If you would prefer to save this as the sheet in which it was originally written, see the front side and the back side. Note that the email address listed is old and may no longer be in service. The circled number on the back side was his suggestion for a student at the time.
There is a Rule of 8 that says that if you can repeat any Problem 8 times without making a mistake you have probably mastered the task and can proceed without further errors. Little did the authors of that rule know about the requirements necessary to perform on a musical instrument in front of others.
Everyone wishes to be able to perform before an auidence without making serious mistakes. Be assured however that even the best players make mistakes when performing, but because of very careful preparation in practice their mistakes usually go unnoticed by the average listener.
The most important point to realize in mastering a flawless performance is that it is usually achieved by having a clear mental understanding of the music, followed by the correct muscle response, which can only be achieved by making so many accurate repetitions with the hands in practicing the music that a mistake when performing would be the exception.
In other words, have you trained the hands to play accurately or trained them to make mistakes? Our minds, when performing music, cannot possibly think as fast as the muscles in our hands are required to respond.
This pamphlet is designed to give you a concrete method of keeping track of the number of repetitions needed to correctly master a piece of music for public performance. (Note: at this time we are not concerned about interpretation, etc., but only the correct notes, technique and rhythm). The number of repetitions suggested may vary with the difficulty of the music and the expertise of the performer. These are guidelines should be considered the norm. If you wish to vary the number of repetitions suggested, let it be on the high side.
| Years playing experience | Necessary repetitions |
|---|---|
| 1 year and under | 10 per each check mark |
| 2 years | 9 per each check mark |
| 3 years | 8 per each check mark |
| 4 years | 7 per each check mark |
| 5 years | 6 per each check mark |
| 6 years | 5 per each check mark |
Note, any repetition less than 5 times on a trouble spot in the music will probably not be of much use to anyone even including the professional performer.
After you have practiced each check mark the required number of times without a serious error, erase that mark. Practice each problem area until all of the checked marks are gone. If you make a serious mistake while playing a check mark, start again at that check mark until you can play the correct number of repetitions without making a mistake.
After having practiced the music with the correct repetitions, you should find that the hands respond as if on automatic without you having to mentally calculate what is happening next. The purpose of this system is to help you continue accurate playing even though you have lost your "cool", gotten nervous, can see the white of their eyes, your brain just went off line, and you can't remember what song you are playing much less the correct notes.
The most common statement from those learning to perform for others is, "Why am I bringing such pressure on myself trying to do this? The answer is simple and well stated by Mr. Aaron Shearer. He said that in most cases we do not learn to play music just for ourselves. At first it may seem so, but playing music becomes such an expression of our inner selves that sooner or later we want to share the beautiful feeling with others. For many people music expression is their most important way of self-expression.
The most important point of this Rule of 8 is this: By careful and error-free practicing you can reach a point in performing where you are almost oblivious to what the hands are doing. You may not even be aware of the notes you are playing but are totally lost in that dynamic world of musical expression that is free of technical problems, and performance anxiety. This state of mind is called "singing". Remember, your musical instrument, whether a guitar, violin, piano or harp is nothing but a substitute for your vocal chords. You have chosen to let your instrument make the sounds that are coming from your musical soul.
With good reason, you have probably noticed that a few words and phrases have been constantly repeated in this pamphlet. Such as: Slow practice, muscle response, and the correct number of accurate repetitions. They are the keys to success; remember them.
Try applying the ideas in this program to your own practice and enjoy the results. For more information write:
lwlong@icx.netLawrence Long
