Time Signature

Tempo is the speed at which you play a piece. Keeping up with tempo can actually be one of the most frustrating skills to learn and execute, especially with fast piano pieces. I’ve put together five essential tips for improving your tempo capabilities.

1. Begin all pieces by counting carefully, especially for beginner piano players.

If you’re just a beginner, learning to count out load is the only way to find out your own idea of counting with time. You should also be able to understand the time signature at the beginning of the piece, which looks like a mathematical fraction. The top number indicates the number of beats per measure and the denominator indicates the note per beat.

2. Use a metronome to ensure accurate speed and beat counting.

A metronome is a ticking pendulum (electronic or manual) that indicates the exact tempo of a musical piece. No matter how much of an advanced pianist you are, you never cease to be amazed at how honest the metronome can be. I am always surprised at the errors I find in my own playing when I incorporate the metronome. If you use the metronome in your practicing process, you will undoubtedly improve. All serious piano players own and use a metronome.

3. Do not spend long amounts of time practicing with a metronome.

While metronomes are an essential part of musical practice, they can also be harmful to your technique if you use them for too long. It leads to something called, “mechanical playing.” In fact, if you play with the metronome for more than 10 minutes, your mind will start play mental tricks on you, which causes you to lose your accuracy. Don’t believe me? Try it for yourself…  If you have a metronome that makes a clicking sound, your brain will start to create anti-clicks that will indeed cancel out the metronome’s clicking so you will either begin to stop hearing the metronome’s clicks, or you will just lose the timing and accuracy of the clicks.

4. Never use the metronome as a substitute for your own internal timing.

The metronome is used for setting tempo and checking accuracy, and nothing else. When you find yourself exploring new ways of speeding up your playing of a piece, it is a process of discovering new motions that you feel comfortable with. If you actually set your metronome to such an intermediate speed, you will likely struggle and end up building up a speed wall that you can’t find your way around. New motion discoveries always prevail because the human hands are mechanical devices that have resonance at which specific combinations of movements will naturally work effectively.

5. Electronic metronomes are always better than mechanical metronomes.

Electronic metronomes are more accurate than mechanical ones. They can also make different sounds, use flashing lights, incorporate a headphone input, include volume variance, have memory functions, and are generally just less bulky and expensive. Mechanical metronomes look nice, but as they get older, they become less effective and sometimes they even need rewinding right when you’re in the middle of practicing.

Elise’s Musical Tip For The Day:

Get a metronome, if you don’t have one. My piano teacher used to have a mechanical one, and I found it annoying that she always had to rewind it. I use the Korg MA-30 Digital Metronome, and I find it very handy, extremely durable, and has a lot of great features. You can find ones on the Internet, such as the Ultimate Metronome. Whichever one you choose, put it straight to good use because it will definitely help you improve your piano playing.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Step 1:

Take a look at the entire piece to determine its structure and length. Basically, a quick run-through over the entire composition will help you achieve an initial feel and impression from a first glance.

Step 2:

Take a second look at the piece. This time, go over it more slowly. You should be looking for anything that seems unfamiliar to you, such as awkward or unknown notes, chords, articulations, or tempo indications. Make a note of these things or mark them using a highlighter on your sheets. You can easily look these elements up in the Internet, or use a music dictionary to distinguish their meaning and use.

Step 3:

Look at the time signature of the piece and make sure you are familiar with it. If you are not, it would be a good idea to do some research on the specific time signature, since it is often a primary indication of the type of song.

Step 4:

Identify the key signature of the piece and determine whether you are familiar with it or not. If it’s new to you, consider learning the key’s scales with its corresponding sharps or flats for a better understanding of the piece.

Step 5:

Search for any key changes throughout the piece. Take a mental note of how many times the key signature changes throughout the piece. By knowing the key changes ahead of time, you’ll be more prepared and playing the piece may seem that much easier.

Step 6:

Do you notice any changes in tempo? Highlight them and get familiar with the tempo changes ahead of time. This will allow you to change or glide from one section to another section more easily.

Step 7:

Search for common passages. Is there a phrase or motif that repeats itself somewhere further along in the piece? Perhaps there is a variation of a general motif somewhere else. Look for trends like this. If you familiarize yourself with the basic motif, the variations will become easier to practice and play.

Step 8:

Break the piece up into section. Highlight any difficult sections that you think will require more practice time.

Step 9:

Write out the notes in specific sections that you find it difficult to read on the sheets. You should do whatever makes the piece easier to for you to read. Your own markings on the sheet music will help.

Step 10:

Try playing the piece through once the best you can. Try not to stop, even if you have trouble in some certain sections. Finishing the piece after your first try will give you a visual canvas of the piece.

Step 11:

Play through the piece a second time. Stop where you are having trouble and make any additional markings needed in these areas.

Step 12:

Finally, concentrate on the difficult areas. Look them over again so you have a really good understanding of their structures. This will set the structures in your mind so you can focus on hand-eye coordination when playing. When your eyes are familiar with it, your hands can then work to achieve the movement needed to play the section.

Elise’s Musical Tip For The Day:

Starting a new piece can sometimes feel overwhelming when you realize how many different things you need to keep in mind and focus on practicing. Breaking the piece down into the several components addressed above will make it easier for you. Just concentrate on the individual components, and when you put them all together, the result will be beautiful and satisfying music.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.