How to practice - some expert advice from Itzhak Perlman.
Вставка
- Опубліковано 3 гру 2016
- Want a DISTINCTION in YOUR next ABRSM Exam?
www.music-online.org.uk/2019/...
How to practice - some expert advice from Itzhak Perlman, the world famous Israeli-American violinist, conductor and pedagogue. Invaluable for anyone taking an ABRSM music exam.
OK you know everybody is talking to me about practising and whats the deal about practising and how much should you practise. So now obviously if you're very talented practising is very very important. When I was growing up I practised basically 3 hours every day and a lot of my students fell sometimes and wrongly so, that if you practice more it's going to be better, so if you practise 5 hours it's better, if you practise 8 hours it's even better. And the answer to this is it's wrong. Don't practise more than four to five hours, that's a tip I can give you if you are very serious because afterwards it's not useful anymore. The body doesn't absorb any more stuff. As a matter of fact you can cause yourself having little physical problems with your wrist and so on and so forth. So I would say 4 to 5 hours for ambitious fiddle players, yes?And as I said personally 3 hours was fine. Number 2. When you practice it has to be slow. You cannot practise impatiently. You know, putting in the time of practising is not enough. I would rather practise in your head for 2 hours than somebody else, just mindlessly for 8. Cause that doesn't work. So I can tell you that if you want to practise correctly, number 1, slowly. Number 2, have an agenda. Why do you want to practise, you know, make sure that you practise in small sections. You want to make sure that you don't repeat anything without actually hearing what you are doing. Because when you repeat certain things and for example let's say that you practise something for the bow, and you keep repeating it and then you you're playing it slightly out of tune, then you're actually practising to play out of tune. That's why you have to actually really listen very carefully to what you are doing. And so on. So, I know that this is very, very general, but at least the important thing is to do it very slowly and to do in small sections and to have patience. If something sounds great on Monday, and it does not sound so good on Tuesday, don't give up, it means that it's not yet there. Keep practising slowly again and again and by Wednesday it will be slightly better and by Thursday it will be even more better but patience is very very important. Let's talk a little bit about nerves. Nerves, you can't get rid of nerves really. The only thing that you can do about nerves is to be familiar with nerves. So that when you're nervous when you play, then you know actually what happens to you personally and sometimes you might think that you're gonna get nervous and it might not happen. And sometimes you say "Oh I'm never gonna get nervous, you tonight, I feel so good and all of a sudden on stage you start to get the jitters. Don't be surprised, just be familiar with what happens to you. Everybody is individual, you know, some people stop playing very outwardly, you know they play play very inwardly and very privately when they get nervous, they're afraid to express themselves. That's one of the things that happens. Some people their bow shakes. Everybody has a different kind of thing but as long as you actually remember what happens to you and just say "OH I know that. That's what happens to me, I'm gonna try and deal with it. That's one way of dealing with nerves, not so much getting rid of nerves but dealing with nerves. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Listen to MusicOnline UK on Spotify open.spotify.com/album/7Cbh8c... ~~~~~~~~~~~
Join this channel to get access to perks:
/ @musiconlineuk
Listen to MusicOnline UK on Spotify open.spotify.com/album/7Cbh8cZ9RHTwqdPlZxGHQc
Thank you very much ❤️
Hope you find it useful
The sweet spot is right about 40 hours per day.
you must be living in another alien planet had 40 hours per day?!!
@@lawcch Well that's what Ling Ling does
I read this comment on my iPad and its battery life is at 40% coincidence I think not
Ling ling can do anything
@@lana_rupnik Except for have a life.
Tip 1: It's Better to focus on quality than quantity, practicing for three hours is fine.
Tip 2: Practice slowly in short sections, have patience
Tip 3: have an agenda, why are you practicing for? What do you want to improve?
Tip 4: know yourself, be familiar with your nerves so that you can counter balance the effect
I practiced "impatiently" for years. When I started slowing down (piano & cello) in recent years, it worked and is working wonders! Thanks!
To be as to play fast, practise slowly.
Yes! Limited to 3 hrs/day. Have a goal. Have an agenda. Sing it first. Practice SLOWLY! Plan for your own type of stress and don't let that be someone else's version. Use your head most of all. Too much practicing leads to careless deafness - you'll learn not to listen. So go slow.
Thank you for your input.
