Two More Practice Solutions

This post follows up on my Practice Solutions series with two more ideas for solving difficulties you may come across in your everyday practice.

Problem: I can’t get this hands together!
Solution: Alternate hands note by note

Why this works: By playing both hands, you are practicing the “hands together” skill. But by alternating the notes hand by hand, you will be able to focus on what each hand needs to do. This is similar to alternating hands by measure, but provides a little more challenge.

What to do: You will be playing both hands, but out of sync, instead of truly together. Place both hands as if you were going to play hands together. Instead of playing the notes simultaneously, play the left hand note, then the right hand note. Work through the entire passage playing left hand then right hand. Follow the rhythm of the piece, playing any notes that should be played at the same time with your left hand first, then your right hand. Keep your fingering and placing exact. After you have played the whole section, repeat, this time playing the right hand before the left hand. Tip: this works best with relatively small sections (4 or 8 bars) at a time.

See the other solutions from the previous I can’t get this hands together! post.

Problem: I can’t get this up to tempo!
Solution: Learn the hardest measure

Why this works: This takes the biggest stumbling block out of the way, and allows you to learn to play through it in the context of the piece. It also gives you extra focused work on the most difficult part.

What to do: Identify the most difficult measure to play at tempo. There may be more than one measure that is a stumbling block. If so, focus on one at a time. If you can’t decide which measure is most difficult, pick any measure in a difficult passage. Speed up this measure. Do not worry about any other measure right now. Just practice this measure until you can play it at tempo. Then play the measure as part of a larger passage. Keep the entire passage quite slow, except for the measure you have practiced to tempo. Practice playing through the passage this way until you can get through the fast bar smoothly. Then work another measure, adjacent to the first, up to tempo and add that to the first bar you worked. Play the passage again slowly, except for the two fast measures. You will find that the rest of the piece will speed up much more easily after you have worked a few of the hardest bars up to tempo.

See the other solutions from the previous I can’t get this up to tempo! post.