10. IMPORTANCE OF PRACTICING

 10. IMPORTANCE OF PRACTICING

“A genius! For 37 years I’ve practiced fourteen hours a day, and now they call me a genius!” —Pablo Sarasate (Spanish violinist)

Practice can help a person, in moving from what he is at present to become a person he wants to be. It can make the difference between good and great, mediocre, and magnificent.  All practice takes hard work.

MUSIC STUDY SKILLS

Various study skills will accelerate our progress with music memorization.

Repetition and memorization

To learn to play effortlessly, learn to repeat accurately. To repeat accurately, work on small bits so it could be refined and relaxing. To make a lasting impression on memory, adequately increase the speed of the repetitions, progress will hinge on a combination of refinement, accuracy, adequate persistence, and speed.

Be clear on goals, each small step. Get a clear image of the step that should be accomplished, make sure to work on an accomplishable piece, and watch to make sure of moving in the right direction.

Don't take up more than you can bear. Attempt, evaluate, and repeat. Repeat carefully, in measures, so goal could be accomplished. Ensure not getting overwhelmed or frustrated and be sure to finish what was started. Be satisfied with a small solid accomplishment each day.

Shift from goal to goal during practice. Become aware of a goal in mind; learn shifting attention from goal to goal; playing with steady time, with good tone, with proper hand positions.

Fall in Love with Practice

"Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe." — Abraham Lincoln

The practice is tangible. Motivation and inspiration are sometimes fleeting but practice could be held and counted. It could be scheduled, planned, and committed. The practice could be retrieved anytime realizing its power and its rewards.

Whatever the goals, desirable skills, artistic aspirations, and dreams of creativity, build a consistent, unshakable practice around it, and after a while, the significant progress could be felt. Fall in love with the practice and compromise it for nothing in exchange, on the path to greatness.

LISTEN TO THE MUSIC THAT IS PLANNED TO LEARN

More than any other single activity, listening helps to learn music easily and quickly. So schedule some listening each day. Listen to each new piece for a few days before starting to practice it.

Start working on a piece when it could be hum or whistled or heard in the mind. The biggest advantage of listening is that it keeps from making rhythmic mistakes.

Memory thrives on patterns; it especially notices recurring perceptions and repeated actions. If you repeat actions casually, without precision in time and motion, your memory will probably discard your good efforts or it may link them with a number of errant and imperfect bad habits.

Exact repetition allows memorizing quickly and efficiently. The brain literally stores new repeated memories by creating new physical structures. Once the memory is hard-wired, it is easier to recognize the perfected or unperfected movements, depending on what has been practiced.

 

10.1. THE ART OF LISTENING

Music has a powerful grip on our emotional part of the brain. It can breathe new life into seemingly lifeless minds. Not just about the creation of music, but also its consumption is an acquired skill. We need to develop our sensitivity to music.

1. Time is a crucial component of the musical experience. Develop a sense of time as it passes, towards duration, motion, and the placement of events within a time frame.
2. Develop a musical memory. While listening to a piece, try to recall familiar patterns, relating new events to past ones, and placing them all within a durational frame.
3. If we want to read, write or talk about music, we must acquire a working vocabulary. Music is basically a nonverbal art, and its unique events and effects are often too elusive for everyday words; we need special words to describe them, however inadequately.
4. Try to develop musical concentration, especially when listening to lengthy pieces. Composers and performers learn how to fill different time-frames in inappropriate ways, using certain gestures and patterns for long works and for brief ones. The listener must also learn to adjust to varying durations.
5. Try to listen objectively and dispassionately. Concentrate upon ‘what’s there,’ and not on what you hope or wish would be there.
6. Bring experience and knowledge to the listening situation. That includes not only concentration and growing vocabulary, but information about the music itself: its composer, history, and social context.

