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One of the best practice techniques to learn a piece faster and easier is to practice in sections. This technique helps in a number of different ways. Here’s how.
It Fixes Problems Before They Start. When you practice in sections you fix problems right away, and don’t have to take more time later to undo the mistakes. If you play a piece straight through from beginning to end (or even just a few lines) you will forget the mistake you made at the beginning of the piece and make it again and unfortunately ingrain the mistake in your fingers.
Daily Goals. Make a goal to focus on one section a day, and get it down really good. Be reasonable with yourself, though — it could be four, two, or even one measure as a goal for a day. Try to spend at least 10 minutes a day on a piece, and half of that should be working out new sections, and half maintaining previously learned parts.
Three Times In A Row Perfectly. When you play in sections, make sure that you play through a section many, many times. You will know a section pretty well if you can do it three times in a row perfectly (including no pauses!). The number for a difficult section should be 20-30 times each section. This might sound like a lot, but if it only takes you 9 seconds to play a section, that means you can play that difficult section 20 times in 3 minutes! For such a short amount of time you can really get a lot done. This is the way you learn a piece in less time, as well being able to play the piece at a faster tempo.
Good Starting Points. If you make a mistake in the middle of a section, go back to the beginning of the section — don’t just go back a note or two. Good starting points (the beginning of each section) aids analyzing memory. When you learn a piece in sections, it helps you to be able to pick up in the middle of your piece in a performance. If you do make a mistake, you can start from many places, not just from the beginning of the piece.
A Pause Is A Mistake. Fix it right away! If you don’t you will pause at that spot all the time. Keep it smooth.
Hands Separately, Then Together. You have to be able to play a piece hands separately up-tempo before doing it hands together. If you can’t do it hands separately, how could you do it hands together?
Start Slowly, Then Build Tempo. There is always a tempo so slow that when you play even difficult sections, that you can do it without mistakes. Then all you have to do is gradually build the tempo. This makes for few mistakes and very little wasted time. Remember, as you are learning a piece, you must read the note, fingering, and counting all at once — don’t only do notes first and then figure out the fingering! This just means you learned it twice, doubling your effort. Make sure you go slow enough that you can count along with it. The more you do it, the better you get.
Article Copyright © 2001 by Paul Nazzaro
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