Being Blocked
my problem is that when i play tunes, be it oscar pederson's beginner exercises or bach's easiest tunes, i constantly get stuck. i hesitate on what to do, with my left hand for example. it seems to be in passages where both hands are hevily activated. as if i'm being blocked, the playing just halts at sections i consider "difficult".
so, naturally i consider what can be done about this. one thought is that i just need practice, and therefore play with metronome at a tempo slow enough to not give room for halting and choking. but i don't think it helps very much. i've done it for long, and i see no result.
i have a problem with acting without thinking, acting subconsciously. perhaps i'm getting old.
does anyone have any suggestions for what to do?
There are 5 comments, leave a comment.
there you will understand the root of your problem and some solutions.
so practice transitioning between the sections.
also in places where you find yourself "getting stuck", make a mental note and go back and thoroughly practice starting a bar or two before those points and going all the way through a bar or two after.
if you can play 85% of a song but get "blocked" at half a dozen spots, how do you fix this?
the easy way: play it very, very, very, very slowly. hands seperate if necessary. play it as slow as you possibly can until it's perfect. then play it up to tempo. if it doesn't work, do it more.
when you practice it slowly, perfectly, over and over and over again, these patterns get imprinted in your brain, electrically imprinted. that's why it's so hard to unlearn bad habits.
when i practice classical music (well, any music really) i skip over the parts i can play and go directly to the parts that are difficult, where i can get stuck. a certain cadence in a bach fugue, a two handed figure in a rachmaninoff concerto, if i don't take care of business and make those bits that i don't know work first, then that song will never be as good as it could be.
the down side? it's boring. very boring sometimes... but any player has to pay his or her dues when it comes to learning how to play music. as time goes on, there will be less passages that block you when you play, as long as you practice right.
Scot is available for skype jazz piano lessons (and google hangouts, phone call, etc...)
Use the contact link at the top of the page.
by Scot Ranney on 10/07/2006, 19:19
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