The perfect practice routine.

[Rachel Playfair]

YES!
Matter of fact, starting this Saturday, I am returning back to my getting up earlier so I can do 1 hour in the morning and 1 hour in the evening of music and integrate a structure that will include sessions that specifically cover BOTH Free Bass time and Roland accordion time. I am just toooooo evenly split to want to concentrate on one and miss out on the other.

I will be including a daily journal in a small notebook that will be near my practice area, and I will have a structure laid out that covers scales, arpeggios, Hanon exercises on both accordions. On the Free Bass, I will be focused on curriculum needed for the Royal Conservatory exams and on the Roland it will be focusing on increasing repertoire, and in both "worlds", I am going to be focusing on bettering my foundational playing skills.

I am just fed up of wanting and not being able to do what I want due to time/work/life constraints!

I'm so with you on this. Both the fed up frustrations and the YES to a routine! Working on my structure of what practice will be today because I have two recording dates coming up - one in 2 weeks and a big one end of May, plus a few gigs, and my practice time is so all-over-the-place due to my job taking up too many waking hours. My goal is to become more proficient with the bass notes (I can 'wing' the right hand because I play piano) with propering fingering and really comitting the layout to muscle memory.

 

[NickC]

Practice the pieces/sections at a slower speed with a metronome (sometimes so slow you can hardly recognize the tune) and practice it until you can play it five times without a mistake. Then increase the speed. This will allow you to settle your fingering and improve your technique.

I started doing this the past week and I'm getting good results. It may sound like a slow process, but the excitement from the progress makes it kind of fun.

5. Listen to a ton of the music in the style you want to play, every day.

I have found that trying to emulate the recording reveals a lot of nuance. Sometimes I'll play a tune and it just doesn't sound right because it's missing the feel. But, repeated listening not only helps with the particular tune, but the style in general. There are a lot of little stylistic things that can be applied across the genre and it's fun to pick up on them and incorporate them.

 

[Tom]

I'm strengthening the basics, adding scale/inversions/arpeggios to my practice. Since I am self taught I never knew how to practice these, nor did I understand their utility.

 

[Valski]

I have some friends who play jazz professionally, however they're not accordion players but what they recommend probably makes sense for us also. . They tell me that they play a number of gigs in clubs, however they usually get out and busk most mornings and afternoons and then on evenings they might play a three to four hour gig. This way they end up playing for eight hours most days which also amounts to practice.

Since my friends are professional musicians and it's their main occupation they have the flexibility to devote so much time to playing. This makes sense to me because just like they do I also see dividends when I have a lot of performances within a short period of time.

Perhaps I should get back to basics and work on accordion exercises, however my goal is not to be a virtuoso but to be entertaining enough to play in public for the listening pleasure of an audience. Perhaps I'm delusional, but this setup works for me.

 

[Alans]

Jerry-the rcm syllabus is very good and free online but The Accordion Teacher’s Guild in the U.S. has come out with a new syllabus which starts free bass from grade one. Lots of suggestions for free bass.
Exercises and music there. But it’s expensive to purchase. I wish the RCM woukd update their syllabus but I don’t think they think there is any point anymore.

 

[losthobos]

I think NickC sorta touched on it but the most important/fruitful practice is to find the "voice/style" you wish to project and then immerse yourself totally in that style...CDs in the car, YouTube radio etc, grab some tutors of YouTube in said style on any instrument
Absorb the nuances, trademarks, cliches, turnarounds that make that style work and try and emulate them..
Most of the great players of any instrument were really only masters of their own sound and the accordion being such a wonderful and diverse machine gives the potential to play many styles...and it's easy to get caught up in "playing the accordion" rather than "playing music"....
Remember it's not a competition it's a conversation you should be having.

 

[JerryPH]

Jerry-the rcm syllabus is very good and free online but The Accordion Teacher’s Guild in the U.S. has come out with a new syllabus which starts free bass from grade one. Lots of suggestions for free bass.
Exercises and music there. But it’s expensive to purchase. I wish the RCM woukd update their syllabus but I don’t think they think there is any point anymore.

