Repetition, Repitition, Repetition

Hey everyone, sorry about the tardy blog entry. I recently auditioned for a spot in a local group, so now I’ll be much more prolific in my performing. Stay tuned for updates on my performance schedule in the next month or so. More details later.

As a performer, one of the best compliments you can receive is someone remarking that “you make that look so easy!” We’ve all seen and enjoyed performances like that. In some cases, those performances inspired us to pick up the instrument or practice more seriously. When somebody gives you this compliment, that means you’re doing your job. It should look easy. Nobody wants to go to a performance and watch someone struggle on stage. People’s lives are challenging enough without having to sit on the edge of their seats wondering if you are going to pull off that difficult lick or not. The next time you witness an inspiring performance, take note of how that musician comes across. They make it look so fun; like they’re having the time of their life performing for you.

Any professional musician (or athlete for that matter) will tell you that it’s all about repetition. You play something until it becomes routine, maybe even boring. As a teacher, I hear the phrase “well, I could play it perfectly at home!” on a daily basis. Sure, my 5’5” frame is probably overwhelmingly intimidating to students of all ages, but the core issue is a lack of repetition. If you play something incorrectly 9 times in a row, and then manage to accidentally play it right the tenth time, you’ve practiced it incorrectly more than you’ve practiced it correctly. Ideally, my students would learn the item they are practicing a couple days after their lesson. Then, they could spend the rest of the week getting comfortable with it. Unfortunately, most probably practice their assignment the night before, or morning of, their lesson. Virtuoso players often speak of their teachers having them play a difficult passage perfectly 100 times IN A ROW without a mistake before they can move on. If they make a mistake, they start over at zero. In Volume 2 of his method book for classical guitar, Christopher Parkening recommends playing an entire piece perfectly 7 times in a row before considering it ready for performance.

This principle also corresponds directly to replacing sloppiness with consistency. When you are developing or enhancing a technique, bite off small pieces that are easy to chew. Start with something that only has a few notes. Work that small chunk up to the point where you can play it with absolute clarity and rhythmic accuracy. Then, rinse and repeat to the point where it is effortless. Later on, work your way up to longer passages and licks. Playing the same long lick over and over with mistakes will get you nowhere. Next time, we’ll look at some examples of short licks (speed bursts) that you can incorporate into your practice routine.