KEYS
NOT THAT WORD AGAIN! | Ed Kerr
Do you ever read The Message, Eugene What part does practicing your instrument You may be thinking I’m speaking to you as
Peterson’s beautiful paraphrase of the Bible? have in your weekly routine? Don’t worry. This though you’re a studio musician or full-time
I love how it helps us see familiar scripture in article isn’t written as a verbal ruler meant to arranger who must keep his or her skills at a
new ways. His wording for Proverbs 14:23 has whack you on the hand if you don’t practice high level. I want to challenge you to consider
always inspired me. “You should, actually must, consistently. It’s meant to offer what might a different response. If you’re involved regularly
find a way to spend at least two hours a day be a different perspective on the purpose of serving on a worship team, that opportunity
practicing. Rigorous practice. Agonizing, really.” practice. Check out all those ‘P’ words! Nice merits you growing your skill set. This doesn’t
alliteration, right? necessarily mean you start practicing your
Okay, that’s not how the verse reads in The
scales and arpeggios in all keys or that you
Message. Thank goodness. The verse reads A few weeks ago, I had a chance to interview tackle a difficult piano piece. Or that you
“Hard work always pays off; mere talk puts no Carl Tosten. He’s a Yamaha guitar artist, and his program 20 new pad sounds in Omnisphere.
bread on the table.” For the sake of this article, playing is fantastic. His specialty is finger-style It does mean that you evaluate how you spend
though, the thing about agonizing practice acoustic guitar, and his technique is dazzling. In your time in light of Carl’s earlier comment. Are
is significant. my interview with him I asked what his practice you practicing or maintaining?
routine is like. He made a statement that I found
When I was a little kid taking piano lessons my very thought provoking. He said, “Practicing is I’ll give some examples from my typical week.
teacher would sit beside me holding a ruler. In for things you don’t know; maintenance is for On Sundays, I start and stop a metronome app
those rare moments (kidding) that I would make things you do know.” on my iPad. It’s proving to be a little awkward
a mistake playing my music, she’d whack me on
to do this in the midst of my playing piano and
the hand with the ruler. Not sure what the long- Hmm. This got me thinking about what I do singing. So, rather than maintain my frustration
term effectiveness of that approach to teaching when I sit at my instrument for times other than with the current metronome setup, I could
me was, but despite of, or perhaps because of rehearsals or a worship service? First question pursue other options. I own Ableton Live, for
her, I eventually gained an appreciation for the for you: do you make time/find time to play your example, and could use a MIDI device to more
value of practicing my instrument. instrument apart from rehearsals and services? easily start and stop the click and move to the
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June 2019
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