Recording Your Practice

[electrodoc]

Following my previous posts I will assume that you have some suitable recording apparatus be it cassette, mini-disc, or solid state. Set up the recorder, preferably with the controls with reach of the piano bench. Make a recording of your current work, either the whole piece or just a section of it. Do try to record at the best quality available in order to hear more subtle nuances. Don’t worry too much about mistakes. This is for your own private use, not public consumption. A final performance take is another matter!.

Having got the recording go make a cup of coffee (or whatever other refreshment) and sit back. It is all too easy to listen once through, conclude that it is rubbish and start over. This is the wrong way to approach it. You will need to listen through the recording several times, concentrating on one specific aspect each time. I suggest the following:

1.   Listen through to gain an overall impression. Do not be hasty to judge it at this point.

2.   Listen again in detail for any wrong notes. Have the score in front of you and put a ring around any obvious mistakes. These may be careless mistakes ( a slip of the finger), nerves, or wrong learning. In any event they will need working on.

3.   Now listen again for rhythm. Are the time values of the notes correct? Is the pulse steady. Try conducting to your own playing and ask whether it is steady or whether there are hesitation, glitches, unintended tempo variations etc. Again mark any errors on the score.

4.   Next, listen for articulation and phrasing. Is the playing clean and precise? Are the phrases clear and well-formed? Are you following all of the indications on the score? Again, make notes of any corrections or changes to be made.

5.   Listen for pedalling (very important). If pedalling is marked on the score are you putting it down and releasing accurately and cleanly? Are you using too much pedal and blurring the harmonies (the most common fault) or are you using too little pedal. There may be room for experimentation here.

6.   Finally listen once again for overall impression and do give yourself credit for parts that do sound good. It can be all too easy to become self critical and forget to note the parts that are good!

Now, armed with all of your notes go back to the piano and start correcting all of those errors. Perhaps there is too much to correct all at once. Try going through each section making the corrections in the order given above. When you think that you have got it right go through all of the above once more until you get that final performance take and amaze us all with your playing.

This process is not as easy as it sounds but if you develop the discipline of regular recording and critical listening I promise that your playing will improve very quickly and that you will be proud of some of your performances. And do archive some of your recordings – transfer them to CD. In a years time you will be able to look back and hear just how much you have progressed.

An additional bonus with this recording discipline is that you will improve your performance nerves. When you can make a good quality performance level recording in one take then you are ready to play in front of a live audience. Knowing that you can perfrom the work to a high level at first attempt will give you the confidence to give a good performance. The might not entirely vanish but you will have an improved level of confidence because you have already done it.

Have fun!

[m1469]

Great post, electrodoc !!

Thanks 


*prints*

[schubertiad]

Yes, excellent post. I'm interested to hear how often you would do this type of practice session, comparted with the time spent ironing out the problems found in each recording session.

[electrodoc]

Much depends on my goal for the practice session. I will often record short section to check on correct notes, phrasing, balance between hands, pedalling, etc. I regard this as routine monitoring since I do not have anyone else to give useful criticism.

When I think that a piece is fairly well learned then I will try to do a performance take. It is here that I find that the stakes are upped. Because I am trying to make a good take the nervous tension creeps in and mistakes occur that do not happen in normal practice. This tells me that the same or similar mistakes could happen in live performance and that more work is necessary. I also become far more critical of phrasing and expression. It is at this stage that I frequently find that a phrase has not been shaped with refinement, or that parts are not well balanced.

When I can make a good first take on a regular basis then I consder the piece to be learned and could be performed if required.

(I don't know why I set this standard as I am an older amateur who rarely if ever performs in front of others. I simply want to reach the best standard that I am capable of. What I do find inspiring is listening to some of the posts in the Audition Room. There is some very good performance out there which makes me quite envious!)