Practice Versus Learning

Just now I was listening to my 11 year-old daughter “practice.” Trouble was, she was confused about the process she was engaged in. It wasn’t practice, it was “un-practice.”

You see, we can only practice what we know. The creative work we do before getting to the practice stage, is learning. And what we do when attempting “practice” while the learning stage is incomplete is what one might call “un-practice.”

Mind you, there is a time for playing through pieces before they are thoroughly learned. We do this to identify sections where, in fact, the learning stage is incomplete.

Yet a little of this goes a long way, as I reminded my daughter a few minutes ago. Un-practice, if not indulged in sparingly, and for only the purpose I mentioned above, will lead to all manner of bad habits and slip-shod performance.

So yes, the goal is to practice, and you want to get to that stage as efficiently as possible. How? By stretching your mind before stretching the fingers.

In my “Beginners Circle” course I assist the novice in doing just that. Clear instructions lead to clear understanding. Clear understanding leads to clear practice. And, of course, clear practice is what leads to mastery.

The secret of violin playing lies first in cultivating a rich, dynamic stream of mental pictures – full of SENSATION. This is an step by step process using simple movements that we all can relate to; one that should prove relaxing and enjoyable, with just the right amount of stretch – i.e. challenge – to keep it interesting.

Come see how my weekly program of instruction can put, and keep, you on the road to mastery.

All the Best, Clayton Haslop

P.S. I am hosting a two-day Orchestral Repertoire Masterclass intensive on July 28 and 29. There are a few details yet to be worked out before I can make it official. Simply giving you a heads up now, so you can do a little advanced planning.