+Sin SinaT Apparently so.
Chopin was said to have been very upset with one of his students who came to their lesson having practiced upwards of 5-6 hrs. I think he also advocated for a 3 hr limit
Loved the part about dealing with nerves. In my mind it's hard to think about someone like Perlman getting nervous. The dude's been doing this for 80 years!!! And yet he is still cognizant of nerves and their effect on playing. Such a great advice.
This is good stuff. Not enough views indeed. I knew so many other violinists that would brag with their chins up high about how long they practice. Then there was me who was ranked higher than them but practiced smart for almost half the time. Most of them were meh and indeed experienced some physical problems. I am making all of my students watch this.
+Sammy Escamilla Thank you for your insightful comment. There is a lot of wisdom in what this man says, please do share it with your students. As you say , there is a lot of incorrect thinking about practice.
Slowly remember slowly if u can play slowly u can play quickly!!
I'ts been 50 years since I've picked up the instrument. I had to make a living and then a family to take care of. So now, before it's too late, it's time. Mr. Perlman, your words are so well heard here and so valuable. THANK YOU!
Laurence Lance Thank you for your comment and I wish you success in your future undertakings.
I am a Korean violinist. I have played violin since I was eight years old. When I was in school, I had problems that couldn't be solved even if I practiced a lot of time. I mainly took cramming entrance training. However, after becoming an adult, I became a performer and taught many students, looking at various problems from various perspectives. Through numerous trials and errors, I have changed my practice methods, so many problems have been solved and musically mature. By the way, I'm really surprised and glad that the conclusions I've made over the decades of self-awareness and the contents of this video are so consistent! Truth always works!
True Maestro with practys is very very better. Thank you for your talent, practis and your great generosity. I love Maestro Ithzak Perlman ❣️❣️🌷🎻
I love very much Maestro Itzhak Perlman!Hy is amazing violonist and very sympatyc....🎻🌹🌷❤️
My opinion is that there is no set time. It all depends on your personal stamina. Your time limit = when you physically or mentally start to get "tired". Once you reach that point, ANYTHING beyond that is pointless. You can tell this even if you do not realize you are there by your "performance". You start to mess up a lot more, even on parts you know, even EASY ones. Once you reach that point, do not think "WTF!!! I gotta keep going!" you need to put it down and take a break. If this point comes in 1 hour, then take a break after 1 hour, if it is 8 hours, then that is your personal limit.
This can be applied to basically ANYTHING you are trying to accomplish by practicing for it. My dad was top 5 or 10 dart throwers in USA. He had a board at home, and a board at work. Pretty much 99% of his free time was spent throwing. He would have to replace his board every now and then because the bulls-eye would be "missing" from it while the rest of the board looked pretty much almost new lol. Myself, after an hour or 2 I was done. Beyond that point, I couldn't hit anything I was looking at.
Itzhak talks about the other problem too, where you will develop physical conditions from over doing it over time. My dad can barely bend his fingers because of how much he threw darts day after day year after year. What Itzhak says is 100% true, I just disagree with him on the "max limit", that depends totally on the person and if they can go for 8 hours and have all 8 as USEFUL practice and they actually want to (I love to play, but 8 hours?? lol) then so be it. Just keep in mind the carpeltunel crap you can develop if you keep that pace for extended time period.
And like anything else, the more you do it, the more you get used to it and the longer you can go. A marathon runner does not run the marathon on their first day. They go a little further each time they "run" until they can run that marathon.
+Rusty Koenig Thank you for your input. It will be interesting to get the opinions of others on your point of view.
I will probably have 50 flames and 1 maybe 2 that agree. That's how it usually goes lol.
Rusty Koenig Every opinion is worthy of being heard.
+MusicOnline UK ya i totally agree with that. If everyone thought that way, the world itself would be a better place in general. I try to keep an open mind about pretty much everything. No matter how stupid I personally think something is, I do not discard it. It might be put in the "back of the line" in my mind, but i keep it there. Sometimes that stupid stuff makes its way to the front. Sometimes I even take up the "wrong side" of a argument just for the sake of "debate".
+Rusty Koenig Feel free to comment on anything on this channel. Any opinion here will always be welcome, even if I personally don't agree. The main thing is that all is done with respect for each other and each others views.
