Perfecting difficult passages

[rovis77]

After how many times of playing perfectly without mistakes in a row a difficult passage do you consider that you have mastered it?

[rachmaninoff_forever]

It's not a numerical thing it's a confidence thing.

And tbh if you focus on the musical content of whatever you're playing the notes will come don't worry about it.  Accuracy is easy come easy go.

[keypeg]

After how many times of playing perfectly without mistakes in a row a difficult passage do you consider that you have mastered it?

Is that actually the method for getting at that goal?

[dogperson]

My definition of success with a difficult passage is not 'how many times in a row' but whether it no longer remains a problem with either future practice sessions or play throughs of the music.  It will not be a problem when I can repeat the passage success later in the day, or a few days later, or a month later....  without problems.

I use 'post-it-note flags' on my music to flag the measures that 'need work' so that I begin practice with those specific areas.   It may be at the next practice session... or many practice sessions later that I KNOW it is no longer a problem, and I remove the flag. (The joy of my life is removing the flags!)

[bernadette60614]

That's a great question.

I used to think:  hands alone, perfect, 5x. Then, hands together perfect 10x.

Now I think the above AND being able to play it as part of playing the entirety of the piece when I have a head cold and haven't slept well, and then still being able to play it perfectly.

A personal anecdote:  My teacher has a quarterly musical evening where all the adults play for one another.  I was scheduled for outpatient sinus surgery the day before, and told her that I thought I wouldn't be able to play. She insisted, saying that if I were a professional, I would be expected to perform.

I did..and I played just as well as I did prior to the surgery. She had me work those pieces so thoroughly that I could play despite being whacked out on painkillers (though, come to think of it....perhaps being whacked out on painkillers was the key to that smooth performance!)

[bronnestam]

Usually when I work with a small, difficult part, I am satisfied at the moment when I can play it without the mistakes 3 or 4 times in a row. (I don't say "perfectly" ...) Then I think it is time to leave it and move on to next challenge, but I am aware that I may be back on square 1 tomorrow ...

But after having done this for several days, there will be a day when I don't have to THINK very much while I play this difficult part, or maybe I don't think at all - I just play. That is when the knowledge has become sort of automatic and I may wonder why I ever had a problem right there.

But I also know that the old error might make a comeback later on, it happens from time to time. The brain is sometimes a bit mysterious, don't you think? 

[mjames]

if your technique isn't crap for what you're playing then it's mostly a mental/confidence thing.