The best practice routine....?

[tonywh]

I do not make any claim to the "best practice routine, but can only relate my experience as a complete beginner. I joined this forum 2 or 3 weeks ago and have found it to be very encouraging and informative - good to hear of others experiencing the same difficulties as me.
As I said in my introductory forum message I acquired my accordion a year ago, having never played a musical instrument and totally unable to read music. I tried one session with a tutor but things did not work out, for reasons not unconnected with my lack of knowledge. I therefore decided to teach myself initially with the aid of two books, one by Basil Bunelik and the other by Karen Tweed, also using the considerable amount of material on the internet.
I started off by practising for 10-15 minutes per day, at which point the mental effort overcame the desire to learn. As familiarity increased I was able to do about 30 minutes and able to play simple pieces (with the right hand). My practice sessions would consist of playing the scales, then a set piece, then something new. In the last month or so I felt I have reached a sort of "plateau", unsure of where to go next, so I had a single lesson with a (different) tutor, seeking guidance. This proved to be very helpful and I was given simple pieces to practice (Merrily we Roll Along, Happy Birthday) and arpeggios. It was suggested that I should practice both hands together. I have also downloaded the Hanon exercises which I practice.
At the moment I feel that I can make positive progress. I have also agreed with the tutor that I can have another session when I feel ready. This enables me to work at my own speed.
Although very keen on learning the instrument, there always seems to be some task (perceived to be) more urgent than practicing. This tendency must be curbed.
tonywh

 

[Stephen Hawkins]

I think that I am roughly at the same level as Tony, though my method differs slightly from his.

Brenda goes out to the shops for an hour or two on most days, leaving me to my own devices. This has become my main practice time.

I practice one tune, over and over again. Sometimes I get it wrong, but repetition builds familiarity with both the tune and the instrument. Over the few short weeks I have been practicing, I have (almost) nailed a couple of popular tunes.

The duration of my practice sessions varies according to our social plans. Though it is fairly ad hoc, I guess I put in about an hour a day in total.

Due to the fact that I only want the accordion for playing simple folk melodies, I thought that a 12 Bass accordion would offer sufficient range. My 12 Bass Galotta sounds beautiful when played by an expert, and will be a great addition to the Folk Club once I have learned to play it properly.

If, at some time in the future, I decide that I need a bigger accordion, I will review my options. For the time being, however, my little Galotta is just the ticket for a novice player such as myself.

Kind Regards,

Stephen Hawkins.

 

[JerryPH]

Looking back on my earlier years, my amount of practice was nothing short of abusive. Started at 4, by the age of 5 I was doing 2-3 hours a day, 7 days a week. At the age of 16, on the weekends it was a MINIMUM of 10 hours per day and even with school, hockey and martial arts, I still had to do 20 hours a week. I did not have hair on my left forearm and left leg until I was in my 30's... lol

I was "permitted" to have one Sunday a month off, but though I was not playing, I recall often having books on composition in my lap. Holidays, I was not practicing, but I was always performing for the family. Near the end of age 16, going on 17, I was physically burned out. As my friend explained it (I was allowed friends, but only if they were in the room with me, watching me practice near the end of the session), we were talking, the eyes rolled into the back of my head and I passed out. When I woke up, it was 3 weeks later. I had been in a coma for 2 weeks, unresponsive for the 3rd week and on dialysis most of the time. My body had shut down as a form of self-protection.

The official diagnosis was made by the doctor that said "well, if he didn't know that he was burning himself out, and stopped or slowed down, so his body made the decision for him..."

The day I woke, I was unable to speak and walk. Talking came back slowly over the course of about 10 days and walking took me another 2 weeks. Soon after that I was sent home... but my days of playing music at these highest of levels was forever over. When I passed the music room for the longest time, I would get the shakes and could not even open the door. It took me maybe 10 months before I could go into the room and play small practice pieces, and I had to be alone and the door closed, but most of the skills I had worked so hard to attain were gone by then and I decided to move on in life. The accordion went into a case, I quit school to work and at one point, for 25 years never looked back, never even looked at an accordion... until about a week ago, when I joined up here. Even then, back when I did play a little, it was no longer Lizst, Beethoven or Handel. The classical pieces that I was enamoured with were memories I had associated with pain and I refused to even look at the music... but I fell into basic European music (Czech and German mostly), as that was my heritage and was the music I heard so much throughout my life. Songs from the 30's, 40's and a few from the 50's-60's was about where I felt most comfortable.

