Best Playing Hint, Advise Or Tip?

[Patrick Brown]

Coming from a choral background I find that when learning

a tune, I can only start playing the tune if I can sing it

~Patrick

[ucyljad]

Regarding playing a tune for an hour to really know it, I understand what is meant though have never managed a full hour on one piece alone. I've tried to adopt some advice (I think it was related to juggling initially) which goes:

 

"If you want to get really good at something, practice until you're bored, and then practice an extra 10 minutes"

 

Andy

[Clive Thorne]

I believe it was Yehudi Menuin who said 'its no good practising untill you can play something correctly, you need to practise until you can't play it wrong'.

 

A nice idea, but then he didn't have a day job!!

 

Clive.

[Lester Bailey]

The best bit of advice I reckon to have been given was to not put your instrumants away. An instrument that is bagged or boxed is one that you need to make a concious effort to take out and play. I keep mine on a bookcase in the main passageway in my house and quite often pick something up and have 5 minutes whan I'm passing.

 

You will note my concertina is in its case but it's not closed.

Edited January 29, 2004 by Lester Bailey

[Guest]

Coming from a choral background I find that when learning a tune, I can only start playing the tune if I can sing it

 

I find it really helpful to get a recording of a tune if I can, and play it over and over and over until I can sing/hum it all the way through. For me, having the tune mentally ingrained certainly helps it jump into the fingers.

 

I also strongly agree with the principle of having instrument out of their cases and accessible so that you are more inclined to play them. Unfortuantely my cats fine my concertina way too interesting, so it must live in it's case... which sits next to my desk within easy reach

 

Cheers

Morgana

[Jim Wright]

I do that to. I can't sit and practice for a long time but I do leave my insturments out and grab five here and there. My wife thinks that I am strange because I will work around the house,play a minute, work some more,play a minute. This goes on all day till my wife spouts out" I don't get it, are you playing when you should be working or what? What are you doing cant you just play a whole song. Your going off every hour like a coo coo clock." Then I find a reason why I need to go to the hardware store. Which just happens to pass right by my favorite music store!!!

[JimLucas]

You will note my concertina is in its case but it's not closed.

Something I am careful to avoid.

 

My control over temperature and humidity in my apartment is inadequate, so I make sure my instruments are in their cases -- those without cases are in a closed cabinet -- to minimize the effect of such variations when I'm not playing.

 

However, the cases -- and cabinet -- are accessible and easily opened. It only takes a few seconds.

[Helen]

My accordions and concertinas are in their cases. I worry about dust in the reeds and temperature and humidity and pets.

 

I do agree that having instruments out does increase my playing of them. I played my hammer dulcimer WAY more often after I started leaving it out. BUT it is up on a stand and covered with a cloth. The stand is sturdy and the dogs can't touch it and the cats pretty much stay off it. I DID have a problem with a squirrel though. It to got in, I couldn't get rid of it, and it would take fying leaps onto the dulcimer. The durn thing ATE one of my favorite hammers.

 

(No I did not kill it. I finally trapped it and took it to the park.)

 

I don't suppose more squirrels will be attacking my instruments, but some of them I just feel safer keeping in their cases. (No Jim, the instruments, not the squirrels.)

 

Helen

[bellowbelle]

A useful tip (maybe?):

 

Listen to tapes of yourself playing, whether good or bad (Keep some, record over others).

 

If it's hard to make time and place for this, maybe get a tiny little portable player with a belt-clip and some headphones, and listen while you do something else you have to do.

 

I never really know what a song sounds like until I've heard it played (while NOT actively also playing it).

[RustyBits]

My concertina lives in it's case. I have a 2 year old and a 5 year old. . . . need I say more?

 

As far as good playing tips. . . I'm hoping to get some in the near future. Though I have to say that Paul Groff wrote an interesting note for beginners about instruments in the general forum in a thread called "Concertina Lust Strikes Again!"