I recently had to prepare a piece for a performance class in a really short amount of time. So I decided to do an experiment. I tested some practice methods for learning a piece quickly to see if they would work in time for me to perform. The result? I did one of the best performance classes I’ve ever played. So here are the things I did to prep.
1. Mental practice
I LOVE mental practice. Because it gets the piece in your head. Mental practice is the idea of practicing without your instrument. I do this by putting my hands together and thinking through the fingerings for each note and how the piece moves from one note to the next. This helps to solidify the music in my head.
CLICK HERE to learn more about mental practice.
2. Active listening
Learning a piece fast requires being able to capture the essence of the piece quickly. I’ve found that a good way to do that is to listen to the piece with the music in front of you. You are able to see how your part fits and the character you want to achieve.
Sometimes, when I am stuck in my practice, this can improve my playing more than drilling it over and over.
3. Theory Study
When I struggle with a passage of notes, especially when they feel endless, I’ve found that understanding the theory behind them really helps me to learn them faster.
I annotate my music and mark the chord and key structures. That helps the music make more sense in my head as I play. It also leads me to ask more inquisitive questions about the piece, which leads me to learn more about theory. It’s a win-win!
Whatever theory knowledge you have, I invite you to try to apply it to a piece you are working on. It might also show you what you don’t understand, and then you know what you might want to learn in the future.
4. In the performance: sharing the piece as a whole
When it was time to perform, I accepted that I had done all I could do to prepare, and now it was time to share it with everyone. I focused on the idea of sharing the music with people, rather than worrying about getting everything right.
And what happened? I played really confidently and was able to capture the character better than I had realised I could. All because I concerned myself with sharing the feel of the piece with everyone, rather than worrying that I would mess up.
Wishing you all the best with your practice!
Eleanor
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