Learning Music Quickly on Mallet Keyboard Instruments Part 1: General Practicing Tips

As I move forward in my career, I am constantly challenged to learn more and more music in shorter spans of time.  I roam in many circles and any of these groups may call on me at any time without regard to each other and/or my greater schedule.  In other words, at any given time before I know it, I will have a large pile of music on my stand for several different gigs at once, and I will have to perform all of it at a high level.

Learning music quickly is a large part of the barometer by which your true ability on mallet keyboard instruments is judged.   If you are able to juggle a large amount of music with ease, navigate a variety of passages, and have a true birds eye view of the task at hand, then you most likely have learned how to play your instrument correctly.

Over the years, I have taught many students how to learn music quickly and I have found it to be fundamental to my teaching approach.  A student of mine will spend a long period of time developing these skills.

It takes years to develop fluency with any instrument and this subject warrants the writing of an entire book.  However, to light the fire of inspiration I have put together a short list in 2 parts that will help you to get started.  It's also worth pointing out that although these postings are primarily focused on mallet keyboard percussion instruments, many of the concepts here can be applied to other instruments as well.  

The first part of my list of suggestions are general practicing tips.  Next week, I will release the second part of my list which contains specific musical suggestions.  Enjoy!

Learning Music Quickly on Mallet Keyboard Instruments

PART 1: General Practicing Tips

1. Develop a positive attitude...it goes long way

This first suggestion is more spiritual than anything else.  Many student's biggest initial obstacle is themselves.   Due to a lack of proper education on these instruments, students often believe that it is "talent" and "natural ability" alone that allows someone to learn music quickly.  This could not be further from the truth.  It is like anything else.  Practice makes a perfect and a specific set of skills must be acquired.  Learning music quickly is not something that only a few lucky people are predisposed to.  YOU are in control of the outcome and you must ignore the negative voices in your head.

2. Understand the value of a day and practice everyday as if the performance is tomorrow

Trust me…this slight change in mindset works wonders.  Change the standard for what you consider to be an adequate practice session.  Practice as if the performance will be tomorrow.  All too often I work with students who possess little to no sense of urgency in their process of preparation.  When we practice as if the performance is tomorrow, we change the paradigm of our practice sessions.  We push ourselves to new limits without even needing to acquire any new knowledge that can help us.  This is invaluable.  A lot can be accomplished in just one day if you change your fundamental mindset.

3. Set Goals

This may seem obvious but you would be surprised how much of a problem this can be. When practicing and learning music it's very important to learn one section or phrase at a time.  If one section or phrase is too much whittle it down even further. Taking on too much at once can cause things to become convoluted and lead to a lack of retention.  If you learn small sections of your music you can isolate the difficult passages, dissect them. and ultimately absorb them.  Attack all technical challenges in a slow and methodical way, and work them up to tempo.  You would be surprised how setting clear goals and being organized empowers you and allows you to truly absorb the music.

4. Take Breaks, Cycle in and out

This is another easy thing you can do that will make a big difference.  Believe it or not, taking breaks and absorbing what you have just worked on works!  Over a long day of practicing for a concert just around the corner, taking breaks can help you maximize your time and recovery.  Recovery is a very important part of exertion and all too often overlooked.  Cycle in and out of practice and you will improve your overall results for the day.  This especially works well if you are setting proper goals with the right attitude and mindset.

Stay tuned for Part 2 next week where I will explore more specific musical suggestions to aide in this extremely important process. 

If you enjoyed reading this posting, I also wrote a similar article on this topic in a fantastic publication called “A Percussionist’s Handbook” by Peter Saleh.  Check it out!