Re: Practice techniques


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Posted by Sean Chisham on July 04, 1999 at 22:53:44:

In Reply to: Practice techniques posted by Aaron on July 04, 1999 at 21:56:49:

Try this. Grab some recording equipment and a duet book. Record one part and try to play the other part with the recording. You will VERY VERY quickly learn the importance of impeccable rhythm. It is extremely difficult to play with yourself in a duet if the rhythm is weak. The recording will also help you to catch any other weaknesses you need to replace.

There are several aspects to rhythm. You most likely can read rhythms ok, but precision takes some concentration. Common mistakes are


  1. Late entrances after rests causing crushed rhythms
  2. Imprecise subdivisions (triplet vs dotted eighth sixteen)
  3. Shortened/lengthened longer notes (half notes, whole notes)
  4. Lack of overall pulse
  5. Rushing the black notes and dragging the white notes


If you have a strong sense of phrase to give the piece, then it becomes easier to leave tuba player mode and enter musician mode. A strong sense of how the phrase goes will give you a better pulse. It may also help the individual rhythmic figures also, but they require learning subdivision and where different patterns lie. A subdividing metronome such as a Boss Dr. Beat can help.

Finally, if you have access to a dual speed recorder than record at high speed and play back at slow speed. This will double the inaccuracies during playback and make "slight" inaccuracies much more obvious.

sean


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