EFlatMajor wrote: ↑Fri Nov 06, 2020 10:42 am
Hello MiddleC,
That is a good practice plan for a beginner. I think the one thing you are missing is "repetition".
Getting 100% on a lesson or song by no means that you are done. You still need to commit it to memory, so that you can play it at 100% at will.
A couple of tips to accomplish this - keep practicing until you can get 100% every time in PGS. Then, start by looking at the keyboard and not the screen as you play. This will stop you from depending on the notes, finger numbers, and the line that moves across the screen. Listen for the metronome sound to stay on track with the beats. It will feel like a brand new lesson that you never did before. Keep practicing even after hitting 100% that way. Before doing today's lesson for example, do the last part of the previous few lessons to 100%.
In terms of songs, there is an additional step. Shut down PGS completely and play the song with or without a metronome. Your ear will tell you when you make a mistake. When you can play at 100% without a metronome, you are 99% done and ready to play it for others.
The last 1% involves you playing the song once in a while to refresh the muscle memory so you do not forget the song.
Seems like you are very analytical in your approach to practicing. I hope this helps.
Thanks for the input.
I actually have the plan on mind to take the song to memory. Interestingly, I am playing several stretches w/o looking at the music. Anyway, mainly for the exercise value. In terms of a song to 'play for someone', it's a pretty simple song, while both hands in use, it is all single key.
Regarding the numbered notes, I have been turning that off. Although, lately, I've turned it on a bit. I'm not sure what is best for learning the reading, but I don't want to become reliant on the music telling me the fingers to use. I did have accordion lessons, actually for 3 years, and quit it, unfortunately. Long time ago. But I do find some of the things apparently stuck. The playing with hands rooted at different places has been a good exercise for me. One thing that has been busting me is my old learnied memory is that middle C is my thumb landing point/
Another thing I plan to experiment with on the song: chords are coming up before long in my lesson itinerary. I'm wondering if I can change my bass playing to playing cords. I had thought I would turn on the single finger cord and see how it sounds. I have no idea if it would work...the plan was to experiment and with single cord on, play the bass as it is written. So, if I play a C in bass, it would play C Major cord. Then if it sounds good with the cords, study/practice with actually playing the cords.
All that being said, I piddled with that just a bit today. Turns out that I had thought anything below middle C would be bass, but I have to get maybe a couple octaves down before the single key actually plays a chord. So that plan may already be off the chart.
I'm starting to wonder...I'll end it here.
Thanks again for the input.