Posted by Grassapelli on Sunday, December 5, 2010
The past two months I've gotten on a rant with my students. A low pressure one, but still insistent.
I've talked with them about not fixing flubs. Now I'm guiding them through particular practice techniques to eliminate the flubs.
A fresh article about this is now available on the Fiddle-Violin blog.
Also, I just posted O Holy Night in violin tab on 100 Fiddle Tunes.
I hope you are enjoying this time of year as much as I am.
4 comments on “Don't Fix the Flub”
cheekee Says:
Sunday, December 5, 2010 @9:12:39 PM
YES! i swear i tell my students this very thing. i don't teach fiddle, but i do teach other instruments and i have the same problem with my students just not following through with their practice in an effective manner week after week. i teach them, i model for them, i show them how to use the metronome, we practice with the metronome (i teach classical stuff mainly), i record portions of the lesson and email it to them, i write down explicit (but short) instructions on how to learn a piece quickly. i tell parents what to listen for in their children's practicing. but...no matter what, i say the same things every week about effective practice.
it's strange to me because i was a kid learning an instrument for the first time once too, and i got in trouble for not practicing like every other kid does at some point. but somehow, i always understood this learning process and did it not because someone told me to, but because it made sense. when i didn't do it, it was just because i couldn't be bothered. last week, i had 2 students finally get it after 5 years of lessons, and now they're progressing like wildfire. when asked, one of the girls said, "i know you always told me to do it like that. i just didn't. i don't know why cuz it makes sense." sigh.
bj Says:
Monday, December 6, 2010 @9:50:05 AM
I've been working to try to get my beginner jammers to play through any mistake they make when we're playing up to speed, without stopping the flow of play, an essential jam skill. If they can learn to do that, half the battle is won. I suggested to one gal she leave every other note out of the problematical area, and next time we played it she got through it fine. Then, over the next few weeks she'd add one formerly jettisoned note back in at a time. I'm not a teacher, per se, but end up playing that role often as the jam organizer. I'll suggest your method for home practice. Mine seems to help make things work for jam playing.
cheekee Says:
Monday, December 6, 2010 @3:58:15 PM
i think i left out the most important thing...or i deleted it or something...i really do tell my students that there is a difference between home practice and group practice and performance. ha ha ha ha!!! must've been snoozin. geeze.
Humbled by this instrument Says:
Monday, December 6, 2010 @8:49:31 PM
Yeah, playing the part slowly helps much. Yet then too, what did Uncle Jerry (Garcia) say, "It's just another note." Sometimes I just accept that I'm gonna hit that "'nother note" time to time.
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