As we progress in our musical careers from student to professional, it might be expected that time to concentrate on our own musical development would increase. However, as we get older and our lives more complicated with various commitments, most people find that their practice time becomes more limited. The days of endless hours in which to practice become a distant memory if they ever existed at all. In my own case the arrival of our son forced a rethinking of how best to achieve what I needed to do with very limited practice time. I offer a few thoughts on the subject in hopes that they may be useful to others in the same situation.

Rereading a wonderful article by Allan Vogel that appeared in the Double Reed journal proved to be a great starting point. In it, he writes about studying with Fernand Gillet, Lothar Koch, and Robert Bloom. My teacher, Ronald Roseman, had given me a copy of it years earlier when I was studying with him. It is all fascinating reading, but what caught my attention this time was the section about Fernand Gillet and some of his practice techniques. Fernand Gillet was, of course, the solo oboist of the Boston Symphony for many years. World War I found him flying a fighter and during those years he was not able to play the oboe. While not able to practice, he did spend many hours thinking about practicing and about how to accomplish the most in the most efficient manner possible. His ideas have been very useful to me and I would like to reiterate a few of them.

Before one can begin to work on a problem, it is necessary to clearly understand where the difficulty lies. In a difficult passage, carefully think about exactly what is causing the problem. For example, is there difficult fingering combination, a tricky half- hole section, or is there a change from one register to another? In most cases, there is a particular interval or “crux” which, if identified, can be targeted in practicing. Once the problem has been identified, exercises can be created to improve the difficulty. In fact, Mr. Gillet has already done this. His book, Vingt Minutes d’Etude, has enough material in it to last a lifetime. There is seemingly no difficulty for which he has not already created an exercise. Targeting the real problem uses practice time more efficiently than simply repeating an entire passage over and over.

Another of Gillet’s ideas that has been very helpful to me is the idea of “think of the last easy note”. This is the note that precedes the problem note. For example, imagine you have to play from high C to high E in a quick passage. The C would be the “last easy note”. I have somewhat modified Mr. Gillet’s statement to “stop and think on the last easy note”. Play the passage and make a fermata on the high C. While holding the C, do everything necessary to prepare for the following note. You may need to concentrate on the finger motion, the air intensity, or the reed placement. When you are confident that you are ready, move to the E. Gradually reduce the amount of time that you hold the “last easy note”, while still using that moment to collect yourself mentally and recollect the necessary techniques needed. By doing so, we can train ourselves to do the right thing at the right moment. In this way, even very fast passages can “feel” slow and under control.

In addition to Mr. Gillet’s ideas, I found myself making a lot of use of a practice technique that I call “note grouping”. This manner of practicing is used by many instrumentalists, but I have come up with a version that I have found successful in my own practicing and with students. It works like this: begin by taking a manageable section of the music you want to work on, maybe three or four bars. Play the first three notes, holding the third note. Look ahead to the next three notes, and when ready, play the next group, holding the third note of that group. Continue with these three note groups until you reach the end of the section you are working on (ex. 1).

Example 1

Then go back to the beginning of the same section but start on the second note of the passage. Play three notes starting on this new note, holding the third note as before. Go on to the next three note group holding the third note and continue in this manner to the end of the section (ex. 2).

Example 2

Go back to the beginning of the section and start on the third note of the passage. Again, play three notes holding the third note, and play three note groups until the end of the section (ex. 3).

Example 3

Always end on the last note of the passage, even though it may not always be a group of three notes. You’ve just completed phase 1! Now go back to the beginning of the passage and start with groups of four notes. Play the first four notes, holding the fourth note of the group. Look at the next group of four notes and when ready, go on, holding the fourth note of that group. Continue the pattern to the end of the section (ex. 4).

Example 4

After you have completed this group, go back and start on the second note of the section, holding the fourth note of each group. (ex. 5)

Example 5

Continue shifting the starting note until you would be repeating the initial pattern. Once you have completed the groups of four notes, go back to the beginning of the section and follow the same pattern with five note groups (ex. 6).

Example 6

A few general points about this practice method are important to keep in mind. When using this note group practicing approach, make all the note values even in the passage, regardless of the original rhythm. Ignore any articulation markings and slur everything. Start at a very slow speed so that you are playing each time without any mistakes. Repeat each note group until it feels easy and comfortable. Be sure to use any special fingerings (forked Fs, or left E flats, for example) in the practice segments in exactly the same manner that you will need them in the music. Play with the same good support and beauty of sound and phrasing that you want to have in the passage. It is also helpful to stay engaged mentally and to practice positive mental imagery, especially at difficult spots.

I have given examples of up to groups of five notes. It is, of course, possible to continue this idea though six and seven note groups. However, I have found that it is very important to get at least through groups of five notes. The groups of five break us out of the more familiar duple/triple rhythmic patterns and facilitate learning of the note patterns without any relationship to a particular rhythm or meter. What I often find when using this practice method is that some of the note groups feel quite easy and familiar. Others feel as if I have never played that particular combination of notes before. When these “unfamiliar” groups feel comfortable, I know that a new level of learning has occurred. Those interested in this type of practicing should read the section “On practicing” in Ivan Galamian’s Principles of Violin Playing and Teaching. Mr. Galamian takes this idea even further, encorporating many different rhythmic patterns. His ideas for violin practicing work equally well on the oboe.

Note group practicing is particularly useful in learning music that is not diatonic or that does not use recurring patterns. The example I chose for the illustrations is from the opening of Stravinsky’s Symphony of Psalms. This is a tricky, exposed part for the oboe. Although it contains lots of similar melodic material, the patterns change slightly each time. It is a good candidate for note-group practicing. In addition, I have found that this way of practicing can also make familiar, diatonic music seem much more like it belongs to you. Try practicing a passage in this manner that you know well and I think you will feel you “own” it even more.
Along with these specific practice techniques, I find that most of my practice time centers on reinforcing a basic technical foundation. Scales, thirds, and arpeggios are the language on which diatonic music is based. There is no substitute for a thorough competence in these skills. Concentrating on these basic technical building blocks makes up the majority of my current practice time. The other techniques I described help to target specific musical problems. Combining these two practice strategies has helped me to use my more limited practice time in the most efficient manner possible. It also allows me to continue performing despite less practice time and (mostly) retain my sanity.

 

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