April 2010

05/04/2010 - 19:12 by Mike Saville

Active Listening

You learn far more when you listen than you do when you talk.

Effective listening is a core requirement for better practice. This method will help you develop your listening skills.

Firstly choose three contrasting pieces of music. In order to get the most benefit from this method try to choose music that you would not normally listen to, that is outside of your usual style or comfort zone. As well as developing your listening skills this will also broaden your general musical knowledge.

Having chosen your three pieces you need to listen to them several times each.

On the first run through listen as you would normally to get a general feel of the music.  Read more . . .

Learning to listen

07/04/2010 - 09:28 by Mike Saville

When most people think about music practice they have an image of a musician with their instrument pulling their hair out at tricky passages.

There are a few things wrong with this image. Firstly practice does not always require an instrument. Secondly this image assumes that much pre-practice preparation has already been completed. This preperation will include your practice plan, what you're going to do and how you're going to do it.

There's also another thing missing. Basic skills.

The assumption is that those learning instruments have basic music knowledge, understand some theory and know how to listen. Unfortunately knowing how to listen is not something that is taught very often.

Hence a recent submission to the clinic:

I really like to practice and try to do some everyday. I have discussed plans with my teacher and am using some of the methods from your site to help with my practice. My problem is that I can't hear what is wrong. I think I am playing it right but when I get to my lesson my teacher says I'm doing it wrong. How can I hear what I'm doing wrong?

Our reply:

I'm glad to hear that you like practice. That's a VERY good place to be starting from!!  Read more . . .

08/04/2010 - 20:21 by Mike Saville

Practice Is A Dirty Word

I previously reviewed the Practice was a dirty word Music Journal. Whilst printing and production could have been better it is an example of a good practice notebook. I was therefore interested to see if a book on practice by the same author would be up to the same standards.

On first impression I was pleasantly surprised. The quality of binding, paper and cover are much better than the Journal. Print and layout were also very good. Nice start. Onto the content.

The opening chapter deals with why you should practice and why many people don't practice. A great opening topic for a book on practice. This is not a dry exploration of the subject, rather a concise explanation of some key points. Vitally for me however, Bonetti really scores by adding useful tips along the way. The chapter is not only informative but useful as well.  Read more . . .

08/04/2010 - 20:33 by Mike Saville

Easy not right!

59Most musicians practice to get things right. That's ok.

Set yourself apart from the crowd by practising to make things easy. You'll need a much higher degree of skill and perseverance.

You will also become a much better player than those who aim for right.

09/04/2010 - 22:39 by Mike Saville

Sound is not simply what we hear or play, but equally a feeling in the body

Sound is not simply what we hear or play, but equally a feeling in the body

— Howard Snell

Snell, Howard., The Art of Practice (Pen Press, 2006), p.17

12/04/2010 - 20:04 by Mike Saville

10 ways to . . . use your mobile phone as a practice aid

We want to help you practice better. Click here to receive regular advice or here for help on your current problems.

As mobile phones get smarter the numbers of ways musicians can use them increase. As virtually all students now have these there is no reason you cannot take advantage of them.

1. Photograph your teacher in lesson

Get pictures of that hand position or embouchure change that your teacher is trying to explain.

2. Record your teacher in lesson

You can often forget how you are supposed to sound once you have left the lesson. Record your teacher on your mobile and you'll have a permanent record of how you should sound.  Read more . . .

15/04/2010 - 18:28 by Mike Saville

10 ways to . . . be more relaxed when you practice

We want to help you practice better. Click here to receive regular advice or here for help on your current problems.

Relaxation is a vital part of becoming a better musician. If you are tense, nervous or otherwise distracted you will not play at your best. Here are some ways in which you can be more relaxed:

1. Close your eyes

Remove distractions from the outside world by simply closing your eyes. Taking a moment for this simple act is often enough to make you more relaxed.  Read more . . .

16/04/2010 - 13:12 by Mike Saville

10 ways to . . . get better at scales

We want to help you practice better. Click here to receive regular advice or here for help on your current problems.

Scales appear in all forms and styles of music. They are one of the fundamental building blocks of music. So weather you are playing a simple C major or complex half diminished you need strategies for getting better at scales.

1. Keep it slow

Don't fall into the trap of playing too fast too quickly. Keep things very slow and steady until you are absolutely sure of the notes. Then build your speed slowly.

2. Learn the key not the notes

Knowing which notes to play will only take you so far down the path to learning scales.  Read more . . .

16/04/2010 - 18:00 by Mike Saville

10 ways to . . . more focused listening

We want to help you practice better. Click here to receive regular advice or here for help on your current problems.