Now, before people get the impression that it was my parent's fault... not really. Sure, they motivated and supported me completely (how many 12-year-olds can say that their parents flew from Canada to the Hohner factory in Trossingen Germany for a custom assembled $7700US accordion in the early 1970's?), I was very much an OCD personality even when young, and even today must take care, as I can easily fall into behaviors that could be labeled as such (at 53 years of age, I started Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, fell in love with it and for the first 2 years, went 6 times a week, 2 hours at a time and took private 1 hour lessons 3 times a week for almost a year... super EXCESSIVE for me, as I almost burned out yet again. I had to stop all training for 2 months before restarting... and now I go 3 times a week for no more than 1-2 hours). Suffice to say, I listen to my body very carefully today.

I suppose the "normal" person puts in about an hour a day, a few times a week, anything more than that today falls into my definition of a well motivated or passionate music (and instrument) lover. I don't see myself ever being a big practicer. Beginning arthritis is a big reason for this as is a lot of my old feelings about longer practice sessions.

More important than how many hours per day is consistency. Play only an hour a day, and play 3 times a week consistently for a year and you will have progressed an impressive amount in that time, but if you play 3 hours a day, stop a month, pick it up for a week or two, stop a month again... in a year you will have gained less than 1/2 than if you played less, but played consistently. In the end, each person will do exactly the amount of practicing that they want.

 

[Matt Butcher]

That is quite a life story. It would seem a really good outcome if you could get some pleasure from the box now - but it's not for me to say is it? That striving for perfection, that will only ever be a fantasy for me, I barely strive for mediocrity. But (selfishly?) I'm glad that others do push themselves. Just maybe not that hard.

 

[JerryPH]

I kind of look at scales arpeggios as being warmup items to do before getting into things. Once you do them for a long time, they get boring, so move on to more progressive or advanced exercises. They are important, though, because they build and reinforce muscle memory. strength and flexibility and they are one of the foundations of music. One cannot build a house on sand, it will never stand. Strong foundations, strong house.

Scales were always done in 3's... normally, legato and staccato. Right hand, left hand, both hands together. First in unison, then in opposite directions. This is where having a free bass accordion gets fun, however, it can also be done on any kind of accordion.

After that, get into the music. Everyone has a different method, however, I used to like to play the easy ones at the start, get gradually more difficult and end with the most technically challenging pieces. This kind of forces you to be there mentally and physically when you are at your weakest, most tired. Kind of like building muscle, you have to break things down a bit to reach higher peaks. Alternate days... one day you push harder a bit, the second day, go less for endurance and exercises but go for the music/expression. The 2nd days are repertoire extending days. You start new songs or work on songs that you feel need more work.

Just a suggestion... there are a million ways of playing with these things. Play with variations, find your favs and change often to keep things interesting and fresh.

 

[JerryPH]

That is quite a life story. It would seem a really good outcome if you could get some pleasure from the box now - but its not for me to say is it? That striving for perfection, that will only ever be a fantasy for me, I barely strive for mediocrity. But (selfishly?) Im glad that others do push themselves. Just maybe not that hard.

Being mediocre for me now is a pleasure. No pressure to always try to be perfect. Mistakes are laughed at (and I plan to laugh a LOT while playing) and I just want to make it fun.

I actually met a young lady at the conservatory that apparently made my schedule look like a walk in the park... dont recall her name and I never knew what happened to her after I stopped. I hope she got from her experience what she wanted, she seemed like a totally sincere and genuinely good person.

 

[NigelB]

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[Soulsaver]

Like that Nigel - see here, too, 2nd post. http://www.accordionists.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=2008&hilit=your+tips

 

[james_from_stoke]

