Prioritizing Technique is the Problem! Try THIS Instead!

One of the biggest mistakes many of us make as music students is to focus exclusively on improving technique first and put musical expression and sound quality off until we feel that
our technique is “good enough.”
Unfortunately, the result of this strategy is that by the time our
technique gets “good enough,” our playing will sound mechanical rather than musical.
Just like we need to have practice goals in mind for overcoming technical mistakes and learning material, we also need to have practice goals in mind for sound production and expression. How do we want a particular note phrase to sound in a given context? Should it
sound bright? Should it sound dark and round? Should it be loud? Soft? A combination?
If we wait too long to address these things, it will take us a very long time to develop them. And, take it from me, it’s not possible to practice with an average sound and then switch to a performance sound on stage!
A better strategy is to address expression and sound quality
immediately, along with technique.
The nice thing about focusing just as much on our sound quality and expression as we do on technique is that doing so indirectly improves our technique through a practice strategy called variable practice. In this kind of practice, switching things up a bit during the practice of a task
helps us improve faster at executing the task than if we practiced the task only one way. (Plus, it makes practice way more interesting and fun!)
Here are some ways that you can practice expression:
• Plan to work on your sound quality and expression right away when learning a new piece.
• Think of how you want your notes to sound in terms of tone in the phrase that you're playing or about to play. Should it be dark, bright, sweet? Whatever it is, it should sound good to you and be just as important as your technique.
• Think of a dynamic shape for the phrase that you are practicing. Crescendo? Decrescendo?
Bell curve? Upside down bell curve? Pick a shape you like and work on improving it.
• Think of a tempo shape for the phrase that you are practicing and work on developing a
shape that sounds good to you.
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[@ElNachoMacho]

Great advice. Thanks for sharing

[@DiegoAlonsoMusic]

Glad it was helpful! Thanks so much for commenting!

[@Johnny_B.]

exactly. technique does not work without musicality and vice versa

[@DiegoAlonsoMusic]

Thanks so much for commenting Johnny! 🙏🏽