Well, I've got the material for the first 5-6 grades, and it wasn't horribly expensive, and after grade 5 where its all Free Bass, that part is strictly just Piano sheet music, and that is way easier to find. I think that I am OK for the time being, even if I don't pass the exams with the RCM "on schedule", its still all fun. Where they are VERY weak in providing information is the history/theory/harmony/composition sections that start not far after the 3rd-ish course... I've not called the RCM about that, but the Syllabus is completely vacant of any info on that. I'm not feeling any pressure, honestly, as I have access to a good 100 or so books on musical theory... but it would be nice to have an exact book to know where they are going to be pulling their structure from.

Any links to the ATG's Free Bass syllabus? There is no info on their website that I was able to find after a brief search on (I did find their email section and asked there via email for info).

Jerry

 

[Alans]

I didn’t realize you are planning on taking an exam.which level will you work on and are you doing free bass?
The atg syllabus is not on line and with the exchange it is extremely expensive.
Jerry you talked about studying with two teachers way back when-was your other teacher Glenn Sawich?
The syllabus for theory never changes and you can purchase a syllabus guide plus practise exams. I don’t believe you need to take a first exam before grade six and that is theory rudiments which I’m sure you can do in your sleep. The syllabus indicates the co-requisites for each performance exam. I phoned them years ago because the stradella syllabus is very much,out of date. They said you can substitute pieces. If you are doing grade five or six there is an inexpensive book written by Boris Borgstrom who lives in st. Catherine’s-it covers exercises for stradella and free from one to six. Boris is very old but he’s written many compositions,mostly for free bass. Keith will know him as he lives in st. Catherine’s. If you can find him tell him what you are looking for-it’s the rcm grade one to six supplementary exercises-white soft cover. You may be able to get Remenyi to order it or Keith might have copies. I believe it includes all of the technical requirements for those grades. As I said Boris is very old and all of his music is “in his basement” in boxes. But he did find what I was looking for. Check with Keith first,he probably has copies. I really wanted to do all of the exams but memorization is required for every level and that’s too daunting for me.
In case you don’t know-sorry for blabbing so much-I too have dreamed about taking the exams for fun-the theory requirements are grade two rudiments,grade three harmony,counterpoint and three history exams- one of which is 20th century. You don’t have to do the co-requisites but if you don’t do them you don’t get the diploma and you can’t do an Arct without completing all of the exams in a certain period of time. The written exams don’t have to coincide with the performance ones-you get a few years to do both.
The atg syllabus is only good for atg conventions. You can follow their syllabus but you must attend their convention-next one in Chicago-to achieve a grade.
Each rcm grade requires ear tests at the time of the performance,sing and clap back and sight reading. The sight reading is always a few levels behind the
Pieces.
And of course if taking a written exam,keep in mind overwhelmingly all of your fellow examines won’t be older than twelve.

 

[JerryPH]

1. I didn’t realize you are planning on taking an exam.which level will you work on and are you doing free bass?
2. Jerry you talked about studying with two teachers way back when-was your other teacher Glenn Sawich?
The syllabus for theory never changes and you can purchase a syllabus guide plus practise exams. I don’t believe you need to take a first exam before grade six and that is theory rudiments which I’m sure you can do in your sleep.

I was planning on taking the RCM exams, the RCM are still giving them. I've not taken any yet, the big stuff was finding their curriculum, but with a TON of research and finally the lucky chance of again meeting and talking to the man himself (Boris Borgstrom, maker of about 50% of the music in the first few exams), I am near all good now for around the first 5 exams, and yes I was going the "all freee bass" route, no Stradella.

I am using the RCM syllabus directly and am registered with the RCM for when it comes time to register and start taking exams.

The 2 teachers I had at the RCM? Glenn Sawich and Joe Macerollo for a few lessons when Glenn was unable to be there. As for Boris, I was at his home perhaps 5 years ago and did have a nice talk with him at Kieth's place in Burlington along with Walter Ostanek.

BTW, Boris Borgstrom *just* sold all rights to his music to some company in the USA, so Boris won't be a contact for his music anymore in the future. I've posted it a couple of times, but I met Boris (and his friend Walter Ostanek) at Keith's in Burlington last fall.

I really wanted to do all of the exams but memorization is required for every level and that’s too daunting for me.