10.2. JANTAI VARISAI

1	S	S	R	R	|	G	G	|	M	M	||
	P	P	D	D	|	N	N	|	Ṡ	Ṡ	||
2	S	S	R	R	|	G	G	|	M	M	||
	R	R	G	G	|	M	M	|	P	P	||
	G	G	M	M	|	P	P	|	D	D	||
	M	M	P	P	|	D	D	|	N	N	||
	P	P	D	D	|	N	N	|	Ṡ	Ṡ	||
	Ṡ	Ṡ	N	N	|	D	D	|	P	P	||
	N	N	D	D	|	P	P	|	M	M	||
	D	D	P	P	|	M	M	|	G	G	||
	P	P	M	M	|	G	G	|	R	R	||
	M	M	G	G	|	R	R	|	S	S	||
3	S	S	R	R	|	G	G	|	R	R	||
	S	S	R	R	|	G	G	|	M	M	||
	R	R	G	G	|	M	M	|	G	G	||
	R	R	G	G	|	M	M	|	P	P	||
	G	G	M	M	|	P	P	|	M	M	||
	G	G	M	M	|	P	P	|	D	D	||
	M	M	P	P	|	D	D	|	P	P	||
	M	M	P	P	|	D	D	|	N	N	||
	P	P	D	D	|	N	N	|	D	D	||
	P	P	D	D	|	N	N	|	Ṡ	Ṡ	||
	Ṡ	Ṡ	N	N	|	D	D	|	N	N	||
	Ṡ	Ṡ	N	N	|	D	D	|	P	P	||
	N	N	D	D	|	P	P	|	D	D	||
	N	N	D	D	|	P	P	|	M	M	||
	D	D	P	P	|	M	M	|	P	P	||
	D	D	P	P	|	M	M	|	G	G	||
	P	P	M	M	|	G	G	|	M	M	||
	P	P	M	M	|	G	G	|	R	R	||
	M	M	G	G	|	R	R	|	G	G	||
	M	M	G	G	|	R	R	|	S	S	||

 

