“Why does it feel like I’m stuck in the same spot?”
I came upon a great video by Daniel Holloway from Online Cello Lessons on “How to Practice Effectively” and it was a great refresher and insight on “how” do you practice makes a big difference to how much you improve in cello playing and also in mostly whatever new art or crafts you’re learning.
Key tips and advice:
What I learned from this video is paying attention that helped me improve my cello playing and practicing more effectively.
Practice in 4 note chunks and also pay attention to the sounds you’re creating. Because you want to implant and remember the good way of playing and the good sounds you created.
Less practicing and playing through the whole piece over and over again. Because that can only do so much improvement and also when you continuously go over and over without thinking about what errors and mistakes you should be correcting, you implant “bad habit and incorrect notes, rhythm, and sound quality of the note.”
Don’t just stop at one spot. Continue and move on to other parts. Practicing the same 4 notes can be tiring but switch it up a bit and move forward and try playing other parts of your piece to see what you can improve in the next 4 notes.
Questions I would ask myself while practicing.
Here are some questions I would ask myself while I practice the 4 notes I’m working on.
How did the first note sound?
Is this the sound quality I want to create?
Is it in tune? or is it out of pitch?
Is yes then let’s correct it to the correct pitch and repeat it correctly 5 times in a row. And then move on to the next 4 notes.
How was the vibrato? Was is too quick? Was it uneven?
When you really listen to what you’re playing makes a big difference. It helps you concentrate on how you’re creating the sound you’re playing. And is it the sounds you’re looking for?
Mini exercise
So this week, try out and practice using this more effective way of practicing. Instead of going through the whole piece, start with the first 4 notes and see if that’s the best you can play them or do they need more work and polishing.
See you all next week with discoveries, tips, and advice!
So there are my discoveries, Tips and Advice on how to improve your cello playing. I hope you enjoy this fun new way of practicing!
Do you need help with your cello learning?
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