It's memorization only for the pieces, not the exercises or etudes, everything else can be read from.

In case you don’t know-sorry for blabbing so much-I too have dreamed about taking the exams for fun-the theory requirements are grade two rudiments,grade three harmony,counterpoint and three history exams- one of which is 20th century. You don’t have to do the co-requisites but if you don’t do them you don’t get the diploma and you can’t do an Arct without completing all of the exams in a certain period of time. The written exams don’t have to coincide with the performance ones-you get a few years to do both.

That is the one that is the mosts concerning of all, not knowing exactly WHAT books they are pulling questions from, it is very hard to prepare. Theory, harmony, composition are all standard, but history can be VAST. What history, what country from what era/dates? I could spend a lifetime prepping just for history of accordion only to find out that they want to know the lineage of Baroque music or how many hits Miley Cyrus made in 1990... I have no freaking clue, and that is where I am going to call them again and ask... but I am not hopeful, because the last time I asked, the could not answer, and that was scary.

Each rcm grade requires ear tests at the time of the performance,sing and clap back and sight reading. The sight reading is always a few levels behind the Pieces. And of course if taking a written exam,keep in mind overwhelmingly all of your fellow examines won’t be older than twelve.

I'll be doing it all, nice and slow to my own pace. And you would be surprised at the ages. Kieth knows a couple that are taking their first and fifth Freee Bass exams this summer, and they are 44 and 26. Not that this matters, all exams are on ZOOM and individual.

 

[Alans]

All sounds great. Must have been very interesting meeting with Boris B. One is only required to know the history of the accordion for the arct. All history before that the level is the same as for every other instrument-and as I wrote,almost all of the examinees are about twelve so..they are standard history exams,three covering three vast periods of music. The Rcm+Frederick Harris publishers sell syllabi for both history and theory. I believe you can also purchase study guides for each level. The people at the rcm examination dept. don’t know anything about the accordion exam as almost no one takes it. I think Keith or Boris..can assist you. It’s a great goal and I look forward to hearing how you progress.

 

[dunlustin]

On this:
"The Chord Melody Method for Accordion" by Gary Dahl.
I bought it from curiosity.
Can't remember ever buying a book with (online) audio that covers just the first 16 of 55 pages.
You may well not have a problem with that but it's nice to know.

 

[JerryPH]

IMHO it depends on one thing... if its the LAST 16 pages that is included, cool, leave the easy stuff out. If it's the first 16 pages then someone did not do their job... lol

 

[saundersbp]

So, do you have a standard practice routine? What is it? And why do you think it is helpful?

Yes I do but I may be a bad person as I have never done technical exercises or exams on any instrument and only play for fun, even if that's professionally on the organ i need to enjoy it!

For the accordion. I try and practice before work - like 7am to 8.30am ish, then have breakfast and then begin the day properly. I practice what I am planning to play in public next year and always start with what I am most hopeless at in my little set list. Every couple of weeks or so I record it on my phone so I have an unforgiving ear.

For 2024 its:
Bach - Partita 1
Vierne - Berceuse
Some Irish ditties
French Rondeaus - famous ones by Couperin, Rameau and Daquin
Glass - Etudes 1 and 6 (I count these as my technical excercises!)
Piazzolla - Chiquillin de bachin and Libertango (I play these because people know them and like them)

 

[JerryPH]

Yes I do but I may be a bad person as I have never done technical exercises or exams on any instrument and only play for fun, even if that's professionally on the organ i need to enjoy it!

If its not fun, its not worth doing. I use the exercises as feeler gauges and warmup exercises because exercises are technical aspects that are in all songs, but not all songs have the same exerices, so in a way I am preparing for not some music, but all future songs. I can also push myself much harder through an exercise than a song. It's not often we play songs at a metronome controlled 200bps or more, yet scales, arpeggios, etc... are pushed to that level and above on a regular basis... or should be.

Exams... I *hate* exams, but if I was 20 years old again, I'd do them all in a heartbeat. But that said I've gathered up materials that are from the Royal Conservatory of Music and have been doing the exam material on my own. At 63, I figure I am intelligent enough to know when I've done an exam item properly, and just don't need to pay someone to say "yup, passed, here is the paper certificate... what's your credit card info again?"

