Comments on: Mental Music Practice http://www.classicalguitarblog.net/2009/06/mental-music-practice/ classical guitar lessons, tips, tricks and interviews Mon, 08 Mar 2010 11:59:46 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Aleksandar http://www.classicalguitarblog.net/2009/06/mental-music-practice/comment-page-1/#comment-1559 Aleksandar Sun, 25 Oct 2009 15:25:21 +0000 http://www.classicalguitarblog.net/?p=1570#comment-1559 I'd like to look at the topic from diferent angle: There is an saying: "practice makes perfect". And of course every skilled musician (or athlete or actor...) knows it's not quite true,what is true is actually :"PERFECT practice makes perfect". That means in simple words,playing a piece two times perfectly is much,much more benefitial than playing the same piece 2o times with mistakes. here is where comes "mental practice" for me.You can imagine whatever you want right? Than imagine playing a piece PERFECTLY!! Imagine playing with perfect tone,with perfect confidence,with smooth moves. Imagine that it's IMPOSSIBLE to make a single mistake . Maybe you can't play perfectly but you can imagine that! (little example to ilustrate: you can't jump 4 meters high,But can you imagine that? Of course you can!Try it and feel it!) Also as author already said,it is a great way for memorization (which in return gives you greater confidence that you can play well) Another aproach for vizualization (involving real playing) is playing with eyes closed. At first it is dificult but with time you improve quickly,and playing with eyes closed you are forced to visualize what you play (frets,strings, chord shapes etc...) I’d like to look at the topic from diferent angle:
There is an saying: “practice makes perfect”.
And of course every skilled musician (or athlete or actor…) knows it’s not quite true,what is true is actually :”PERFECT practice makes perfect”.
That means in simple words,playing a piece two times perfectly is much,much more benefitial than playing the same piece 2o times with mistakes.
here is where comes “mental practice” for me.You can imagine whatever you want right? Than imagine playing a piece PERFECTLY!!
Imagine playing with perfect tone,with perfect confidence,with smooth moves.
Imagine that it’s IMPOSSIBLE to make a single mistake .
Maybe you can’t play perfectly but you can imagine that!
(little example to ilustrate: you can’t jump 4 meters high,But can you imagine that? Of course you can!Try it and feel it!)
Also as author already said,it is a great way for memorization (which in return gives you greater confidence that you can play well)
Another aproach for vizualization (involving real playing) is playing with eyes closed.
At first it is dificult but with time you improve quickly,and playing with eyes closed you are forced to visualize what you play (frets,strings, chord shapes etc…)

]]> By: Mike Saville http://www.classicalguitarblog.net/2009/06/mental-music-practice/comment-page-1/#comment-863 Mike Saville Thu, 11 Jun 2009 05:53:30 +0000 http://www.classicalguitarblog.net/?p=1570#comment-863 You are right that not much research has been done into music practice. The best I have found is: H. Jorgensen and A. C. Lehmann, Eds., Does Practice Make Perfect?: Current Theory and Research on Instrument Music Practice. (89-107) Oslo, Norway: NMH-Publikasjoner. 1997 Which is a series of research papers on the subject. I'm trying to construct a bibliography of books & journal articles on practice at my blog (howtopractise.com/biblio). I do have a long list of things offline which I need to update this list with. I'm going to try and do this over the next couple of days - if you've any resources I don't have I'd love to know what they are. You are right that not much research has been done into music practice. The best I have found is:

H. Jorgensen and A. C. Lehmann, Eds., Does Practice Make Perfect?: Current Theory and Research on Instrument Music Practice. (89-107) Oslo, Norway: NMH-Publikasjoner. 1997

Which is a series of research papers on the subject.

I’m trying to construct a bibliography of books & journal articles on practice at my blog (howtopractise.com/biblio). I do have a long list of things offline which I need to update this list with. I’m going to try and do this over the next couple of days – if you’ve any resources I don’t have I’d love to know what they are.

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