Practice Post: Practice for Working Through your Music Grades

Hi everyone,

In todays post I'm going to talk about to practice when you are working towards your music grades.

Exam Pieces & Technical Work

Most graded music exams usually work on the following formula :-

- Three exam pieces (either from the exam boards own syllabus or from the extended repertoire list provided by your chosen exam or a mixture of the two)

- Scales and arpeggios or exercises/ orchestral excepts

- Sight Reading

- Aural

This varies between exam board, and what type of exam your taking whether it is face to face or online/ digital.

Tip: Have a 'back up' piece/s ready just in case your original choice of piece/s don't work out and are not for you.

Get Into a Practice Routine

Try and get yourself into a practice routine early on - ideally across a number of practice sessions throughout the day, as it will make focussing and practicing a little easier; as you won't be cramming everything into one full on practice session.

Practice Plan

Before you start practice have a plan on what you would like to tackle for that day/ week, depending on what it is your working on. You might want to start working on your scales and arpeggios and/ or technical work in the morning, and your pieces in the afternoon. You might want to focus on working on different technical elements of your scales and arpeggios. Your practice plan could also change depending how far you are into working through the grade you are, and it also depends on what your teacher would like you to focus on at the time.

Tackling Those Exam Pieces

Start slowly - With the help of your teacher break the pieces down into more manageable chunks to focus on, and slowly work on getting used to playing that small element of the piece until you start getting used to it. 

Focus on the Notes - Work on the notes first just to get your fingers used to where they are supposed to go, and so then you can listen to how that little part of the piece/s is to actually sound. Once you have broken down all of the pieces into manageable sections, and you are fairly familiar with the pieces you can then start adding to the pieces to make them your own.

Adding to the Pieces - This is when you start to add in phrasing, and any technical elements such as bowing, and any dynamics. It might be worth focusing on this on a phrase by phrase basis, as that way then you can just work on an area without overwhelming yourself.

Play it Through - You might just want to play through a section or two at first to see how its sounding, and to gain your confidence in starting to play it through. Also, by playing a section or two through you will hear if any areas will need any extra work to get that section to sound better than what it already does. The aim is to be able to play through all of your chosen pieces through fully without stopping, and this takes quite a bit of stamina to do; so you might need to build up on your stamina over a period of time.

Scales, Arpeggios and Exercises/ Orchestral Excerpts

- With your scales and arpeggios I would recommend working through them slowly, so then you get used to the different octaves and scale patterns. Chromatic scales and any other specialist scale patterns may need a bit practice.

- Break the scale/ arpeggio pattern up into more manageable chunks to make it easier for you to understand, and to also help you to figure out where you are going with finger placements. Maybe focus on an octave or half an octave at time, and slowly build on it from there. If you are unsure ask your teacher to help you, as you may a little additional help as some scales/ arpeggios can be overwhelming (especially for the more advanced grades).

Orchestral Excerpts

Orchestral excerpts are short pieces of music taken from from orchestral pieces of music; and these can focus on certain aspects of playing.

- Treat your Orchestral Excerpts in the same way that you would learn a new piece of music, and try an apply your method of learning a new piece to learning your orchestral excerpts.

- Break the excerpt down into more manageable chunks when practicing, especially if you are just starting out learning and exploring orchestral excerpts.

- Work on phrasing, tone and articulation after you have got yourself familiar with the piece/s as a whole. 

- Try and put your spin on it, and make it your own (if it's possible)

Practice Post: Tips to Help to Improve your Practice

Hi everyone,

I todays post I will be talking about tips to help improve your practice.

Short Practice Sessions

Break up your practice sessions into smaller chunks, as this will help you to focus a little better and it won't be as overwhelming as if you where to practice in one go. You might want to practice once in the morning, and then once in the afternoon; or you might to practice for 10 minutes, 20 minutes or 30 minutes at a time. Make sure that you take a break in between your practice sessions, and whilst you are practicing also make sure that you have a drink with you, so then you stay hydrated while you are practicing.

