Posted by Brandon Ostrom on September 04, 2002 at 20:04:07:
In Reply to: Practicing without direction... posted by Jonathan on September 04, 2002 at 17:09:27:
Well I have what i think is a good idea. I did what you have been doing for a long time. Sat down with a spefic set of pieces and played them so i could better myself on the different things each piece was supposed better me on. This was good for a while. Until i started just doing it for the sake of practicing, so i could say to myself, im working on things, things are getting done. Only problem is, I felt as you do now, that nothing was getting done. I could play a piece 200 times in a row (literally) but I would not feel I was not accomplishing anything at all.
Here is what I did:diversify. Staying on the same piece is good for improving, agreed. But you can also improve by playing different pieces that will do the same thing as a single one. I find following set patterns of practicing were good for improving technique , but litterally bored me so badly i would almost go into a trace, where id be playing , but i would not be paying any attention at all to the piece. I would just let it ride by under auto-pilot.
Try other pieces!!!!!! Pick up some Bach from http://www.gmd.de/Misc/Music/ (you'll need ghost scripy viewer but they i have a ton of stuff)
Rip into some stuff you've never seen before. HAVE FUN!!!!!!! I'm sure we can all bore ourselves to death with practicing technique until we are old and dead. But actually enjoying and puttin a little love into the pieces, (we are humans, not technique robots) can drastically help improve technique even when your not paying attention at all.
Also, maybe seek the help of a teacher. I'm not talking long term here (i also loath being taught on a regular basis), just go and play for someone and ask them to tell you what they think.
Have fun when you play!!!! You can learn this way to. STAY AWAY FROM EXCESSIVE ROUTINES. They are good for the body, but bad for the mind.