| Learning an Instrument |
An open letter from the
music staff to pupils
and their parents. |
| Regularity and Length of Practice |
When in the day?
Find a regular slot and try as
far as possible, to keep to it. Practice when you
are fresh. Don’t leave it until homework is
done as you will be too tired. Any practice done
at this stage would be counter-productive. Try to
do 10 - 15 minutes before leaving for School each
morning. |
What to practice?
Experimenting, improvising, playing
old pieces, sight reading new pieces are all part
of learning a new instrument. However, check that
you have covered the work set by the teacher first.
All woodwind, brass and recorder players must start
their practice with long notes for breath and tone
development. It is a good habit then to warm up
the fingers and brain on some scales and arpeggios. Start with a familiar one and continue by going onto a less familiar or new one. Keep practising old scales and arpeggios
once they have been learnt. |
How much?
Most important is the regularity
of the practice and not the amount: i.e. one session
of an hour and a half on a Saturday morning or on
the night before a lesson to make up lack of practice
over the previous four days is counter-productive
– much more will be achieved
with 20 minutes a day. Build up by 5 minutes
a term in the early stages. A beginner can get by
on just 10 minutes a day. By grade 5, pupils should
be aiming to do 30 minutes a day. Pupils need to
be able to gain in stamina to sustain a 30 minute
lesson (girls on higher grades may well have even
longer lessons) or 1 hour orchestral practice.
What is most important is to make best use of the
time with productive practice – less can be
more! |
How to practice?
Never just play through a piece
from beginning to end unless it is already polished.
Instead, concentrate just on small sections and
be prepared to play very short phrases over and
over many times. Give yourself goals of perfecting
just a few bars each session. You will be surprised
– the piece gets learnt rather more quickly
and more effectively this way! |
Supervision
and Encouragement
Practising
is a lonely pursuit. Parents! – Be positive
about your daughter’s playing, whatever her
level, especially on a string instrument. Company
and praise are the two most useful things in the
early stages. Remember, Rome was not built in a
day! Take an active interest in her playing and
the pieces/exercises being practical. Try and be
within earshot and sit and listen periodically.
When passages do not go well, help your daughter
to identify which bar needs special attention and
encourage her to play that one bar several times
over at differing speeds, slow at first, until it
has become smooth and more comfortable. Get your
daughter to teach you something. Create opportunities
for her to perform to family and friends. Why not
have musical parties. Attend concerts together and
listen to music on radio and CD etc. |
Music in the Senior
School
Girls in years 7 –
9 have one double music lesson lasting 1 hour and
10 minutes each week. Students have the option of
furthering their musical studies at GCSE in Years
10 and 11.
The school currently adopts the Edexcel syllabus
for both GCSE and AS/A2 level.
For information on extra curricular activities within
the school click on the related links. |
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