Tuesday, September 24, 2013
Are You Multitasking Instead of Focusing
The more Ive become involved in teaching, the more I try to simplify practice. I see many students trying to do too many things at once. Theyll be working on new songs when the old ones still need work, theyll try to play faster when they cant play slowly, or theyll try to keep a beat before they know where the notes are. While each aspect of practice is important, the ability to focus on one area at a time is the key. If youre tired of a song, put it away for a while instead of adding another new one. If you want to play faster you have to be able to play slowly, without any mistakes. If you want to keep a good, solid rhythm, you have to be able to concentrate on that. Dont forget the 3 elements of playing music well: Timing, Tone and Touch. The more you work on those, the more tools you have to be able to express yourself through the music.
