Juilliard graduate helping dedicated adult pianists who love challenging repertoire practice less while learning more.
♬ Everyone tells you to practice in altered rhythms. I don't! {video}
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Growing up, I swore by altered rhythms. Hours and hours of dotted-rhythms drilling my Chopin études. Five of them, on my debut recital at age 14. I don't practice that way anymore and haven't since high school. I posted about it on Instagram last week and it did not go over well. Most people pushed back hard. My real problem with altered rhythms comes down to one thing. When I'm doing a whole page of dotted rhythms, I tune out. And my one job at the piano is to listen. If I'm not listening, it doesn't matter what rhythm I'm drilling. Here's what I do instead. Was what I used to do harmful? 🤷♀️ I break down the whole thing... pattern grouping, quick reflex motion, the works, on a passage from the Revolutionary Étude in this week's video. If you've found a way to practice in altered rhythms and you know you're staying present and listening while you do it, tell me in a comment under the YouTube video. I'm genuinely curious if I'm missing anything. |
Lisa Spector, Piano Ninja
Juilliard graduate helping dedicated adult pianists who love challenging repertoire practice less while learning more.
After I shared my Cliburn audition of the Bach B flat Partita, the comments on YouTube and Instagram kept mentioning my trills. People noticed how easy they sounded. Here's the thing. I haven't practiced a trill inside a piece since graduate school. 🤷♀️ Over 40 years ago, I learned a five-minute warm-up from John Perry, R.I.P. I've done it almost every practice session since. When a trill shows up in whatever I'm playing, it just works. I don't stop to negotiate with my wrist. I don't wonder...
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