fast as i can, resulting in sloppy results. if i keep the metronome on a slower rhythm it tells me to relax and take my time, until i feel comfortable enough to take it a little faster. if you make use of the metronome now, perhaps in the future you won't have to use it as much!
i hope this helps some. good luck!
but maybe some of my tips will help you with practicing:i like to run through a song once or twice (at a comfortable pace, even if it's a slower tempo than what the song calls for) and then go back and mark all the bars i had problems on. keeping a pencil handy is always nice!
i tend to have problems with fast slurs and 16ths also, the key is to slow down until you can play each note evenly and concisely. i like to step back for a moment and to read each note of the part i'm having trouble with to myself-sometimes the problem with playing at the tempo called for is getting your cognitive skills (the mind) to work with your physical skills (your hands, embouchure, etc.) it might seem frustrating to play so slow but not as frustrating as trying to play at tempo and only getting sloppy results.
if you are hurting yourself you are probably tensing the muscles in your body too much, ideally in your hands and upper body. relax! keep the fingers loose and allow them to move fluidly over the keys.
metronomes may seem annoying but as a player that tends to play faster than she should (especially when nervous) it really helps to keep me in count, especially on songs that are meant to be played at a rather slow adagio tempo. it also helps with scales which i tend to try to slur together as fast as i can, resulting in sloppy results. if i keep the metronome on a slower rhythm it tells me to relax and take my time, until i feel comfortable enough to take it a little faster. if you make use of the metronome now, perhaps in the future you won't have to use it as much!
i hope this helps some. good luck!