Have a Focus for Each Practice Session

If you decide to split your practice up into smaller, and more manageable sessions; you might also want a different focus for each practice session. Say for example you might want to start off by working on your scales and arpeggios for your first practice session, and then for your next practice you might want to work on your technique or learn a study; and then for your final practice session you then work on your pieces. You will need to figure out what would work best for you and your practice schedule, and find something that works best for you.

Take Your Time

If you take your time during your practice sessions you will be able to pick up on things that might not sound as it should, or if something about your technique or tone is off. At least by taking your time you will be able to listen out for it; and then you will be able to work on it. We all have 'off' practice days, or 'off' tone days.

Practice with a Metronome

Using a metronome during your practice will help you to keep in time, and get you used to playing on/ off the beat of the music. It should also help you to figure out where you are going wrong within the music that you are learning, so then you can work on it. When you are using a metronome always start on a slower bpm, so then you will be able to work on building to required tempo of the pieces that you are working on.

YouTube

YouTube is a brilliant resource to help you to find different versions of the pieces that you are learning, and by listening to a variety of different versions of these pieces you will be able to gain inspiration from what you have been listening to, and then incorporate ideas into your piece. It will also enable you to have a play around with tonal colours, phrasing, articulation and many other areas, so then you can produce a really nice version that you will really enjoy playing. 

Getting into a Practice Routine

Hi everyone,

In todays post I will be talking about getting yourself into a practice routine.

You have just started to learn a musical instrument, but you are a little unsure about how to get yourself into a practice routine. The important thing to remember is that it has to work for you and your individual circumstances; and don't pressure yourself for not thinking you are doing enough. You are doing enough, and you will progress and develop at your own rate.

Practice in Short Bursts

This is especially important when you are first starting out, as you are still getting used to your instrument. I would suggest starting off doing 10 minutes, followed by a break; and then come back to do another 10 minutes. Another thing I would suggest is build your practice up in 5 minute increments - 10 minutes, 15 minutes, 20 minutes, 25 minutes up to 30 minutes. Only do this when you feel like you are ready to build up, but do this slowly. 

Have a Different Focus for Each Practice Session

I'm not suggesting have an individual practice session for each individual area that you have got to cover. You might want to combine scales, arpeggios, and technique in one practice session; and pieces that you are working on in another practice session. Everyone is going to have different areas to focus on, so make sure that you adapt to your own personal practice needs.

Try & Get Yourself into a Routine

I personally practice on my days off, and my practice days usually consist of two practice sessions - one morning practice session and one in the afternoon. I usually aim for an hour of practice in the morning, and a couple of hours in the afternoon; again these timings aren't always possible. But I do keep the morning and afternoon practice sessions consistent. Consistency is definitely the key for getting yourself into a routine.

* I'm an intermediate flute learner, thats why my practice sessions are so long. I don't recommend doing this until you have built your strength and stamina on your instrument; and certainly wouldn't recommend it for someone whose just starting out, as this can have the opposite effect and can also lead to 'burn out'.

Slow & Steady

I would highly recommend slow practice, as this will enable you to start picking up on any mistakes. It's also a really good way for you to enable you to develop your aural skills, as well as getting you used to what your scales and arpeggios should sound like. Also, slow practice is also great for when you start learning new techniques and articulations on your instrument. 

Break Up Your Pieces

When learning new pieces just focus on small areas at a time, as this will make it so much easier for you to understand; and it also won't be as overwhelming for you. You can do this by focusing on a few bars of music at time, or just by working on a passage at time. You can even use this trick to work on areas that you are struggling with. It also comes in handy if you have tricky music passages with the added element of tricky finger placements.

When getting yourself into a practice routine you need to make sure that it works for you, and your current circumstances. Also, if you are a little unsure about getting yourself into a practice routine then I would suggest having a word with your music teacher and see what they suggest for you. Make sure that you mention your current circumstances at home, at least that they will be to give you a routine that caters to you and your circumstances.

 

Practice Post: The 'Building Blocks' Method

 Hi everyone,

In this post I'm going to explain how to practice to using the 'Building Blocks' approach, and this is a method that my current flute teacher swears by using.

The 'Building Blocks' method can be used for scales, arpeggios, studies and pieces; as well as helping you to develop your techniques. 

