Exactly six weeks ago, I sat in a concert and had one of the strongest realizations of recent times. On the program were clarinet quintets with the Gerhard Quartet and the clarinetist Victor de la Rosa, in a small but fine festival near Barcelona, where my parents live. Today, it's all about commitment.
In advance, I had learned that the Quartet rehearse for six days a week for four hours daily, and that they also practice a few hours per day individually, and have been doing this for eight years. That is a statement. Quartet playing is often referred to as "marriage of four", and not without reason.
With examples for clarinet, piano and viola
How do I practice for joy in music? How can I ensure that I can play the piece by heart? How do I manage not to tense up when I practice? What should I practice first, the notes or the sound or the music, or something else entirely?
These are some frequently asked questions in my seminars and individual sessions.
In this article I describe my approach, how I practice musical pieces that they get into my system "by themselves" and I stay relaxed and fresh. It consists of four simple steps, simple yet powerful, that can make a big difference in your practice. I apply them also with my piano students, and the best of it: they are really, really fun.
How often have you played the Hoffmeister concerto, how often have you performed it in the first round of auditions? You can stop and count, I have time. And how is practicing it? Can you still practice it or do you feel like fainting when you hear the word Hoffmeister? Not to speak of practicing th...
Why Christian Tetzlaff's statements are important and what it all has to do with resonance.
This week, an interview with Christian Tetzlaff in Strings Magazine caused a little sensation on the internet.
Concert violinist Tetzlaff answers the question, what he would tell today's young generation...
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