studying classical piano for my Master’s Degree. hope you’ve tried some of these ideas at your Play the earlier variations I gave you with
One of the most helpful methods my teacher instrument. By now if someone is listening to these staccato accents. Again, you’re working
taught me was what she called practicing with what you’re playing they may have asked you to play the notes of the passage in as many
rhythms. The concept was that rather than play to put your headphones on! I realize that these variations as possible. Here’s one last option.
th a steady stream of 16 notes from a passage exercises aren’t exactly beautiful to listen to, Create a series of accents within the passage.
again and again at varying speeds, the brain but that’s not their purpose. Their purpose is Exaggerate the accent on these notes and
benefits from creating a variety of patterns to train your fingers to learn a challenging piano make the other notes really soft. Play the
rhythmically. First, you might play long-short- figure. Be warned. There are more variations to passage slow if you need to. (FIG. 6)
long-short patterns throughout the line. (FIG. 2) come!
Once you’ve spent some time utilizing these
Next, you could play short-long-short-long, I’ll spare you the full list of possible variations, variations of activity playing the passage, set
like in (FIG. 3). but there are a couple more options I want your metronome to the desired tempo and play
to suggest. Rather than play the passage it. Play it imitating the recording. Listen for very
Another possible variation is play one long note smoothly, give each note a strong accent and steady notes with no notes played more loudly
and three short ones, like in (FIG. 4). play it staccato, or short. Don’t connect the than others. Still hear some notes poking out
notes to each other, and play the passage louder than others? Still finding it difficult to
slowly. Like in (FIG. 5). play steady rhythms measure after measure?
By now you probably get the idea. By now I
That’s okay. That’s why we practice, to make
(FIG. 4)
what was once difficult for us comfortable and
consistent.
You can do this. Whatever is challenging in
your musical pursuits can be made less difficult
(FIG. 5)
through disciplined practice like what I’ve
outlined here or any other method that you find
helpful in your growth as a musician. We can
all grow. Whatever our current ability we can
progress. Enjoy the journey!
(FIG. 6)
Ed Kerr
Ed Kerr lives in Seattle with his family. He serves as
worship arts director at First Free Methodist Church,
teaches keyboards in Paul Baloche’s leadworship
workshops and is a clinician with Yamaha’s House
of Worship. He also manages the Yamaha Worship
Facebook group and invites you to join the group.
www.KerrTunes.com
November 2019
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