By Heart - memorizing

By Heart                          

There's music in the sighing of a reed,  There's music in the gushing of a rill;  There's music in all things, if men had ears:Their earth is but an echo of the spheres. ~Lord Byron

Choose a part of your music to learn from memory each day. 

Make sure to learn your Major scales by heart. Then your Arpeggios. Next, your Minor scales in all 3 forms; Natural, Harmonic  and Melodic. Then  learn your Thirds in Major & Minor forms.

Learning these builds up your memory muscle.   It is a muscle you have to exercise it!

Next, select a movement or a piece of music to memorize. :

1. Listen  (Ear) to your piece while looking (Eyes) at the music. 

2. Map out a plan for memorizing each section. Use the Flash Card Technique.

 Flash Cards Technique

This is for any piece you are learning or wanting to play by heart, from memory. This is a great way to increase your practice efficiency, effectiveness and to learn a piece of music in depth. Use 7 Essentials of Artistic Interpretation.( ©musicians way)

Flash Cards Technique: 

1. Get to know your music and create a Flash Card by taking apart your music into puzzle pieces. Cut up the copy of your music (parts, phrases & sections) and put them on the front of a Flash Card.(I recommend that you number your cards)
2. Personalize each card by giving each part, phrase a name, character, feeling, color, texture, image... What is the musical idea you are practicing?
3. On the back of the Flash Card write down your practice ideas and how you are using your 7 Essentials of Interpretation!( ©musicians way)
4. Practice from your Flash Cards. Use them out of order so that you can put like parts together, or start at the end or middle... Lay them out in different ways on your stand, tape them to your walls or lay them on the floor.              Be creative and have fun!

"The path you take is your path and no one else’s , so welcome it "- the musicians way

Name, Character, Feeling, Color... of music on Flash Card?:

____________________________________

7 Essentials of Artistic Interpretation ©musicians way

Capture the Mood, Style and Tempo, Shape the Dynamics, Color the Tone,     Mold the Articulation, Contour the Meter, Drive the Rhythm, Express the Form:

Creative Practice Ideas:

1. 2.

3. 4.

 When do you need to have it memorized? 

How long will it take you?

3.  Play (Feels) the part you are learning while looking(Eyes) at the music, 3 times.  Focusing on:  1st, how it looks     2nd, how it sounds (Ear).  3rd, how it feels to play it. 

4. Now try it with your eyes closed. Can you visualize the music in your head? Can you feel it in your hands, whole body?  Do you know the sound of it clearly by heart? 

This takes a lot of focus and attention to all the details.

Be persistent & patient. Sometimes this comes naturally and for others it takes more time to learn by heart. One is not better than the other. Learn how much time you need to play a piece confidently by heart.     You can do it!

See great websites:

 at www.musiciansway.com - 4 Stages of Memorization

www.acousticfingerstyle.com/memorize.htm - On Memorizing by Jamie Andreas

www.melissacolgin.com - on Memory Mapping

Finding Inspiration!

Inspiration 

... I cast this spell: I know I can open this door and show you something unforgettable and transforming, and I’m determined to take myself there and to take you with me. –Jeffrey Kahane

To be inspired, to breathe in life... in a way inspiration is always a wonderful surprise that we are given. Just as we breathe in life every second, we have the opportunity to be inspired by life every second. How open are we to being inspired? How well do we know what inspires us? It is a good idea to know what inspires you and to continue to nurture that your whole life. We all need to find time for noticing and being inspired.  Let’s do it today!

INSPIRATION

What makes you feel alive and loving life?

What inspired you today?

A person, A feeling, A piece of art, A piece of music, A teacher

Are you in need of finding inspiration? Where can you find it?

Look in your Book to help you remember?

Find new ways to inspire yourself.

Ask a friend, family, teacher,mentor for guidance.

Is it?: Sound

Music, live performances, soloists, bands, orchestras, opera,  nature sounds, a voice, a poem being recited, chanting...  

Image

A painting, sculpture, photo, mountain, architecture, a beautiful color…

Kinesthetic

Writing something out by hand, the feel of silk, water, sand, a hug

Visual

Image of beauty for you, landscape, art, nature,person, the image of someone achieving something great. Making art...

Fragrance

Do you appreciate your sense of smell? Roses, perfumes delicious food, pine trees, the ocean …

Dreams

Do you have dreams you remember that inspire you?

Or dreams for your own life that you want to have happen in your waking life?

People

People that you love, that you admire, that motivate & inspire you, that you want to be like some part of them, that you see, hear, and like something about them? Interview people you want to learn about. See my article Dreams and Goals/ Inspirational Interviews.

A Book

Something you read, a quote, or a poem, or lyrics from a song...

More Ideas:  Collect inspirational, music, images and quotes and put them in a book, or your computer to look at daily.        

Listen: Jacqueline du Pre, Cello  CD:  Concerto, Elgar     

Look: Jacqueline du Pre - A Celebration of her Uniqueness

Practice Schedules - Work & Play

I keep reading about my students work out schedules... which is great :-) It makes me wonder about their Flute Work-out schedules? We all need to inspire and motivate our self to practice. I will write about that too... For now select a workout for your practice and do it! You can change it. Most important is that you give this time to your self!  Play with each work out you choose and bring your practice and music making to life!


A few Questions to ask are:

1. What is my daily schedule? How long am I going to commit to practicing?

2. Can I practice in 3 or 4 sessions, 2....? or do I only have the morning or evening? or early and late? 

3. Am I more of a morning or evening practicer? 

4. Do I have a lot of flexibility in my life schedule right?  

5. Do I just need to make a schedule and stick to it? 

6. What do I need so that I am practicing everyday in an effective and joyful, playful, productive way?

7. Am I thinking that I will get to this schedule stuff, but really I do not and need to do this now :-) ?

What kind of schedule do you use to help yourself? How do you devide your time?

Some of my favorites are in my Practice Ideas.  5 and 7 Part Recipes for Practice. 

5 Part Practice

  This Recipe takes 65 minutes of Practice :           Have more than 65 min.’s to practice? Yes!

                                                                                                 Practice on the part that needs it the most!

   1. Preparation: 5 minutes                                                  Examples are: a difficult piece, lots of 

                                                                                 music to learn, improving your tone, working

                                                                                                on a particular technique - like multiple tonguing:    

   2. Tone: 10 minutes                                                            then spend more time on that part of your Practice.

   3. Technique: 10 minutes Remember: A very important part of your musical

                                                                                                   education is to listen and study your music.

   4. Etudes: 15 minutes

   5. Repertoire: 30 minutes Great Practice + Great Musicianship =  Great Performance

 7 Ingredients -  Practice Recipe

  Creating a recipe for creative practice?

  Use Inspiration, Organization, Creativity & Action to create your recipes and maps.

  How are you going to divide your time to manage this?

  Create a practice plan and a motivational map.

  Remember: When creating maps and plans, begin with a goal that will have positive results!  &  Spice it up!

 1. Body - Mind - Spirit : Stretch and breathe -  organize and focus - be present and positive.

 2. Tone: Have a daily & weekly plan. Do not bore yourself! Work on something different & specific each day. 

 3. Technique: Create a daily & weekly plan. There are so many to choose from, do it... and invent your own too.

 4. Music, Solos, Orchestral, Ensembles: What are you learning? What is a priority? Divide your time wisely.

 5. Studying and Listening to your music: This is a very important and productive part of your practice time. 

 6. Record and Video your practice, lessons and performances: Do it at least once a week!

 7. Perform and play for people: Make a habit of playing for someone once a week. Share your love of music!