Received: by 10.180.73.134 with SMTP id l6mr2708596wiv.1.1350310640788;
        Mon, 15 Oct 2012 07:17:20 -0700 (PDT)
MIME-Version: 1.0
Path: q10ni65132120wif.0!nntp.google.com!proxad.net!feeder1-2.proxad.net!usenet-fr.net!gegeweb.org!aioe.org!.POSTED!not-for-mail
From: "Steve Freides" <st...@kbnj.com>
Newsgroups: rec.music.classical.guitar
Subject: Re: Practice Faster, Not Slower?
Date: Mon, 15 Oct 2012 10:17:24 -0400
Organization: Aioe.org NNTP Server
Lines: 32
Message-ID: <k5h5tc$vdo$1@speranza.aioe.org>
References: <b9a3ca77-e82b-455a-9aed-7582681af142@googlegroups.com>
NNTP-Posting-Host: blbCf/gUMYorLyn2VxIQLA.user.speranza.aioe.org
X-Complaints-To: abuse@aioe.org
X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2900.6157
X-RFC2646: Format=Flowed; Original
X-Notice: Filtered by postfilter v. 0.8.2
X-Newsreader: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2900.5931
X-Priority: 3
X-MSMail-Priority: Normal

Alphonsus Jr. wrote:
> According to the principles of "deliberate practice," one should very
> mindfully push oneself during practice to play challenging passages a
> bit faster than comfortable. Good advice?

See Occam's Razor.  One should practice in an intelligent, mindful 
manner, using a variety of methods chosen with an eye towards improving 
one or perhaps a few aspects of performance.

Speaking for myself only, I have found that when I know I will have to 
play a passage in performance that is beyond my technical abilities, I 
benefit the most - and therefore end up performing it best - when most 
of my practice is within my comfort zone, especially at the beginning of 
the period of time during which I'll be practicing the piece.

Slight change of subject - one thing pianists do much more often than 
guitarists, at least in my experience, is not play all the music that's 
written.  Particularly with an orchestral reduction, e.g., I recently 
accompanied a Weber clarinet concerto, me on piano - I on the fly 
"edited" to come up with a simpler orchestral reduction that fit my own 
playing abilities better.  I didn't bother to write down my changes, I 
just figured out what I thought was the best solution to the problems of 
the score as they came up.

Another slight change of subject - I don't think one should perform 
"challenging" passages if at all possible.  Work on them until they're 
no longer challenging.  Speaking as an audience member, I don't enjoy 
watching someone struggle.

-S-