4	S	S	R-	S	|	S	R	|	S	R	||
	S	S	R	R	|	G	G	|	M	M	||
	R	R	G-	R	|	R	G	|	R	G	||
	R	R	G	G	|	M	M	|	P	P	||
	G	G	M-	G	|	G	M	|	G	M	||
	G	G	M	M	|	P	P	|	D	D	||
	M	M	P-	M	|	M	P	|	M	P	||
	M	M	P	P	|	D	D	|	N	N	||
	P	P	D-	P	|	P	D	|	P	D	||
	P	P	D	D	|	N	N	|	Ṡ	Ṡ	||
	Ṡ	Ṡ	N-	Ṡ	|	Ṡ	N	|	Ṡ	N	||
	Ṡ	Ṡ	N	N	|	D	D	|	P	P	||
	N	N	D-	N	|	N	D	|	N	D	||
	N	N	D	D	|	P	P	|	M	M	||
	D	D	P-	D	|	D	P	|	D	P	||
	D	D	P	P	|	M	M	|	G	G	||
	P	P	M-	P	|	P	M	|	P	M	||
	P	P	M	M	|	G	G	|	R	R	||
	M	M	G-	M	|	M	G	|	M	G	||
	M	M	G	G	|	R	R	|	S	S	||
5	S	S	R	R	|	G-	S	|	R	G	||
	S	S	R	R	|	G	G	|	M	M	||
	R	R	G	G	|	M-	R	|	G	M	||
	R	R	G	G	|	M	M	|	P	P	||
	G	G	M	M	|	P-	G	|	M	P	||
	G	G	M	M	|	P	P	|	D	D	||
	M	M	P	P	|	D-	M	|	P	D	||
	M	M	P	P	|	D	D	|	N	N	||
	P	P	D	D	|	N-	P	|	D	N	||
	P	P	D	D	|	N	N	|	Ṡ	Ṡ	||
	Ṡ	Ṡ	N	N	|	D-	Ṡ	|	N	D	||
	Ṡ	Ṡ	N	N	|	D	D	|	P	P	||
	N	N	D	D	|	P-	N	|	D	P	||
	N	N	D	D	|	P	P	|	M	M	||
	D	D	P	P	|	M-	D	|	P	M	||
	D	D	P	P	|	M	M	|	G	G	||
	P	P	M	M	|	G-	P	|	M	G	||
	P	P	M	M	|	G	G	|	R	R	||
	M	M	G	G	|	R-	M	|	G	R	||
	M	M	G	G	|	R	R	|	S	S	||
6	S	S	,	R	|	R	,	|	G	G	||
	S	S	R	R	|	G	G	|	M	M	||
	R	R	,	G	|	G	,	|	M	M	||
	R	R	G	G	|	M	M	|	P	P	||
	G	G	,	M	|	M	,	|	P	P	||
	G	G	M	M	|	P	P	|	D	D	||
	M	M	,	P	|	P	,	|	D	D	||
	M	M	P	P	|	D	D	|	N	N	||
	P	P	,	D	|	D	,	|	N	N	||
	P	P	D	D	|	N	N	|	Ṡ	Ṡ	||
	Ṡ	Ṡ	,	N	|	N	,	|	D	D	||
	Ṡ	Ṡ	N	N	|	D	D	|	P	P	||
	N	N	,	D	|	D	,	|	P	P	||
	N	N	D	D	|	P	P	|	M	M	||
	D	D	,	P	|	P	,	|	M	M	||
	D	D	P	P	|	M	M	|	G	G	||
	P	P	,	M	|	M	,	|	G	G	||
	P	P	M	M	|	G	G	|	R	R	||
	M	M	,	G	|	G	,	|	R	R	||
	M	M	G	G	|	R	R	|	S	S	||
7	S	,	S	R	|	,	R	|	G	G	||
	S	S	R	R	|	G	G	|	M	M	||
	R	,	R	G	|	,	G	|	M	M	||
	R	R	G	G	|	M	M	|	P	P	||
	G	,	G	M	|	,	M	|	P	P	||
	G	G	M	M	|	P	P	|	D	D	||
	M	,	M	P	|	,	P	|	D	D	||
	M	M	P	P	|	D	D	|	N	N	||
	P	,	P	D	|	,	D	|	N	N	||
	P	P	D	D	|	N	N	|	Ṡ	Ṡ	||
	Ṡ	,	Ṡ	N	|	,	N	|	D	D	||
	Ṡ	Ṡ	N	N	|	D	D	|	P	P	||
	N	,	N	D	|	,	D	|	P	P	||
	N	N	D	D	|	P	P	|	M	M	||
	D	,	D	P	|	,	P	|	M	M	||
	D	D	P	P	|	M	M	|	G	G	||
	P	,	P	M	|	,	M	|	G	G	||
	P	P	M	M	|	G	G	|	R	R	||
	M	,	M	G	|	,	G	|	R	R	||
	M	M	G	G	|	R	R	|	S	S	||
8	S	S	S	R	|	R	R	|	G	G	||
	S	S	R	R	|	G	G	|	M	M	||
	R	R	R	G	|	G	G	|	M	M	||
	R	R	G	G	|	M	M	|	P	P	||
	G	G	G	M	|	M	M	|	P	P	||
	G	G	M	M	|	P	P	|	D	D	||
	M	M	M	P	|	P	P	|	D	D	||
	M	M	P	P	|	D	D	|	N	N	||
	P	P	P	D	|	D	D	|	N	N	||
	P	P	D	D	|	N	N	|	Ṡ	Ṡ	||
	Ṡ	Ṡ	Ṡ	N	|	N	N	|	D	D	||
	Ṡ	Ṡ	N	N	|	D	D	|	P	P	||
	N	N	N	D	|	D	D	|	P	P	||
	N	N	D	D	|	P	P	|	M	M	||
	D	D	D	P	|	P	P	|	M	M	||
	D	D	P	P	|	M	M	|	G	G	||
	P	P	P	M	|	M	M	|	G	G	||
	P	P	M	M	|	G	G	|	R	R	||
	M	M	M	G	|	G	G	|	R	R	||
	M	M	G	G	|	R	R	|	S	S	||

 

