Learning New Pieces

[rkant]

The Level System - Learning a New Piece
by rkant

What do you think of the following procedure?

1.   Listen to recordings of the piece.  Become familiar with the score by listening to the music and following the score at the same time.

2.   Choose a small section in the music you would like to work on.  Make sure that the section ends on the first beat of the next section.  Sections must always overlap.

3.   Play the right and left hands separately and add visual aids that will aid you while you are playing.  (Visual aids can be fingering, chords, patterns etc…)

4.   Learn the RH and once you feel confident choose a comfortable metronome speed and play the right hand until memorized.  If you are able to play once from memory accurately, move to the next level.

5.   Learn the LH and once you feel confident choose a comfortable metronome speed and play the left had until memorized. If you are able to play once from memory accurately move to the next level.

6.   Now, choose another section to start. Do steps 2 and 3 for this section. After, re-learn the RH and LH of the previous section. The aim of this level is be able to play each hand from memory accurately once with the metronome.

7.   Take a 5 min break by playing some technical work to give your mind a chance to rest.  After 5 minutes, re-learn the RH and LH.  (It should not take long to re-learn)  The aim of this level is be able to play each hand from memory with the metronome accurately once only.

8.   Now, take a 25 min break by playing some more technical work or prepare another new section (step 2). After 25 minutes, re-learn the RH and LH. (It should take even less time to re-learn)  The aim of this level is be able to play each hand from memory with the metronome accurately once only.

9.   Now, take a break for 2 hours and 5 minutes by playing some other pieces you are working on, sight-reading or prepare another new section (step 2).  After 2hrs and 5mins, re-learn the RH and LH (Won’t take long). The aim of this level is be able to play HS from memory with the metronome accurately once only.

10.   Start learning HT and the ultimate aim will be to play HT from memory once only 5 minutes, 25 minutes and 2 hours and 5 minutes after.  Once you can fluently play the section HT, play the section once or more times correctly everyday. 

11.   You have now finished a section in your music!!  This process must be completed for each of the sections in your music. Any parts that are giving you trouble should be dealt with other practice techniques.

12.  Once all the sections are completed, re-learn all sections after 2 days, 4 days, 6 days, 8 days, 10 days, 12 days…. until the performance date.  The music will be cemented in your memory now!!!

·   Try to start as many sections in your music in one practice session.  You can start as many pieces as you like at once.  Keep a record of what section you are working on and what level you have completed.

[danielle1]

thats a really good system for learning a new piece, especially in a time crunch, i will definately try it

[freakofnature]

I don't believe that it actually helps to learn a section 4 times or so per day, because the process of transferring the learned section into long term memory takes place at night while you are sleeping, not while you are doing something else. You won't have an advantage over learning that section just once and letting it rest until next day. So, frankly, it seems to be a waste of time...

[chopinfan_22]

This is how I go about learning a new piece.

1. Pick a section of the piece you want to work on. Say... the first line of a given piece.
2. Learn the right hand, then the left hand, until they are memorized. Then put them together slowly, until you've got everything perfectly, such as rhythm, tempo, dynamics, etc.
3. Use the metronome to test accuracy.
4. Move onto another section. Repeat. Take breaks when you feel necessary, and you can work on multiple works at the same time.

[rkant]

The reason for learning a section 4 times each day is because memory research has shown that every time we relearn something the knowledge gets stronger and thus more resistant to decay. Thus the gap of a few minutes between time0 and time1 is shorter than the gap between time1 and time 2. Calculated, the ideal distance is multiples of 5.  So learning and relearning should take place at a time period of 5 times longer than the previous gap. For example, this would be 5 minutes, 25 minutes, 125 minutes, 10 hours 50 hours and so on. Note that after about time10 the distance is very wide but that person has met the section of music 9 times previously and there is a very high probability that the section will be cemented in memory.

[freakofnature]

Hmm, have you tried it and compared the result to other learning strategies???

If it actually works it would still have a negative side, which at least for me would make it impossible to learn a piece that way: You would have to have a very strict time management over the day. People, who have a full time job wouldn't be able to learn that way. But it could help the ones with enough time on their hands and who don't mind a rigid time management... But, as I said, nothing for me...