RE: [Harp-L] Harp practice



As for structure, I'm a bit of a nut. Much like certain sexy rockers
plan and execute their harp cleaning, I plan and execute my harp
practicing following a strict regime.

I have a book, something like an accounting book. A sort of spreadsheet
where I keep track of what I do.
Vertically I write down the things I want to practice. I split things up
in little chunks that I work on for 20 minutes. And in the horizontal,
on top I write the date and below that I write which of the excersices I
did that day, at what speed and in which keys.

http://overblow.com/practicelog.xls

I try to do each excercise for 20 minutes and than do a different one. I
check to see which of the excersices I haven't done in a while and start
it where I left of the previous time.

For example:

I want to practice a melody. I play it on a slow tempo in first position
until I think it sounds good then I play it in second position until it
is good enough. If my 20 minutes is up I mark down the speed at which I
did this and the keys C and G so that if I get back to it later in the
week I can start in D at the same speed I did the others. If I have done
all 12 I can increase the speed a bit.

"Stella by Starlight" - keys: C,G - 120 bpm

Or I'd practice a certain arpeggio:

"Maj9" - keys c to F# - 160bpm

And the list of excercises changes through time but it looks something
like this:

- long notes -
- long notes with vibrato -
- chromatic scale -
- major scale -
- minor scale -
- pentatonic: 1 3 2 4 3 5 etc. -
- pentatonic: 123 234 345 451 etc. -
- pentatonic: 124 341 513 etc. -

- arpeggio: maj9 -
- arpeggio: min11 -
- arpeggio: dominant7 b9 #11 b13 -

- transpose melody: "Stella by Starlightt" -
- Stella: roots -
- Stella: arpeggios -
- Stella: 3rds & 7ths -
- Stella: 9ths & 13ths -

- calypso improv. -
- transcribe solo -
- classical etude -


Obviously this would change if I were working on a different tune (and I
also practice a bunch of other things like singing, playing the piano
and playing bass-harmonica, but I won't bother you with those)

The whole point is this: there are far more excersices here than I could
possibly work through in one day.
Because I do want to do all of htem I have to keep track of what I have
done and what I haven't otherwise I would end up starting at the top
each day and never getting to the things on the bottom of the list.

Another important thing is this:
I don't have to play that arpeggio through all keys at that speed this
day. I just do it for 20 minutes and come back to it later in the week
In those 20 minutes I can stay focussed and play the excersise well.
There is no hurry to finnish the sequence. No need to go to the next key
unless the one I am doing sounds good enough to go to the next key.

Doing something for 20 minutes and then changing to something different
realy helps keep the excercising fresh. I will want to get back to that
exercise to continu it.
I don't have time to get frustrated and because there is no hurry I have
little reason to do exercise at a tempo that is too high for me.

Doing excercises relaxed at a comfortable tempo and for a short period
of time (short enough for me to keep concentrated)
Has realy helped a lot. It has givven me more fun in practicing and has
yielded very good results.

I hope this wasn't too long a rant,

Tinus
http://www.tenhole.com







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