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What can I train for a better technique?

Almost every day, I play scale..
I haven't technical exercises..I want my technique is better, and because that please let me answer some questions:

tempo in which to practice scales?
technical exercises that I use?
how much should I practice a day?
anything else, what do you think. :)

Sorry for my bad English..
Thanks in advance. :)
~Mila. ♪

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Permalink Reply by Valeria Zaurino on November 29, 2011 at 7:28am

Hi Mila. :)

Tempo is not the most important thing, first you have to be able to practice scales slowly but accurately. Only when you reach a good precision you can gradually speed up the tempo.
There are many technical books you can use. For example: Trevor Wye's Practice Books, Taffanel-Gaubert's Grands Exercices Journaliers de Mécanisme, M. A. Reichert's Tagliche Ubungen, F. Franceschini's Il Vademecum del Flautista, Marcel Moyse's Scales and Arpeggios, or Exercises Journaliers...and many other! You only have to choose! :D
I think you should practice technical exercises one hour a day, but first it's better to do some tone exercises. After tone and technical exercises you can continue with some studies or scores that you like :)

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Permalink Reply by Gwyneth Whistlewood on December 2, 2011 at 3:28pm

I agree with everything Valeria said. Remember, your body doesn't know the difference between playing something slow or fast. So play slow and accurately for as long as you need to. Your fingers will remember the right notes when you start to speed up if you play them right at slow speeds often enough.

And play scales and arpeggios in different patterns instead of just one over and over. Take your time learning new patterns to get them right but work on adding variety to your scale practice.

Try adding some tonguing patterns to your scales. Its good for its own sake and it makes you pay attention to the scales in different ways.

You can also divide your practice time up throughout the day. You don't have to get everything done in one session.

And finally be patient. Your ability to hear yourself accurately actually improves faster than your ability to play so you are likely improving faster than you think. You'll hear it eventually.

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Permalink Reply by Valeria Zaurino on December 3, 2011 at 12:52pm

You're right! In fact after some days you're practicing scales it seems like your ability to play is getting worse, but instead this sensation is caused by your ability to hear yourself that gradually increases!

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Permalink Reply by Mila Dobrosavljević on February 6, 2012 at 11:11am

Valeria and Gwyneth, thank you from the heart! :)
You are fantastic. :)

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Permalink Reply by Penny Wadley on December 6, 2011 at 12:15pm

good question, I hope someone can answer the question because I am interested too. Penny

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Permalink Reply by Mila Dobrosavljević on February 6, 2012 at 11:11am

I hope you find something here. :)

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Permalink Reply by Kelly McKinney on February 3, 2012 at 6:10pm

Here is my issue with technique. Good playing technique begins with good practice technique. I have been teaching flute privately and band classes for years. The one thing that my teachers never taught me (until I was in lessons in college as an undergraduate student) was how to practice.

I agree with everything that has been said. The thing that I have observed though is when students practice, they don't do it with care. Most of the time they are practicing to check a box and not really to make progress. When you sit down to practice pay attention to any mistakes that you make. If you can play a technical exercise almost perfectly, but keep messing up on 2 or 3 measures, take the measures and break them down, work them out slowly. Don't allow yourself to make a mistake and go on. You MUST fix the mistake. Otherwise, you are practicing the mistake and you will make that mistake every time you play whatever it is you are playing. The players that perform with the highest level of accuracy are the ones that take the time to work out the little parts that give them the most trouble.

I have a technique I use when I practice called the "penny trick" I take 5-10 pennies - and I will put my metronome on a slow tempo, pick a small section of a difficult passage - it might just be 3 notes! I will play it, if I play it perfectly, I will move a penny - I play it again, move a penny. If I make a mistake, I move one back. Once I get through the number of pennies that I have, I move the metronome up a notch and do it again. By the time I get up to tempo, I have the little booger of a section down pat. If I do this for a few practice sessions in a row, the technical passage is a breeze. The secret is to be consistent and don't cheat. Don't tell yourself that you didn't make a mistake when you know you did.

Are you the type of student that seemingly plays it perfectly at home and then gets to lessons and can't play worth a flip? That is because more than likely you aren't paying that close attention to how you are really doing when you practice. I see students all the time play their etudes and pause in places. I stop and ask why they are pausing and they usually don't even realize that they are doing it! If you can video tape yourself, it is very revealing and is a great practice for putting yourself on the spot.

I could go on and on - but a big part of great playing technique is great practicing technique. What you practice is very important, but how you practice is even more important!

Best Wishes!

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Permalink Reply by Valeria Zaurino on February 4, 2012 at 4:13am

I want to try your "penny trick", it seems helpful and funny too, I like it! :)

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Permalink Reply by Kelly McKinney on February 4, 2012 at 4:20am

Oh it IS funny! My 17 year old son was explaining to a friend the other day what life in our house was like these days. He said to her - we are all up in our rooms, we hear Mom practicing, and she will play lalalalaala (he is singing a bunch of random notes), she stops and then you hear a loud SCRAPE of a penny being dragged across the music stand! Hahaha! I didn't think he even noticed!

I have done this same trick with my band students. I have one student that uses paper clips. We were working one-on-one about a year ago on a passage and he stopped (he is a 4th grader), looked at me and exclaimed..."man! this is tense!"