The whole approach is designed to not overwhelm your brain by focusing on one aspect at a time, and to make it more manageable for you to handle without doing everything all in one go.

Example 1

You have been learning your new instrument for a few months, and your teacher asks you to learn a One Octave G Major scale; and you're not familiar with scales and there patterns and where to go on your instrument. Your teacher should then play you the scale in full, so then you can hear what the scale sounds like and what you should be aiming for within your practice sessions.

A One Octave G Major Scale :-

G  A  B  C  D  E  F#  G

First Step

Break the ascending scale down into smaller chunks to make it more manageable. What I would do is split the ascending scale into two groups on four notes or if you find that a little too much then split the scale into four groups of two notes.

Second Step

If you are splitting the scale into two groups of four I would just focus on the first group of four notes, which are G  A  B  C, and then slowly focus on getting your fingers used to where all of the notes are within that group, and then when you feel confident with just playing those four notes you can then progress onto the second group of four which are D  E  F# G, and use the same method that you used for the first four notes.

Third Step

Once you feel confident that you can play all of the notes, and they feel stable enough under the fingers  you will then attempt to put the ascending scale together as one complete ascending scale. It might take you a few attempts to get your fingers to do as they are supposed to do, but it should be a lot easier than if you didn't use this method.

Fourth Step

Once you have got the ascending scale under your fingers you will use the second step to work on the descending scale. So you will you focus on the notes G  F#  E  F, and then once you feel confident with those you will then move onto the notes C  B  A  G.

Fifth Step

Once you have broken the scale down both ascending and descending its now time to put the complete scale together. This might take you a few attempts, but you will get there and it should hopefully be a lot easier for you to handle.

This method can also be used for arpeggios and technical development such as slurs and staccato.

Example 2

If you were a relatively new student to your chosen instrument, and your teacher decides to give you a simple piece that contains 8 bars in total, and it contains the key signature of C Major.

To practice this piece you would break it down into smaller and manageable chunks.

To start you would just focusing on maybe the first two bars, and then when you feel confident in playing those two bars you will then move onto the next two bars. Once you feel confident with the first four bars you will then slowly attempt to put all of those bars together. It may take a few attempts to get it to sound as it should, but it should be easier for you handle as you have been breaking it down into smaller chunks. 

Once you have got the first four bars secure you then move onto the next two bars using the above method, and the same with the final two bars; and once you feel confident about playing the last four bars it will then be time for you to put the piece together as a whole.

Another thing you can do using the 'building blocks' is use it to improve on your scales and pieces, once you have all the notes down.

For example: If you mastered your One Octave G Major scale, and you want to do something different with it. What you can do is turn that scale into a technical exercise by focusing on area that you want to improve upon. 

- You may want to focus on your slurs by slurring each group of four notes

- Practice on working on your staccato

- Have a go at experimenting with different dynamics

Another thing you can do is once you have notes down for the piece/s you have been learning, you might want to improve on your pieces by exploring different styles, techniques, and tone or any tricky spots that you may have come across and you may be struggling to fix it.

For tricky spots - Isolate the bars the bars or passages that you may be struggling with, and break it down into more manageable chunks. Start off slowly to get your fingers used to what they are supposed to be doing, and then once it feels stable then slowly build up to the recommend tempo. If a couple of bars still doesn't feel quite right, then isolate those bars and do some more slow practice until it feels more comfortable under the fingers, and then start to build up the tempo. Then once you feel comfortable with that you have tackled the tricky, just have a go at putting it all together and see how you get it on with it.

Once you have tackled the tricky spots you then might want to refine the rhythm of the piece, or work on some of the technical aspects. 

The aim of using the 'building blocks' method is to make everything more manageable, by breaking everything down into smaller chunks. It's always easier to start off with just by working on getting the notes down under the fingers, and then once you are comfortable you can then start to slowly progress through other aspects of a piece or a scale

Practice Post: Music Practice for Beginners

Hi everyone,

In this post I'm going to talk about music practice for beginners, as we've all been there and when you first start learning an instrument it can be a little tricky to get into a nice, easy practice routine at first.

