Need advice - getting up to speed with technique

[mukubella]

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[rc]

You're probably playing above my level, so take this with a grain of salt, but a few ideas come to mind:

I think an important aspect of effective practice is to have a clear goal in mind.  So if your practice feels a little ineffective, it could be related to the issue of not knowing where to go next.  If you know what you want to achieve, it's easier to figure out a concrete goal to work towards, and how to get there.

A good goal is to go after what you feel weakest at.  You feel your technique could use work?  Maybe scales chords and arpeggios would be good for you, they're less controversial than hanon and it's easy to set goals with them...  btw, conflicting ideas aside, the reason I like technical exercises is practical - not many performance opportunities so I'd rather work on exercises than pieces that I will forget before playing.  If I was performing more, I'd do more repertoire.  It's good to be practical.

on tds's suggestion, I've been working on a piece to record.  I forgot how difficult it is to record a piece well!  I get more nervous while recording than practicing, but I've found it's a good way to expose any slightly weak points in a piece.  To make a good recording, the piece must be SOLID...  Methinks this is a good thing to develop a high level of polish.  Also will be nice to have a few files as a record of progess.

Another idea, to work on effective practicing: set little deadlines for yourself.  See if you can learn a sonata in a week, maybe one that doesn't push the limit too hard.  Maybe it wouldn't be realistic, I doubt I could learn a sonata in a week.  But it would be a good challenge to examine and refine the practice habits.

I think a piece matures with time after we learn it, but I think I could get there quicker if I had better practice habits.

[slobone]

I'm currently working without a teacher myself, and there are some advantages. I can work at exactly the pace that feels best to me, and I can focus on the things that I know to be my problem areas. Also, I don't have anybody to blame but myself, so I save a lot of mental energy when things aren't going well!

Use this time to develop self-reliance. Listen to what your hands, arms, and shoulders are telling you. Learn to use your ears to guide you about whether you're producing the sound you want. Become one with the piano... OK, maybe that last one is a little too much...

[rc]

Think like a piano

...Live like a piano

 

[allthumbs]

Think like a piano

...Live like a piano

 

Be the piano 

[tds]

on tds's suggestion, I've been working on a piece to record.  I forgot how difficult it is to record a piece well!  I get more nervous while recording than practicing, but I've found it's a good way to expose any slightly weak points in a piece.  To make a good recording, the piece must be SOLID...  Methinks this is a good thing to develop a high level of polish.  Also will be nice to have a few files as a record of progess.

good for you, rc. re. recording and posting pieces: it can be a truly humbling experience. i greatly respect those who are making an effort to do it and those who have done it. tds

[rc]

Thanks tds, and for the idea in the first place!  My little project has come to a standstill for the moment, I distinctly remember throwing out the cable that connects me recordamajig to the computer, thinking "why am I hauling all these old cables around?".  oops

[pelajarpiano]

o..great !!I think just me who sometimes record my playing....hahahaha...^^
Yeah, i found more nervous when i try to record my self than when i practice...
Try that, it's good...

[tds]

Be the piano 

yeah, but that not easy, one has to grow 88 teeth

[pelajarpiano]

yeah, but that not easy, one has to grow 88 teeth

Yes, and you must have many black teeth between the 88 teeth.

[rc]

...and put on a lot of weight!

It's not very healthy for a person to want to be a piano.

[tsagari]

HI MUKUBELLA,

First of all what you mean by "getting up to speed with technique"?
Be able to play difficult pieces? Be able to play pieces nicely? I think in both cases you need a teacher because as you said  you never learn how to practice.  From my experience I can give you  the three golden rules - to me - of practicing, study slow until all elements of expression are there, always count and sing along with playing. Beyond these basic things I think a good teacher can show you how you can improve your sound and speed. This does not mean that you can not be self taught everything depends on your goals, however I strongly believe that those how are more experienced - like teachers - can give a helping hand. The fact that you post this topic proves that you need help.

[tgpianist]

Hi. I just want to share this piece of advice my professor gave me. If by saying "getting up to speed with technique," you mean how to smoothen your scales and runs, then you should try slow practice. Play the notes slowly and as perfect as possible. Then gradually accelerate the tempo. You'll find that the notes will become smoother and more accurate.

I don't really know what you are saying here; you are obviously also playing above my level. So please also take this as a grain of salt.

One more thing, my teacher said that quality is never to be sacrificed for quantity.
It is better to slowly but perfectly ONCE, than to play the peice a thousand times with imperfection.

Hope this helps.

[tds]

...and put on a lot of weight!

It's not very healthy for a person to want to be a piano.

haha..

i knew a friend of mine once wanted to be a candle

[Petter]

http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0012367/

[mukubella]

.

[tsagari]

Hi, I totally agree with tgpianist about slow study until everything is perfect, I have been impatient  myself. I wanted to put the piece together as fast as possible. It took me three years to understand the importance of slow practice, speed always comes. As far as czerny is concerned, to be able to increase your speed, after you can play the whole piece byheart at a slow tempo there are a number of techniques where you can increase your tempo in no time. If your are interested I can try to tell you some. I have a difficulty in translating the terms I use in my language to English.
One very effective techique is that  you play a small group of notes (three or  four) very very fast like a triliia then add a second group. Then start from the second group  and add  a third, then you start from the third and  add a fourth until you finish one measure and then you play the wholle measure all together.
I hope it helps