If I had the desire and was going for a degree, fine.. but I am not, so I am taking advantage of the material, just doing it on my own terms.

 

[JKJ]

For the accordion. I try and practice before work - like 7am to 8.30am ish, then have breakfast and then begin the day properly.

Before work? What is this “work” thing? (I sometimes forget, having been retired for 17 years…)

But I sure wish I could practice in the morning, especially since I’m usually up well before 5am. But others in the family sleep late, seldom up before 9, sometimes 10 or later. [sigh]

Most mornings I walk down to the barn at 7 or so to check on things and I keep some other instruments in the shop by the barn (sadly, no room for a piano).

But you’ve inspired me - I’m just starting to learn the accordion. I think I’ll try carrying it up & down the hill for morning prime time. The llamas and alpacas are already up then!

JKJ

 

[Tom]

Before work? What is this “work” thing? (I sometimes forget, having been retired for 17 years…)

But I sure wish I could practice in the morning, especially since I’m usually up well before 5am. But others in the family sleep late, seldom up before 9, sometimes 10 or later. [sigh]

Most mornings I walk down to the barn at 7 or so to check on things and I keep some other instruments in the shop by the barn (sadly, no room for a piano).

But you’ve inspired me - I’m just starting to learn the accordion. I think I’ll try carrying it up & down the hill for morning prime time. The llamas and alpacas are already up then!

JKJ

You’ve highlighted the number 1 reason people buy an all digital accordion. Volume knob and headphones.

 

[JKJ]

You’ve highlighted the number 1 reason people buy an all digital accordion. Volume knob and headphones.

That's a good idea. I thought about it until I looked at the prices. Since I'm a complete accordion novice I think I'd better first see if I can learn to play what I have before I buy another.

I understand the usefulness, though. I used a "Silent Brass" for the french horn which let me practice while another person could sit next to me on the couch and watch TV - we could connect two of these so a trumpet-playing buddy and I could could warm up and practice with others in the room!

And although when I play piano I far prefer the real thing (I have a 7' Baldwin), for years when playing in the middle of the night I used headphones connected to this to let the family sleep:



...a couple of 88-key midi keyboard controllers (a Yamaha KX88 and Kurzweil MIDI board) and a some good Kurzweil synths. The only thing the family could hear was the clicking of the keys, not a problem! (We have no room for any of this in this house so all this sits in a storage room, anyone need some?)

If I can get get to where my aging brain and fingers are comfortable with the left hand of the accordion I may consider a digital. Although, I sure do like the acoustic sound!

Oh, I know - maybe build a sound-proofed extension on the house! I'll check with the boss/estate manager/Lovely Bride/SWMBO and see how that goes over...

JKJ

 

[JerryPH]

Before work? What is this “work” thing? (I sometimes forget, having been retired for 17 years…)
But I sure wish I could practice in the morning, especially since I’m usually up well before 5am. But others in the family sleep late, seldom up before 9, sometimes 10 or later. [sigh]

There are people here that would LOVE to do that, I've been getting up at 5:00am to try to find a spare 30 minutes to play, but that doesn't happen as I need to be at work by 7:00am to start the morning prep routine... yeah, I'm still working and will be for a few years yet. I have an incredible location, an entire basement set up for my accordion storage, recording audio/video studio and practice area, for me it is always about TIME.

But you’ve inspired me - I’m just starting to learn the accordion. I think I’ll try carrying it up & down the hill for morning prime time. The llamas and alpacas are already up then!

I am sure the alpacas will appreciate it, but it will be easy to know if the llamas are enjoying it... if they are spitting, time to move... lol

 

[Tom]

Way things are going with inflation I may have to go back to work. I do OK on tips at the farmers markets but lack of talent makes paying gigs elusive for now. I should have started playing at 5 instead of 55. Well, maybe it wouldn’t have made a difference.

 

[JerryPH]

Way things are going with inflation I may have to go back to work. I do OK on tips at the farmers markets but lack of talent makes paying gigs elusive for now. I should have started playing at 5 instead of 55. Well, maybe it wouldn’t have made a difference.

You are doing better than me... there's no one paying me to play lately... LOL