Warm Up

Take your time to warm up your instrument before you start to tackle your practice. You could do this by gently blowing air through your instrument or string crossing exercises.

Keep It Simple

By keeping it simple I mean just practice what your teacher has set you. This could be anything from practicing a simple melody or two, and a few scales or part scales. They may have thrown in a bit of technique as well. Don't stress yourself out thinking you need to get everything done in one practice session, as you don't need to tackle your practice in that way when you are first starting out.

Break Up Your Practice Throughout the Day

By breaking up your practice throughout the day it shouldn't be as overwhelming for you, and you can also each practice session on one area that you need to work on.

Example

- 10 minutes to warm your instrument up

- 10 minutes scales/ arpeggios or part scales/ arpeggios

BREAK

- 10 minutes technique

BREAK

- 20 minutes pieces that you need to work on

This is just an example of a practice session that I've created, but even as a beginner this could be a little too much. Feel free to try it out, but adjust the times to suit you and what your teacher has set you to do. Everyone learns and understands differently, so feel free to swap and change up this routine to suit you.

* The part scales/arpeggios is something I did with my teacher back when I was learning the violin, but I have also used this method on the flute to help me to figure out a tricky scale. Breaking scales up into more manageable chunks definitely helps.

Fun Material

There's quite a bit of fun material out there for beginners, and this should help you to enjoy your instrument in the early stages of learning.

Some of my favourites are :-

- Abracadabra

- A New Tune a Day

- Winner Scores All

- Hal Leonard 'Play a Long' series

Once you have worked through a fun method book or two you might decide that you would like to work towards your grades. But that is completely up to you - you may decide that you would like to learn just for fun for the moment, and look into grades later on. Both of which are completely fine, as you are still developing. Some learners just want to learn for fun, and others want a bit of fun to start off with and then get into a more comprehensive practice structure by doing their Grades.

Practice Post: Chill & Easy Practice Session/s

Hi everyone,

In today's post I'm going to talk about chill & easy practice sessions for when you want to do a little easier, but at the same time still getting some practice in.

The aim of having a chilled, and laid back practice session/s is for them not to be stressful; and you can use this method of practice for a number of reasons.

They are :-

- If you getting back into playing after a long break from practicing your instrument

- You may need a break from your usual practice session

- Health reasons

- Getting back into playing, and figuring out what to do with ongoing health issues

- You may just want a bit of fun, and go and explore a little bit.

For myself I've got a curated set of around ten pieces that I can fall back on for when I just need to have an easier practice session/ week. It's always a good idea to have easier pieces that you can just pick up, and just have a chilled out practice session. Also, make sure that it's pieces that you enjoy playing.

If you are doing easier practice sessions due to health reasons - then please take your time, as you may have to build up your stamina again. Only do what you can manage without forcing it. If you are a woodwind player, and have been taught harmonics on your instrument I would recommend using the easiest harmonic to do on your instrument, and then use it a gauge of finding out what you are capable of doing for that practice session.

Please don't force anything, especially with health reasons. The aim of these chill and easy practice sessions is so then you can slowly build yourself back up, to help you to figure out what you are capable of doing, and at same time have some fun. Also, get advice from your teacher to see how they can help you, as they might have a few ideas to help you to get back into playing. 

I had to do this recently, and I had work with my teacher to figure this out. But, because I already 

This could also be useful for someone whose working through their grades/ diplomas, and may just fancy changing things up slightly for a day or two; just so you can give yourself a bit of break from your usual routine and explore around a little bit. There's nothing wrong with taking a step back from your usual routine, and having a day or two of more relaxed practice.

If you are coming back into playing your instrument, and you just want to ease yourself back into it. You could ease yourself back into playing by using some fun pieces that aren't too difficult, and fun studies that again aren't too difficult to master. Just take your time throughout your practice, and please don't stress about anything as it should start flowing back in time. But, you do have to slowly build your stamina up. Make your sessions as fun and enjoyable as you can, and you should bounce back in time.

Make sure that your practice sessions are chilled, and relaxed. Don't stress over the amount of time that you have practiced for, as it shouldn't matter for this type of practicing. Enjoy the time takes getting back into playing or relaxing back into playing.