"Circles" Step Two

In "Circles" Step One, I talked about how to break up the piece into small sections of only two measures and draw a circle around it.  Then we looked for circles that matched, or nearly matched.  After doing that, there are usually only four or five "circles" that need to be learned.  If you practice one "circle" per day, you would learn the entire song perpectly in just under a week - just in time for your next lesson!

Now I will teach you exactly how to practice a "Circle".

First of all, you have to block out the rest of the music and only learn that one circle.  This kind of focus is really the whole point of this method of practicing, so if you let your attention wander to the rest of the piece, you are defeating the purpose.

Now you are ready to follow these steps to get your "circle" perfect.

1.  Practice the Right Hand alone until you can play it two times in a row PERFECTLY.

2. Practice the Left Hand alone until you can play it two times in a row PERFECTLY.

3. Practice hands together:

• Get all the notes perfect two times in a row.
• Keep all the notes perfect and add counting the rhythm out loud while you play it - 2 times perfectly
• Keep the notes and rhythm perfect and add in getting all the fingering correct - 2 times perfectly
• Keep notes, rhythm, and fingering perfect, and add in dynamics - 2 times perfectly
• Find the metronome speed that matches how you just played it.  Play it once with the metronome.
• Move the metronome up a notch or two (no more than five numbers, ie 60 to 65). Play it once at the new higher speed.  
• Move the metronome up another notch or two four more times.  Play it once at each new speed.
• Now close the music book and play your "circle" from memory three times.

Ta da!!!  You're done with that circle.  It is learned.  It is perfect. And it is even memorized!  

I know this looks like a lot of work, but it probably took me longer to type it out than it does to actually do it.  This whole process should only take about two minutes. The circle is so short (only two measures) that it only takes five to ten seconds to play through it.  

So if you practice for twenty minutes a day (the amount I recommend for my own students), you will be able to learn TEN circles every day.  If you are in beginning music books, you can probably learn ten pieces per week.  Your teacher will be absolutely beside herself with joy!

HAPPY PRACTICING!