Lazy, generic listening is what the general public do. Weaker musicians listen to what they like and write off anything that isn't to their taste. Better players listen with open ears, analytical minds and will see merits in most things, even if they themselves don't like the music.

Think about the following as you listen. They will inform your choices on what you like and what you don't like.

1. Melody

How does the line move? Stepwise or jumps and leaps? How long are phrases? Is it smooth and fluid? Jerky? Disjointed?   Read more . . .

17/04/2010 - 08:47 by Mike Saville

10 ways to . . . enjoy your practice more

We want to help you practice better. Click here to receive regular advice or here for help on your current problems.

Practice should be something you want to do rather than have to do. Don't do the same old things in the same old way try using tactics which will help you enjoy your pratice more.

1. Achieve something every day

If you can see that you are getting a little better every day you are much more likely to want to do some practice the next day. In fact you will find that you want to do MORE practice and you'll have great satisfaction from the practice that you do.

2. Learn music you love

What's you favourite tune? Which pieces and players do you admire? Try to incorporate a few of those into your practice.  Read more . . .

19/04/2010 - 08:20 by Mike Saville

Using your Facebook account on HTP

Creating an account on HTP is free and enables you, amongst other things, to access the files in our downloads section.

If you have an existing Facebook account you can now connect to HTP using that account. There is no need to create a new username or password.

1.

The process is very simple. Around our site you will see Facebook buttons that look like this:

These are found on our login forms.  Read more . . .

19/04/2010 - 16:35 by HTP Keith

Free Games from Music Tech Teacher

Musictechteacher.com is an excellent site produced and developed by Mrs K. Garrett at Central Park School in Birmingham, Alabama. As a teacher specialising in Music technology, Mrs. Garrett has developed a portfolio of free resources including a large library of musical Quizzes and Games that include animations and fun programs to help students learn anything from musical theory to notation or recognise notes on a keyboard.

The Quiz topics include; Music Theory, Piano practice, Musical Terms, Music technology, Music Careers,  Read more . . .

20/04/2010 - 20:53 by psft

Bassoonist

21/04/2010 - 10:09 by Mike Saville

Maximizing Your Studio's Potential

We are always happy to receive new information and resources on practice so it was a pleasant surprise when this book arrived through the postbox.

Written by Julie Patton (she of Chop-Sticks embouchure strengthening fame) the book is squarely aimed at brass players who are studying at university level. My questions therefore were focused on what this book has to offer in terms of practice and which ideas presented here can be transferred to other instruments.

An initial quick perusal reveals two things. Firstly the book/process is very specific, describing how the book should be used and how to apply it to lessons. The second thing that is apparent is the amount of detail. It is very detailed - something that might not sit too well with those that prefer a freer more fluid approach to their teaching.  Read more . . .

22/04/2010 - 07:30 by Mike Saville

How to create a blog entry

You can use your blog to tell us anything you like about your music, practice or anything else for that matter.

From the community area select 'Post a new blog':

If you are a registered user on the site you will be taken to the 'Create blog entry page' First enter a title for your blog post:

Next, in the body area, write your post. There are a few options for you to change the text, colours and add smiley's etc.  Read more . . .

22/04/2010 - 07:42 by Mike Saville

Balanced Approach

60You can have practice priorities. That's OK. Don't however practice one thing to the exclusion of everything else.

Your practice 'diet' should consist of a variety of ingredients. For example Technique, Music, Listening, Scales, Sight Reading etc

22/04/2010 - 15:51 by HTP Keith

www.liemartech.com

liemartech.com
'Maximising your studios Potential' publications and additional brass instrument related practice aids.
22/04/2010 - 16:06 by HTP Keith

Practice Break Vol. 1 Issue 1 July 2010

Newsletter Revamp | Pro Interview
Regulars | Don't Forget

Hello and welcome to the very first, newly revamped edition of the Practice Break Newsletter. We have had an exceptionally busy time here at HTP with all the activity surrounding the successful launch of our new website. It is still packed with all the good stuff that you are used to but now we have added a new bunch of goodies for your delectation!

What can you now expect as an HTP member? Well on top of the regular stuff we now have practice product reviews, email tips and articles, a repository of information all free and available on the website,  Read more . . .

28/04/2010 - 09:55 by Mike Saville

I'm not going to practice!

I've spent the past three or four years looking for better ways to practice.

Today however I've decided not to practice.

I'm not going to practice for an upcoming performance of Schumann Requiem that I have.

Instead I will be using various visualisation techniques to practice without my instrument. I'm going to spend time with the music looking at the notes and really trying to internalise the feeling of playing them.   Read more . . .