I've never been consistent with my violin lesson because I cannot pay for a violin teacher. I only attended 1 year when I was 22 years old. I stopped at Suzuki Book 4. Now I am 34 years old. I did lesson again one year ago and can't take time to practice 3 hours a day due to my nature of work. I stopped again but I am continuing the Bach Concerto in A Minor my teacher left me to practice with. I can only play the 1st movement because I don't know how to do the 2nd and 3rd. I can feel a little pain in my left wrist and right shoulder. I am scared I won't be able to continue with it. I love playing the violin. This is my joy. I hope I can do better.
Play 1 new note each day. Eventually, you'll finish the piece!
Thank you for your comment
Yes eventually 😏 lmaoo
some notes are very hard to play, though... you have to give the right vibrato, the right bend (which you don't necessarily notice when you hear it on the radio), etc. etc.
That's some intelligent advice and I totally agree to slow practice and obvioulsly practicing smart over hard. There needs to be a balance between your inputs in the physical practice versus the mental practice which is really crucial in understanding what went wrong and how to approach it differently while listening to yourself play. It doesn't have to be necessarily on the instrument, it could be listening to different recordings or listening to your own recordings to analyse and identify what went wrong and what needs improving but I agree too much of practice than what your body can handle would be really inefficient unwise and of course you need to identify the purpose and why your practicing this particular section or phrase and what you want to get out it to produce the best result.
I love so much Maestro Itzhak Perlman, Hy is amazing together!🎻❤️🌹
Maestro ITZHAK PERLMAN is a wonderful Violonist and teacher too.Hy is together my favorite violinist.I like him very much 🎻❣️❤️
It's been a year since I started learning violin (I'm 19) and I think sometimes the nervousness can be caused by the lack of confidence. I started late and I won't be playing on some important competition but still practice wants you to have a positive feeling to pay off. Thanks for the video :)🧡
In 10 years of violin lessons in music school (so, as a hobby player in private lessons), it was NEVER discussed how I should practice. Not how long, what method, which sequence, how to work on difficult sections. I was just presented with new music during the lesson and then told to "practice that until next time".
That’s insane. Did you start as an adult? They may have assumed you knew how to practice things just because knowing how to practice violin is the same as knowing how to practice horseback riding or math. I started as a kid doing Suzuki method and practice was laid out very precisely.
Great tips maestro! Thank you, I think that’s greets advise.
I have an audition coming up and listening to your advice helps me so much!
You're welcome and good luck!! Let me know how you get on.
Great advice. Thanks
This was actually really good advice
Sound advice and applicable to the practice of any instrument really
Thank you very much for the nice advice! Perlman the best
Glad you liked it!
Thanks for the advise
Thank you, sir. It's a great advice.
+Jacob M.B Thank you for your comment.
Notes:
1. Don't practice more than 4 to 5 hours a day so you don't get overload with information and you prevent injures. Try practicing for 3 hours, at first and if you can keep it up consistently then you can practice more.
2. Practice slowly, have an agenda (small sections, why are you practicing, listen to your playing very carefully, and have patience).
3. Nerves: be familiar with nerves. Know what happens to you personally when you get nervous.
Thank you for the information.
Great advice from Mr Perlman. The bit about nerves was especially helpful. One thing to add is to build up speed from slow to fast whilst practising and to even go beyond the performing speed sometimes. It sounds stupid, but for years I practised too slowly and cautiously as a student and was too scared to play passages fast in the practice room in case they went wrong! I have been a professional player in numerous orchestras for 26 years and am only just beginning to feel comfortable playing fast this year!
Thanks for your contribution.
@@MusicOnlineUK
😂thanks, Mr
Perlman.
Thank you so much
Have a nice days Itzhak perman
You too
Awesome advice!
+dimensionstars Thank you for your comment.
Super tips teacher
I never come across indeed marvelous I love it
AUGUSTINE violinist from Malaysia
Happy to hear that!
Great advice. I wonder what study books Itzhak used when he started out?
Thank you very much for the invaluable lesson on practice, sir. Thanks much. 1. Practice 4-5 hours a day..2. Practice SLOW.. 3. Pracitce in SMALL SECTION..I would keep in mind..Thanks again. Have a nice days..🙏🌹🌹🙏
Thank you sir
Practicing 4~5 hours every day is in fact a lot. Heifetz also suggested 4 hours a day is maximum. Toby the wife of Perlman said he practied fast, ha ha. Practice slowly is basic truth. Leopold Auer also taught slow practice.
