Another week is past and time for another tip. Still self teaching and I am holding my own and still improving. No replacement for a teacher as I need the motivation to stay focused and there is still stuff I just dont know. Id rather be taught right than stumble over things and maybe miss something. So as I am sitting here going over the music for this upcoming concert I thought Id share with you how I am planning and preparing. The music for the Florida Baptist Orchestra concert friday night is printed and I am going over it. Fortunately some of it we already play at my local church. That really saves my bacon for the most part since the rest of it will be basically sight read. Ive had it for two weeks and have played through it some but not enough time to really say I've got it. So how do you prepare to play music you aren't that familiar with?

Fortunately for me I am comfortable with the variety of keys used, sometimes changing mid song. Of the 12 possible keys, the music at my church contains 6 of them and I read music well enough to adapt if an extra sharp or flat is thrown my way.

Here's what I do....I grab my pencil and green (pickle colored) highlighter. Since this music is my own copy and not belonging to any music library, I make notes, highlight things to remind me and pencil in any thing that I think could help.

Things I highlight are locations of Coda, The S in D.S. etc. I also seem to have a problem with multiple endings with repeats in them. the kind where sometimes you return to measure 8 but others they want you to go to measure 28. Those kinds of things can be really confusing. I pencil in sharps or flats on notes or hand shifting that helps etc. I am not that good above first posistion so it takes planning and cheating to get me there. lol.

So how does this help you the beginner who is probably not experiencing this level of difficulty? Well friend, highlight the tricky parts and difficult phrases. write the fingerings or alphabeticals above unfamiliar notes. In short dont treat your music as if you will return it to the library of congress. Its yours, let it help you. Help you to help you. Show me the.....markings?! (Jerry Maguire reference) Pfish.

read a forum post on best practices for practicing and liked my reply so much though I would post it here, lol.

The best way to practice using sheet music (cause thats what I do) In my opinon;

1.find or figure out the key the tune is in and practice that scale to learn the fingerings.

2. look at all the different kinds of note patterns and practice those rythyms on open strings as bowing exercise

3. learn all the notes without any fancy bowings just sawstrokes (up and downs alternating)

4. Add slurs in first and then ornamentation

5. practice everything super slow using as much bow as possible trying to keep the rythym of the song just in slow motion. I use the whole, half, quarter bow lengths as a measure instead of counting. Its easier when going slow.

6. Listen to the recording of the tune all the time ad nauseum

7. play with a youtube vid of the version of the tune you like and try to keep up

8. play with others when you can, Juan and I skype jam several times a week, its fun.

9. Practice in short times with breaks in between. one bit for bowings, take a break, then intonation and scales, then another break. Its amazing how much faster you can improve by practicing smarter not longer.

http://timtopham.com/2011/06/0…..-musician/

thats all there is too it! ha ha, I wish it was that easy to stay disciplined and on a schedule but I am more random and chaotic than that. It is a goal and I have it printed and posted where I can see it to help remind me. There are other tricks for improving certain skills but I might rival Daniel in post length if I tryed to include them now. Peace- pfish

For practicing and learning by ear some of the above tips apply. Although I dont do it regularly because its difficulty for me is very  frustrating. I want to play bluegrass so bad I cant stand it, but it will come. I wish I could help more with that but I am not there yet. lol.

From Strings Magazine

The Dorothy DeLay Five-Hour Violin Diet

Anne Akiko Meyers starts the day with scales and arpeggios

By Anne Akiko Meyers posted April 2013

What do you feel you need to do on a daily basis to maintain your skill level?

Every day, I start my practice sessions with scales. I must do this before starting anything else. Like warming up an engine or stretching before working out, the circle of fifths is my warm-up lap. 

While some people concentrate on playing thirds, sixths, tenths, or other double stops, I make up all sorts of bow patterns with my scales and have my bow arm really do the bulk of the warm up . . . spiccato, staccato, ricochet, up-bow staccato, down-bow staccato, slurs—you name it. I am feeling all the shifting, trying to move my left hand as smoothly as possible.

Do you still use études and/or study guides? If so, which ones?

I used to warm up with études, particularly those by Kreutzer and Schradieck. I love the first two pages of Schradieck—it builds up strength with each finger on every string. Sometimes, I like to play Kreutzer No. 13, because I have so many memories of practicing it when I was growing up. It feels like grandmother’s chicken soup for the soul. Later, I worked on the Paganini 24 Caprices with Dorothy DeLay—I don’t have really fond memories of them.

Was there a particular teacher who was instrumental in developing your practice regimen?

Ms. DeLay had a practice schedule in which she recommended starting out with scales and arpeggios by [Leopold] Auer, working on concerto repertoire, solo Bach, and Paganini Caprices, plus recital repertoire. It was the Dorothy DeLay five-hour violin diet.

How do you know when you need to brush up on fundamentals?

Today, when I feel the need for a “tune up,” I usually reach for Bach. Try to practice a movement of one of the Sonatas or Partitas—it’s pure therapy for your brain and fingers. I also like to sight read—I find this wakes up one’s senses, like a good espresso. I tell students that when they practice their scales, be present and aware of the intervals between the notes. This is key and pretty much the foundation to all else. I always say my day has not begun till I make the bed, brush my teeth, kiss my babies, and play my scales!

After 4 months of being my own substitue teacher I am finally back with my real instructor. He lives an hour from me via motorized bicycle, a very vibrating bumpy hour! lol.

Today we discussed my vibrato efforts and he shared with me his technique which I will place a vid of in my vibrato thread~!

We also discused how to increase my speed and accuracy with the left hand and how to improve my tone with the right hand especially with 16th notes. I am so excited to work on the things he told me to and its not earth shattering old news. In fact its stuff I already knew to do and just wasnt..You all know that substitute teachers let the class color all period while they sleep anyways right?!

There is just something about the way this guy plays thats inspiring me to improve though. so gimme a min to record and upload the newest real teachers tip of the week!

Thanks you guys, hopefully it will help lots of beginners since I feel that I make the same kind of errors everyone else does. well, most everyone! lol. If it helps anyone thats made it worth it.

It also chronicles my improvement too, so thats good for me! Fiddle On!