#1 tip: Practice with the mindset of a performance 0:52 Practice preparation by: 2:17 thinking about what you're going to do 2:48 don't "doodle impulsively" #2 tip: Finish the phrase 3:15 3:50 the purpose? To think of the bigger picture & hone your mental/physical stamina #3 tip: Put your heart into it 4:16 4:41 I never liked practicing - but now I think of it as an "escape" 5:19 Practice is as much about discovering and freeing yourself as getting a particular passage into your system
I always tell my little students parents, that practicing, is like when a kid must have a bath. You spend like an hour trying to get them into the water, and like three hours trying to get them out of it. You are so right. Once I open the case, I don´t want to do nothing else but playing, just me and my violin. The whole world disappears.
For me and for a long time, I simply practiced because I really liked the process of learning the works. A long time later I realized that it was helping me escape from a very lonely reality; that was what made music one of the things I love most in life. I wish you good health always. Greetings from Argentina.
I just started lessons again after a 26 year break, and my new teacher has given me a couple of these tips already! I have a bad habit of double or triple checking my first note before starting properly, so I’ll be working hard to break that habit.
Hahaha thats great! I came back after 30 years and I have a habit of checking my first note too! But I simply broke that habit in a day cause I just decided I will not do it anymore. Let me know how you doing!
Excellent, sound advice! Practice is good for the soul. One additional piece of advice: play passages at times not just because you're trying to get them right. Practice the passages because you greatly enjoy them. Remove the frustration through enjoyment and your muscles will respond better.
Duuude! That's gold! This is what Flesh called Mental Hygiene in practice and it changed my approach to it as well. Completely. Doodle is the worste.. Thank you Kerson 🎶
Thank youuu soooo much Kerson, we often have that mentality of practice = boring / chore (as you said) / something mandatory, but we forget that we can also enjoy it. I will try to put your advices on practice now, thaaank youuu sooo soooooo much !!!
I had a good practice yesterday because I focused on my bowing, and producing a beautiful sound! I wanted to make my songs sound their best and most beautiful I was capable of, and I’m only in Suzuki book one. I went over them because I know them now and wanted each note to sound pretty. I wanted to play from my heart, like I meant it. Now to start viewing it as a performance.
Many of us were taught the 3hr per day model, but without good specifics... Specifics are actually the most important thing!! Practicing this way over the last few years, has begun to revolutionize the way I feel and teach learning the violin now. It's a game changer. Btw, I just discovered your videos and they are wonderful. Thank you! I love and teach the concept and importance of practice basically always as performance prep! (Fellow Nathan Cole fan here) Beautiful Bartok btw!!
Thanks Kerson, this video made clear many issue and learn things such as: - setting mental preparation as if in performance. -A conscious effort in visualization before is essential for clarity of thought. -to not doodle with random notes to reassure self and make clear of the passage with no immediate stops - practice is exploring vulnerability and boundaries of comfort
I couldn’t agree more. Thank you for sharing this tip! (PS I’m so glad I found your channel through your performance of Dvorak’s Songs my Mother Taught Me). I opened my violin case for the first time in a long time ~
The "finish the phrase" one is so important! If you don't finish the phrase you might end up blocked in your mind because you are afraid of finishing the phrase (that happens to me) because it might not come up as you expected. Great tips!! 😁😁 About the third point, I feel like when I was little I had more fun practicing. It's true that I didn't study methodically the difficult passages but I kinda improved by playing and playing. Since I studied with another teacher, it's true that I've improved a lot technically, but while practicing I only focuse on those things I have to correct, and I don't have as much fun. I guess there must be a balance: working in those difficult passages without ceasing to play it all only enjoying the music ❤️
Thank you very much!!! Today, I attempted practicing with all these tips and it already significantly improved the piece I’m playing (Kreisler Praeludium and Allegro). I can already tell that my progress is going to be much quicker than how I used to practice. Thanks!! 🤘👌
Thanks Kerson, great advice. I got a great tip from That Viola Kid some years ago: Strive to improve 1% each day. That'll make 365% in a year. That simple thought has had a profound effect on me, and always makes me smile. While I'm here, thanks for all your brilliant videos, you've played a big role in my development. 😊😁
I agree, that your practicing will become more effective if you mean what you play but there is a cost to this type of practice. It requires more energy and it will be harder to be so effective if you do not have sufficient rest of nourishment. Since you need to be entirely present in your mind you also cannot be distracted. It is a significant change in mind but you also have to adjust your daily habits to be able to be productive like this.
It made me realize what practice means to me and still don't know the asnwer. Your tips helped me and will apply in my practice. Thank you for sharinggg!!!
Your comment is wonderful, even if some of them should be familiar is great to be remained, I’m studying classical guitar and again your comment fits Perfect in, or how the way to absorb music Thank you for sharing
Wonderful tips. Some tips resemble those by Nathan Cole. Always practice for performance, don’t doodle. But if more teachers preach the same, we can be sure that it are good tips!
would love to have you talk about mozart and how to approach the different challenges the mozartean language brings mostly in the technical aspect aswell with some tips and thoughts of how you should practise it as you did with the etude series
I've been struggling with practicing efficiently for quite some time and these tips are great ones! Thank you for sharing these tips maestro it really meant a lot to me.
Kerson, Thank You so much for your insight . I am an adult clarinetist. I started later in life and have been playing for only ten years. I find all your advice and comments applicable to my clarinet playing as well. Thank you again for sharing your knowledge and life experience. Much appreciated. Tom F.
Loved your tips and your voice!! ... I entirely understand what you're trying to say ... During this pandemia I found playing to be like an escape, a moment just for me, to scape and be free in my mind .. I learned so much! Thank you for your videos!
What are your insights on drinking alchohol and the complexities of violin technique? Obviously if we drink too much, we can't even walk, we can't play violin well. Is there a healthy moderation to drinking and still playing violin well? Or is any small amount of alcohol bad for us professional violinists? I'm curious of your personal insights please! Thanks sincerely!
Thanks for the great tips! Could you advise on "safe" gym exercise to do to improve back and arms strength, I'm always scared of tensing up which is no good for violin playing...
