How do you select the best speed for practice? When I say “slow down,” most students slow down maybe a teensy bit. Maybe even an entire metronome marking. But the majority do not practice violin/viola/cello at a truly SLOW speed. And if they aren’t doing it for me, I know they aren’t doing it at home either.
To find slow, try setting your metronome at 40. That means your quarter note beat will equal the “tick” of the metronome. Now choose one phrase of the piece; let’s say you’re working on Minuet 2 in the Suzuki book. The first phrase is the first two measures of the piece. Work on this phrase over and over with your metronome. Are you right on the beat? Is your intonation good? Are the first and fourth notes exact the same tones as the three notes in the second measure?
Now go over it a few more times, maybe 5 times. Is your left hand relaxed? Is your bow arm moving smoothly and in the correct place? Are your teeth clenched or is your brow furrowed? Relax!
If you’ve done all this, it’s time to move along to the second phrase. Repeat the above. The goal is to learn what “slow” really means. Come to your lesson and show me!
Til next time,
Happy violining
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
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