| Practice Aids can teach you
many things about what you are doing-often as much as a person--if
they are used well. Like any other aid they should be used judiciously,
rather than constantly, so that you develop your own powers
of observation.
The metronome can help
you to keep track of beat units. As you listen to the metronome,
you should look at the music so that you can train your eyes
to track through it when you are playing. Later, play through
the music with the metronome. [graphic later]
The metronome is also a good tool to build speed in technical
passages. 1) Set the metronome to a comfortably slow tempo
and play through the passage as it is printed. 2) With the
metronome set to the same speed, use a rhythm (or several
rhythms). Pick a pattern which can repeat for each beat (if
sixteenth notes, 1 slow and 3 fast notes or 3 fast and 1 slow).
The long note should be held for most of the metronome beat
and the fast notes played as grace notes to the next beat.
Repeat once or twice and then 3) set the metronome a few points
faster and play the passage as written, being careful to really
stay with the metronome. You will be tempted to play much
faster but resist! Repeat these three steps until you get
to your target tempo for the day. [example]
The mirror should be
used whenever you want to see what you are doing since it
is the only way to get an accurate perception of what is going
on. When you are looking directly at your violin or viola,
it is too close; each of your eyes will be seeing something
quite different from the other and will not integrate the
image-one eye will be dominant and you will see that image.
As an experiment, try looking at your instrument as you are
holding it under your chin, first with one eye covered and
then the other. [graphic] While you are at it, place your
bow on a string between the bridge and fingerboard. Look directly
at it and if it does not look straight, fix it; then look
at the mirror and see whether your correction helped or not.
[graphic] What you see will surprise you and help you to realize
how unhelpful it is to stare at your instrument. Look at the
mirror, especially when you are working on bow direction or
on shifting to different positions with your arm.
The audio tape recorder
is a great practice room tool. People shy away from using
it because it is initially shocking to hear what you sound
like (much like hearing your voice on a recording the first
time). If, however, you listen to specific facets of your
technique, such as pitch or bow changes or phrasing, you will
quickly get over your initial horror and find that you can
use your practice time much more efficiently; you don't have
to wait until your next lesson to find out how you sound!
If you have a tape recorder which evens out all dynamics,
you will not be able to listen for that but it should be useful
for everything else.
The video tape recorder
is the newest tool in the musician's box of practice magic.
Whoever said, "one picture is worth a thousand words"
really nailed this one. We have all had the experience of
hearing and watching someone else play, knowing exactly when
they committed some technical faux pas and usually knowing
how they could have fixed it. With the video recorder, we
can take a step back from our personal involvement in our
playing and look clinically as an interested observer at what
we are doing. As in reviewing the audio recording, be sure
you have specific things in mind to critique; NEVER just listen
and judge unless you are in a particularly masochistic mood!
The video hides nothing and adds nothing (no room ambiance,
no excitement of performance). You can experience the same
excruciatingly bad shift endlessly-to no helpful end-unless
you are watching to see if you are shifting on the right string,
using your arm or moving the entire shifting unit.
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