Heifetz also said he did mental study first with score and look at the music before go to bed.
Thank you!! Very helpful !
Glad it was helpful!
Thank you. Fine.
thanks a lot for your advices :))
+Olivier Basga You're welcome.
I’m practising with kids going nuts around me- aiming for 15 mins a day and totally winning at that!
3 hours is good. It's enough. It's how we concentrate during that time.
But in your opinion, more than 3 hours we start to loose concentration?
This logic applies to recovery from a stroke too. May I use some of this advice when I volunteer speak to stroke recovery patients or caregivers? I play guitar too, and this logic totally applies with my guitar as I slowly recover from my own stroke I had this year.
Thank you very much
You are most welcome
excellent advice!
Thanks for watching!
My bow shakes when I'm nervous!! It was so bad at my first lesson with my new teacher I could barely play. Then at my first performance it shook but thankfully much less.
Just listen to him playing. He knows what he's talking about.
First practice every detail in your head. Imagine doing it. You can do that waiting in line or on the bus. Get the sequence of all you have to do in your head and sing it until the melody is etched in your mind and only then do the physical practice. It will save your neck and shoulders and neck and wrists and thumbs. I can't do three hours. My body can't last that long. But I can imagine as long as I want.
Good advice - thank you for your input/
Eh, many violin pieces not written for voices can’t be sung. Yes we can try to imagine and remember them in our head, but to use my limited voice to sing them out loud? I’d ruin most of them, except some lullabies perhaps.
Even if they are un-singable I think the above comment is still valid in terms of visualization of the process of playing and hearing the melody in your head (rather than out loud -especially if you waiting for the bus😉)
Yes, you are. You have elaborated it well what Sir. Itzak had said in 1:08 / 1:12 .
Still I think we can practice anywhere in our mind or in thoughts but we have to be ask ourselves if we are aware of what we are doing while waiting for bus or queing up for our order in cafeteria or in some sort public organizations etc...
If our mind is busy looking at the two events than that mind practice is usually not going to work for us.
What I have learned from Sir. Itzaks' practice tips is set a time for ourselves and within the time you decide how much time you would need to do mind practice then do ut physically.
That's why legendary violinist for the ages to ages excreted the tip at 1:26 , that set an agenda for yourself.
We can be multitasking but our brain's senses adapts only to those activities which has some meaning or has given proper attention.
As an example I don't want to miss bus by engaging in silent practice but after I ride then I may spent some time in silent practice 5 mins before my arrival destination.
Thank you!
Most people who play instruments seriously and take lessons from a young age are performing from day one and continue to perform regularly. So while the nerves never go away or even reduce you almost get desensitized to having anxiety and being uncomfortable. Even if I wasn't doing any shows or competitions I had lessons and masterclasses weekly where I was at least playing for a small group. Regardless of whether you are playing as a hobby or to play professionally it's such a great skill to learn and will help you in whatever career you choose. I've applied my learning skills to college and my career and I know there's no way I would have achieved what I have so far if it wasn't for learning music seriously in my youth.
Thanks for your input - so what field are you working in now? Performing?
There is a very specific physical reason why you should not practice for more than four hours, in fact for more than 3.5 hours - it''s because the lactic acid build-up in your muscles becomes so enormous after that, that your muscles cannot function properly, and this even includes your spine (posture and strength). This can lead to your 'undoing' some of your work and being more prone to injuries. It also affects fatigue levels. Better spend that time visualising, as Schnabel did. The same fast and slow twitch muscle fibres move in tiny movements when you visualise something as are at work in more sweeping style when you actually do it; it's just less stressful. So do what athletes do and visualise to continue your learning while you rest.
I can correct mistakes by visualisation alone and in fact, on the day before a recital, will deliberately play imperfectly, so that I can give my brain something to correct overnight. Then I get a flawless performance on the day. All I day on the day itself before I go into a recital,. is some scales. I don't practice the pieces I am going to play at all, so that my first performance of it that day is the perfection I visualised. Food for thought?
Oooh - great advice - every single one, methinks!! Thank you very very much!! 🙂
I do 3 one hour practices each day. I am so tired after each session. I have a log book, in which I write what I will and what I actual did and achieved.
needs more views
+laundrymunkey1414 Thanks for your comment. I agree with you, please share and it will get more views. If you liked this, check out the other videos in the playlist "How to pass an ABRSM exam".