9	S	,	R	G	|	,-	S	|	R	G	||
	S	S	R	R	|	G	G	|	M	M	||
	R	,	G	M	|	,-	R	|	G	M	||
	R	R	G	G	|	M	M	|	P	P	||
	G	,	M	P	|	,-	G	|	M	P	||
	G	G	M	M	|	P	P	|	D	D	||
	M	,	P	D	|	,-	M	|	P	D	||
	M	M	P	P	|	D	D	|	N	N	||
	P	,	D	N	|	,-	P	|	D	N	||
	P	P	D	D	|	N	N	|	Ṡ	Ṡ	||
	Ṡ	,	N	D	|	,-	Ṡ	|	N	D	||
	Ṡ	Ṡ	N	N	|	D	D	|	P	P	||
	N	,	D	P	|	,-	N	|	D	P	||
	N	N	D	D	|	P	P	|	M	M	||
	D	,	P	M	|	,-	D	|	P	M	||
	D	D	P	P	|	M	M	|	G	G	||
	P	,	M	G	|	,-	P	|	M	G	||
	P	P	M	M	|	G	G	|	R	R	||
	M	,	G	R	|	,-	M	|	G	R	||
	M	M	G	G	|	R	R	|	S	S	||
10	S	R	,	G	|	,-	S	|	R	G	||
	S	S	R	R	|	G	G	|	M	M	||
	R	G	,	M	|	,-	R	|	G	M	||
	R	R	G	G	|	M	M	|	P	P	||
	G	M	,	P	|	,-	G	|	M	P	||
	G	G	M	M	|	P	P	|	D	D	||
	M	P	,	D	|	,-	M	|	P	D	||
	M	M	P	P	|	D	D	|	N	N	||
	P	D	,	N	|	,-	P	|	D	N	||
	P	P	D	D	|	N	N	|	Ṡ	Ṡ	||
	Ṡ	N	,	D	|	,-	Ṡ	|	N	D	||
	Ṡ	Ṡ	N	N	|	D	D	|	P	P	||
	N	D	,	P	|	,-	N	|	D	P	||
	N	N	D	D	|	P	P	|	M	M	||
	D	P	,	M	|	,-	D	|	P	M	||
	D	D	P	P	|	M	M	|	G	G	||
	P	M	,	G	|	,-	P	|	M	G	||
	P	P	M	M	|	G	G	|	R	R	||
	M	G	,	R	|	,-	M	|	G	R	||
	M	M	G	G	|	R	R	|	S	S	||
11	S	,	R	,	|	G-	S	|	R	G	||
	S	S	R	R	|	G	G	|	M	M	||
	R	,	G	,	|	M-	R	|	G	M	||
	R	R	G	G	|	M	M	|	P	P	||
	G	,	M	,	|	P-	G	|	M	P	||
	G	G	M	M	|	P	P	|	D	D	||
	M	,	P	,	|	D-	M	|	P	D	||
	M	M	P	P	|	D	D	|	N	N	||
	P	,	D	,	|	N-	P	|	D	N	||
	P	P	D	D	|	N	N	|	Ṡ	Ṡ	||
	Ṡ	,	N	,	|	D-	Ṡ	|	N	D	||
	Ṡ	Ṡ	N	N	|	D	D	|	P	P	||
	N	,	D	,	|	P-	N	|	D	P	||
	N	N	D	D	|	P	P	|	M	M	||
	D	,	P	,	|	M-	D	|	P	M	||
	D	D	P	P	|	M	M	|	G	G	||
	P	,	M	,	|	G-	P	|	M	G	||
	P	P	M	M	|	G	G	|	R	R	||
	M	,	G	,	|	R-	M	|	G	R	||
	M	M	G	G	|	R	R	|	S	S	||
12	S	S	M	M	|	G	G	|	R	R	||
	S	S	R	R	|	G	G	|	M	M	||
	R	R	P	P	|	M	M	|	G	G	||
	R	R	G	G	|	M	M	|	P	P	||
	G	G	D	D	|	P	P	|	M	M	||
	G	G	M	M	|	P	P	|	D	D	||
	M	M	N	N	|	D	D	|	P	P	||
	M	M	P	P	|	D	D	|	N	N	||
	P	P	Ṡ	Ṡ	|	N	N	|	D	D	||
	P	P	D	D	|	N	N	|	Ṡ	Ṡ	||
	Ṡ	Ṡ	P	P	|	D	D	|	N	N	||
	Ṡ	Ṡ	N	N	|	D	D	|	P	P	||
	N	N	M	M	|	P	P	|	D	D	||
	N	N	D	D	|	P	P	|	M	M	||
	D	D	G	G	|	M	M	|	P	P	||
	D	D	P	P	|	M	M	|	G	G	||
	P	P	R	R	|	G	G	|	M	M	||
	P	P	M	M	|	G	G	|	R	R	||
	M	M	S	S	|	R	R	|	G	G	||
	M	M	G	G	|	R	R	|	S	S	||