the ART of practice:
it's not always quantity of practice that pays off, but rather the quality of it.
here are some valuable tips which will be helpful throughout your entire playing career
before you play a song examine it carefully
BEFORE YOU PLAY, look for:
TIME SIGNATURE- is the song written in 3/4, 4/4 or another time
REPEAT SIGNS- where are they and where do they send you
STRANGE NOTES- what are their names, where are they played
HARD SECTIONS- locate the groups of notes that might be difficult
RERUNS- identify sections that are repeated later in the song and remember where they are
TEMPO- how fast should the song be played
WHILE YOU'RE PLAYING:
PLAY VERY SLOWLY from start to finish the first few times
ISOLATE difficult sections, and practice each one separately until there is no hesitation, better yet, memorize them
EXPAND the difficult sections by starting at the measure before and continuing to play through the measure after
REST every half hour or so to give your brain and hands a break, while you waiting think not on you music, but instead have a snack or watch tv
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