Re: Practice Techniques

reed ( (no email) )
Sat, 08 Feb 1997 17:51:54 +0000

At 08:20 PM 2/8/97 EST, you wrote:
>I constantly evaluate the way I spend my limited time at my instrument
>(piano) to
>try and make sure I am always getting the most 'bang for the buck'.
>
>For example, I break my time over the course of a week approximately as
>follows:
>
>1. Scales with various rhythmic figures, starting on differing degress in
>the left and right hands.
>(eg. 1-3,1-4,1-5,1-7,1-7,2-4,2-5,etc)
>This helps keep me attuned to all 12 keys.
>2. Arpeggios for finger and wrist strength also starting on different
>degrees.
>3. Playing some block of two hand voicings and/or one handed chords in
>all 12 keys.
>This changes every week.
>4. Learning new songs - play the melody fo a long time till it is firmly
>in my head(body?).
>Hum, sing etc while driving, play with one hand when at the piano.
>5. Singing with solo's and melodies I want to get more into.
>6. Just playing freely and recording to cassette. I can listen to these
>while driving also. (I drive TOO much).
>7. Playing songs, solo's, etc that I know, while always looking for
>something new in them.
>8. Some minimal reading material to keep my reading chops active. (I am
>no where near
>a sight reader and am not interested in being one but I like to keep
>minimally adept at it).
>
>I think that pretty much covers it.
>Any suggestions on improving this and/or some techniques you really find
>helpful?
>Thanks, Pete.
>
>
Pete,

There are so many ways to practice and it's a very personal thing.

However, I would say you seem to be spreading yourself fairly thin,
especially for someone with limited resources.

I think you would find that even top professionals arent the
12 key machines that people think they are.

Next time you see Kenny Baron, ask him if he practices alot of
things in 12 keys? Do that with other players.

Let me give some basic advice, though it's just one opinion:

1) Don't practice technique. You'll develop the technique
you need for what you play just in the course of playing.

2) Drop the 12 key stuff. There is a place in practice for some of
that but I would think of it more like an occasional spice rather
than part of everyday practice. From time to time it's good to think
about the various keys.

3) Make a list of what songs you feel comfortable playing.
Try and focus on a few of those.

4) Drop the reading practice.

5) Transcribe a solo once in a while.

6) Do some writing once in a while. Try writing a solo or a tune.
See the website examples of written solos I've posted.

7) Drop that #1 excercise, whatever you call it. That excercise makes
me nervous just to think about it.

8) Dont' bother trying to learn lot's of new tunes . Play through
fake books sometimes. If you have gigs and certain tunes come up alot,
try learning those.

reed

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Reed Kotler
reed@justjazz.com
http://www.justjazz.com