What about paganini and sarasate that used to practice all day long?
“We’re talkin ‘bout Practice?!”
J W "We talkin' 'bout practice. "
Lol!!
I actually heard that in Iverson's voice as I read it. Well played, sir.
* polite clap *
We talkin' about practice. Practice. Not a concert. Not a concert. Practice.
On the subject of slowing down and being precise, someone told me, "Practice DOES NOT make perfect. Practice makes PERMANENT. Perfect practice makes perfect."
Love this
Has anyone ever thought about practicing their musicianship? It does not require their instrument to be involved. Practice theory lessons, solfeggio (grab a method book by Concone, Dannhauser, etc, and sing the exercises), test yourself on interval recognition, pitch awareness, write instrumental exercises based on the areas you are having problems with and practice them, write a piece (yes your own composition) that is similar to the piece you are practicing. Copy down by hand or by computer downloading musical software apps such as Symphony, Finale, Mozart, MUSE3, etc. The results will be spectacular. This along with your instrumental practice should cover about 8 hours a day.
Nice to hear from you again Patrick, you're input is always appreciated
@@MusicOnlineUK Thank you, I always appreciate your comments. Hope you have a very nice day.
Good video
It's excellent advice from the master.
End on a good one that's what my teacher always tells me
SMALL SECTIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I NEED TO PRACTICE IN SMALL SECTIONS!!!!!!!
This advice goes to all instruments, not only the violin
+Ashlyn Bai Yes and practice slowly.
My dad is forcing me to practise 4 hours but it just doesnt help!!! I cant concantrate well and I just waste 1 hour!!!
At first I thought he said neurons when he said nerves and I was like "What?? What about neurons?"
:) Hope the advice was useful.
Good
Thanks
I think it is possible to get rid of nerves. I was an academic teacher and before that I was always very nevrous svanding in front of the people and saying things. One day it just disappeared, as if I didn't care anymore the fact people are listening to me.
One of the key factors is not worrying about what others think.
Guys i know there are lots of good violinist here,i want to know there is no good teacher nearby and i dont know how to practice i am beginner what should i do where should i start,i just play songs.
i have tapes,and i know all positions ( full in the fingerboard)
i can play tha suzuki book no 1, but i don't know what to do,well i am playing songs but
i just don't know how to practice what to do,for example how to improve my bowing or shifting
i look at some books and they are a bit advance,thanks for your answer
Don’t even go beyond the first position for atleast a year. I suggest you practice technique books. (I use Wohlfart). It’ll help you with rythm, intonation, scales and bowing. So you’ll be practice all 4 at the same time.
Slowly , play a small section ...
This supports a 4-5 hour work day
Huh. I try to practice slowly, but it seems I make more mistakes, because my mind starts to wander. Is that a thing? Or is it just because if you fumble something fast, mistakes are less obvious than when you try to play it slowly?
Find the speed you are still in control, but not any faster than you can pay attention to ALL details, articulation, dynamics etc.
@@MusicOnlineUK Thank you! That seems pretty obvious when I read it, but somehow I didn't think of it. Find the place of focus and don't bore yourself, slow speed is just a means to an end.
Sha....shaky bow
Please Please Please
Do more of these simple issues
forget about technique
start with when you were so young
give THAT person the advice
from a Goyaachaakuup
Sorry
I think when he says 4-5 hours if your really serious he means if your are a prodigy hahahah
3 is enough for most.
How slow is slowly?
Slow enough to control every detail.
Lol Whut? 4-5 hours? I practice no less than 40 hours a day.
I agree, the less practice the better! :P
+Rion Johnson Certainly overdoing it can be counterproductive.
"If you're very talented, practicing is very important."
Does that imply that the less talent you have the more practice you need to compensate? 🤔
Ummm..... *clicks off slowly backs away... Blows up phone* ALL AT THE THUMNAIL. I THOUGHT IT WAS A LUNATICAL OR ALBERT EINSTEIN!! By the way I am writing on a new LG G4 from putting my LG G3
In the oven to burn... True
How do you spell talent?
P R A C T I C E…
*wut
*Lol*
Thank you sir
You're welcome