Vocalist.org archive


From:  Sandra White <sandra@i...>
Date:  Sat Sep 9, 2000  2:37 pm
Subject:  Re: [vocalist-temporary] Frequency of Lessons




RALUCOB@a... wrote:>

>
> sandra,
>
> you don't learn to sing once a week. it is probably not an increase of
> lessons you need but more efficient practice. every once in a while i will
> have my students practice for me. it is astonishing what, otherwise
> rational, people will come up with when left to their own devices. i have
> had students who seemed to get nowhere until i taught them how to practice
> and then really took off. i suggest you ask your teacher for a lesson in
> how to practice...
>
> mike

Hi Mike-

I am interested in what you would provide as a model of how to practice. I have
already made a few observations on practicing for myself. First, to keep it
straight-forward and relatively short, but focused. Do my scales, run through a
song or two that I am working, and work through a few of the problem spots a
few
times. As a newbie, I had to learn to avoid the temptation to have "marathon"
practice sessions in which I end up driving my voice into the ground. I also
might throw in a few technique exercises from the most recent lesson or two, but
again, resist the temptation to drive it into the ground. Seems for me, less is
more. If I need extra practice on something, I must break it up into two or
three small session and space them out well over the day.

Also, daily practice is a must for me. I cannot skip three days and then catch
up easily. Exception to daily: the occasional days when I am physically not
well. Singing when not well for me is like fighting when drunk-I might think I
know what I am doing, but I don't the awareness, muscle control, or coordination
to be safe. Particularly if I just have a "little" bit of a sore throat, or
feel
a "little fatigued", it is very tempting to ignore and end up with a few fledged
problem because I pushed it.

Finally, experimenting-I know many have praised the value of experimenting
outside of lessons. It is a double edged sword for me. I can experiment out of
lessons, but I have to be careful not to "practice" the results of an
"experiment" before checking it out with my instructor. For me, this is where
I,
as a rational person, can come up with some pretty irrational stuff. And
sometimes my result of experimenting has sounded so "good" to me and felt so
"right" that I practiced it hard for a full week Until my next lesson where my
instructor told me just what a bad idea it was. Then of course, the focus
becomes undoing Sandra's little experiment which she has practiced into a
pattern. I have learned the hard way on this one.

I can see the wisdom in what you said, Mike. I actually see it dove-tailing
with
my desire to take more lessons. I think one lesson a week might suffice if I
were further along with a more solid technique, but in the beginning, for me at
least, it gives me too much time to flounder on my own. I have seen a pattern
in
myself of the first several days of practice after a lesson being fine, then
towards the end of the week I start adding my own twists and turns and the
practice session becomes less effective. Because I am someone who does
"experiment" alot, I want to have someone watch me a little closer than one
lesson allows.

If you don't mind me asking, what do you look for when you teach your students
to
practice, Mike?

Thanks to everyone else who gave me input on this.

Sandra


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