[Harp-L] Re : Engraving musical impressions

["Tim Moyer" <wmharps@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Siegfried wrote:
> my accordion training Dad whose 7 years old son wondered why Dad 
> started from the beginning everytime he made a mistake 
<snip>
> He wanted to play his ètudes flawless by all means.

I think the kind of practice depends on the desired result.  When my 
son was but three years old be began learning his alphabet.  He made 
me help him practice them every night, looking at an alphabet chart 
we had hung on his wall.  In a short time he had learned all of his 
letters, but I was concerned that he had just memorized them in 
order, and was just reciting them, not really recognizing the 
letters and naming them.  So I started mixing it up, starting at the 
end, or in the middle, or going backwards, or alternating between 
the upper row and the lower row.  Now the point of THIS practice was 
to learn the components, not the arrangement.  

So I would comment that if you are trying to learn to play an ètude 
flawlessly, by all means, engrave that pattern in your head through 
perfect practice.  But if you're trying to understand the 
components, to learn the pieces -- the intonation of the notes, the 
techniques, etc. -- this might require a different kind of 
practice.  

-tim

Tim Moyer
Working Man's Harps
http://www.workingmansharps.com/