I have a very casual approach to life, so things are a bit spontaneous as regards practice. I am fairly incapable of planning, and when I do plan things I absolutely have to stick to it at all costs or else. This never happens, as secondary school doesn't allow for that kind of thing. I fit the accordion in around whatever else is going on, but have quite a limited window during the week - I play in my bedroom and through the wall is next door's toddler, so anything after about half seven is a no go. I tend to play for about half an hour about five days a week. When I first started, I played for about an hour daily, but I didn't have quite the same time pressure then, and the house next door was for sale.
I am self taught, and tend to play whatever folk things I used to play on the violin, along with some tunes that I only discovered after I started the accordion, by people like Andy Cutting, John Spiers and Alan Kelly.
My practice sessions consist of a couple of familiar tunes at a decent speed to get me warmed up (nothing slow, as this seems to actually make me worse), then whatever comes into my head for about twenty minutes, although if something that I need to practice comes into my head I'll devote a bit more time to that - I spent about a week trying to crack Horizonto (andy cutting) this way before I got it in the bag. Then, at the end, I try and challenge myself with something difficult played at an ever increasing speed until I can't really hold it together any more and the neighbours start to get angry. And that's that.
I can read music, and I have a decent collection of folk tunes from my violin playing days, but I find it very dull to play from sheets, and when I do play from sheets I only use it as a prompt to get the gist of the tune, then commit it to memory. I never do scales/arpeggios etc, as I do not enjoy them, and that is the reason I play the accordion - I love it. I prefer to do what I enjoy. That is the reason I also gave up on playing the violin remotely seriously - I can't stand forced practice for examinations. Give me a choice and I might play a tune every night, but tell me that I have to do it and no way will I do it.
So, that's me. Music teacher's worst nightmare, but it works for me, and I love it. I can still make progress when I want to, but I can just coast along without pressure when I want aswell.

 

[Stephen Hawkins]

Despite my questionable practice regime, I do feel that I am making steady (slow) progress.

During this morning's practice session, I took a little trip across the Atlantic Ocean. You see, I was working out the key changes for "Bobby Shaftoe", and thought that I was doing very nicely. On speeding up the tune a little, I suddenly noticed that I was actually playing "I'm A Yankee Doodle Dandy."

How this happened, I cannot even guess. The result was pleasing enough, though I would have preferred to finish the same tune I started. Age and numerous bangs on the head (I'm a former Rugby Player) may account for this unintended lapse in concentration/rubbish playing. (delete which is inapplicable)

I'm going to have a go at "The Wild Rover" tomorrow, and will let you know what I finally end up playing. With any luck it will be "The Wayward Wind", and I will have killed two birds with one stone. Who says it isn't a good practice regime?

Kind Regards,

Stephen Hawkins.

 

[Meerkatdawg]

I use my previous experience in practising and apply it to the Accordion. This is an every day routine

Warm up playing short tune of my choice. Something simple that I don't have to think about. Repeat until warm. :b
5-10 mins of scales and arpeggios. I choose one key a week and work on that.
Work on piece set that week. If new, I'll try the basic fingerings out on the piano. Decide on dynamics etc and basic chords if not there already.
Work on difficult sections using the coin trick. If I play it once correctly I get a coin for my stack...if wrongly I get my coins taken away. Once I get 3 coins in my stack I reset and try to get 5 coins in my stack and if successful I move on to 10 coins. If I get all ten coins then I move onto the next section that needs practise.I know it seems like a lot of work but it's been my go to and helps me greatly.

Tentative play through of full piece at lower speed. Repetition at higher speed...these are all with metronome. Then a real hell for leather.

Finally I muck about for as long as I want playing improvisations and tunes I've already learnt.

Time for the whole shebang...as long as it takes when i have the time. Can be a 20 minute gloss over or a 4 hour back breaker.

 

[Pianoman1]

Since I started lessons I have a regular pattern of 30 minutes every day bearing mind I play piano and teach it - I play and teach acoustic - classical - flamenco and jazz guitar and I also sing and teach singing, other than that my time is my own

I am keeping it at short sessions at the moment because I want to develop and maintain a quality of sound
I can learn material on the piano or keyboard as my sight reading is reasonable. To me the priority is to produce the best sound I can at present which requires some concentration

 

[JerryPH]

It's pretty much like anything in life... the more productive time you put into it, the faster you get better. That can be said of pretty much anything.

I am a strong believer in quality instruction. It's certainly not for everyone, but if you have a level or standard you want to attain, putting in the time with a qualified instructor along with many hours of personal practice time is the is most effective way of reaching that goal.

That said, the instructor can only get you so far and the rest is always in the hands of the individual where their natural skill and desire define how fast one advances.

Basically Arnold had it right... the recepie apparently really is "no pain, no gain". {} {}

 

[Pianoman1]

Last posted in June which was a hectic month due to illness I find the time to do 30 - 40 minutes per day with teaching and other instruments I am memorising Christmas Carols at present with a view to doing some public playing in the next few weeks

I have more volume - more control and when I remember more smoothness

I am lucky that I can do my own arrangements and that works better for me

Re scales i do both hands as well and arps and thirds and octaves in the right hand plus chromatics
The main thing for me is that PA touch is NOT piano touch and to be much smoother in playing