PLAY WITH FLUIDITY
Have you ever practiced diligently, but noticed that your repertoire grows more tense and more difficult the longer you practice? This common problem is easily remedied when we practice our repertoire with more variation.
VARIABLE PRACTICE
The concept of variable practice originated from research on athletic training. Researchers discovered that we learn best when we are forced to adapt to different conditions, increasing our awareness of subtle differences in sensation.
FOR PIANO
Pianists often vary rhythm, register, volume, and phrasing as they practice. A common anecdote is the strange realization that great improvements can be achieved through forced practice on a piano with a broken pedal. Although the idea of playing in rhythms has been around for a while, recent research confirms its efficacy. A chart of over fifty strategies is included in the guide to help you master this approach.
FOR MOVEMENT
Posture, arm, wrist, and shoulder alignment are important elements of healthy playing. The aim is to encourage our nervous system to be highly responsive to subtle changes in movement; making infinite, often undetectable, micro movements in the hips, spine, shoulders, ribs, and really the entire body, as we play. In addition to healthy and helpful practice strategies, upgrading one’s approach to movement is the ultimate way to gain fluidity in playing. The movement classes offered at the Piano Studio of Katie O’Rourke are centered upon variable practice. Join the class for a hands-on experience of variable practice!
