Many students ask me how they should go about preparing a piece of music for performance. The method I outline here is actually quite simple. By following each step to the word you should be able to prepare even the most complicated pieces without too much pain and suffering.
1. Learn the rhythm
a. While counting OUT LOUD, clap the rhythm.
b. ALWAYS start slow and gradually increase your tempo.
c. Use a METRONOME!!!!
d. Break down the rhythm into SMALL sections.
e. Once smaller sections are PERFECTED, put all of the sections together again.
f. MAKE SURE rhythm is completely accurate before continuing to step #2!
If your rhythm is sloppy or incorrect EVERYTHING will sound sloppy and incorrect, so save yourself the time by making this the first step EVERY time you start practicing a new piece.
2. Learn the melody without the rhythm
a. IGNORE THE RHYTHM
b. Find the notes on the your instrument (or voice if singing)
c. Play each note one at a time holding each for at least a couple of seconds.
d. Do this until you feel comfortable moving from note to note.
3. Break melody into small, easy to manage sections of one or two measures (smaller if need be).
a. Play SLOWLY and use a METRONOME!
b. Play melody with RHYTHMIC ACCURACY, one section at a time
c. Only move on from one section to another after the previous section is COMPLETELY ACCURATE.
d. Remember, you are still playing slowly!
e. Put the sections of the melody that have been worked to accuracy together.
4. Play entire piece slowly, gradually increasing speed.
a. Have I mentioned you should use a metronome?
By following these rules a short piece should only take several minutes to prepare. By skipping steps, or by trying to play the entire piece from beginning to end without going through these steps first, you will only be hindering your ability to play the piece correctly. By playing too fast, or skipping steps you are actually teaching yourself how to play a piece INCORRECT, and once you have learned to play it incorrect double effort is required to unlearn bad habits and correct the mistakes. You should strive to perform each of these steps PERFECTLY the first time, regardless of speed.
After a piece has been prepared to perfection you should no longer need to use these steps, unless of course, you did not use these steps to begin with, in which case you probably need to relearn the piece from step one. There are no short cuts. This method IS the shortcut.
-This doesn’t work just because I said it works. It works because it works!
more articles by Tyler Oakleaf
- Notes of Fretboard Diagram
- Like our lessons? Take a poster!
- The Big Picture
- Chord Soloing & Chordal Embelishment 1
- Good Things…
- “Making It” In Music
- Practice Progression
