3 New Pieces - Help!

[etgohomeok]

So yeah, I have 3 weeks to learn these 3 pieces and record them with live piano accompaniment. I already have The Godard one (Valse) and its... well... hard. Any advice on learning pieces fast, and/or tips for the specific pieces are appreciated.

The songs are:

* Paul Hindemith Sonata for Flute and Piano (Third Movement Only: Marsch)
(Note: Including March)
* Godard Suite for Flute and Piano (Third Movement Only: Valse)
* Feld Sonata for Flute and Piano (First Movement Only: Allegro Giacoso)

[c_otter]

For learning a piece with limited time:

1. Go through the piece and mark the difficult spots.

2. Don't waste time trying to play it faster than you can play it correctly. At best you are wasting time, but you may be learning incorrect notes too.

3. Focus on the difficult sections. Take these sections in small chunks. Use a metronome set a speed that you can play the section note perfect. This may be VERY slow. Gradually increase the speed of the metronome. Also, use alternative rhythms, such as dotted-eighth sixteenth, or sixteenth dotted-eighth. Take a break when your fingers start to get tangled.

4. Minimize time spent on run-thrus. Do just enough run thrus to retain the work you've done, but focus on the parts that are difficult, not the parts that are easy.

[etgohomeok]

Ha, well I just found out I'm supposed to pick one of three - right after the third one arrived from France. That's a relief.

I'm gonna be doing the Valse one by Godard. Any tips?

[Flute_star3]

Oh, the Godard Valse. The Valse is treacherous in the learning stage, keep your eyes peeled in learning it. For some reason. this piece is next to impossible to fix if you learn it incorrectly. Be careful, keep it slow until you've really got it, be patient and then speed it up GRADUALLY. Good luck!

[Claiken]

For learning a piece with limited time:

1. Go through the piece and mark the difficult spots.

2. Don't waste time trying to play it faster than you can play it correctly. At best you are wasting time, but you may be learning incorrect notes too.

3. Focus on the difficult sections. Take these sections in small chunks. Use a metronome set a speed that you can play the section note perfect. This may be VERY slow. Gradually increase the speed of the metronome. Also, use alternative rhythms, such as dotted-eighth sixteenth, or sixteenth dotted-eighth. Take a break when your fingers start to get tangled.

4. Minimize time spent on run-thrus. Do just enough run thrus to retain the work you've done, but focus on the parts that are difficult, not the parts that are easy.

ive recently had to remind myself about #4. i have the habit of loving the piece and therefore wanting to play the whole thing thru a bunch, but then in the process i let things slide and dont accomplish much. I did some reflecting recently and discovered this about myself. Sections i think will help me greatly. Not to mention i did get polite hell for it in my last lesson (certain parts werent great).

its rough though... im preparing these pieces for my audition, which isnt until april 19th... but my teacher wants them perfect now. its just so stressful because:

- i am paying for my education and although only the best would get the best careers, it would be more correct to accept and attempt to teach even someone off the street, completely new to music.
- regardless of how much we suck or are great, the teachers are still getting paid/not losing out.
- i personally have a disorder which prohibits being able to practise during every waking moment.
- what difference does it make to them what i do with my money?

and the big one:
- why dont they take how long someone is playing into account? for my playing years (3) ive accomplished tons, but there are ppl in the program whove been playing since like 8 yrs or younger (and are like 23 now), so they will always have more experience and practise than me, and will always be better than me. as i pracitse more, they practise more too. short of convincing them not to practise, i cannot change that.

it would totally make sense if music were a free program, but im paying them. if there were more students, they wouldnt be 'out of room', they could use the extra money to hire more teachers to accomodate more students.

sorry, just had to rant a little. things are stressful for me right now.

[fluteguy18]

but there are ppl in the program whove been playing since like 8 yrs or younger (and are like 23 now), so they will always have more experience and practise than me, and will always be better than me.

You just answered your "big" question. The truth of the matter is that no one cares how long you have been playing. They just care about how good you are in the exact moment of the audition. If you are good enough, then great! If not... better luck next time.

Now... they won't always be better. I myself am clear evidence of that. I started playing flute when I was 9. But, I wasn't serious about it until I was almost 18. I didn't practice, or do anything other than play in my school band. I decided I wanted to be a musician, and started working towards that goal. I took a month of lessons and then my music major auditions. I was lucky. I flew in on talent alone. Now, with a few years of lessons under my belt [and hard practicing], no one in my studio is going to pass me in chair auditions without a lot of work.

So keep practicing. Stop focusing on the fact that you have only been playing 3 years. It doesn't matter. Sorry to be rude, but no one on the audition panel cares that you only started 3 years ago. They are being paid to make the best quazi-professional ensemble out of the selection of musicians they have been given. So just buckle down, and practice. It will pay off eventually.

[fluttiegurl]

I have to agree. I teach students who start at 8 and students who start at 58. I have seen students who started playing in high school make all district band. The difference is how much work a player is willing to put into it. Nothing good happens without work.

[Claiken]

but there are ppl in the program whove been playing since like 8 yrs or younger (and are like 23 now), so they will always have more experience and practise than me, and will always be better than me.

You just answered your "big" question. The truth of the matter is that no one cares how long you have been playing. They just care about how good you are in the exact moment of the audition.

but how is that realistic? theres only so many hours in the day. if people started playing years before me, assuming theyre already in the program and still practising, theyve had plenty more practise hours than i. thats simple math that should matter in this situation but for some reason doesnt. granted, if i had nothing else to worry about, but me and my flute, then i could practise insane amounts and get in. but there are classes, meals, sleep, written homework, and many more necessary things that need done in a day. the only way id be able to get ahead of them is if they have these other things to worry about but i for some reason didnt.

but people who got in first shot wont care about this. thats the cold hard truth.

[vampav8trix]

but how is that realistic? theres only so many hours in the day. if people started playing years before me, assuming theyre already in the program and still practising, theyve had plenty more practise hours than i. thats simple math that should matter in this situation but for some reason doesnt. granted, if i had nothing else to worry about, but me and my flute, then i could practise insane amounts and get in. but there are classes, meals, sleep, written homework, and many more necessary things that need done in a day. the only way id be able to get ahead of them is if they have these other things to worry about but i for some reason didnt.

Talent also plays a big part in music. It doesn't matter how much you practice if you don't have talent.

I played flute from 5th to 9th grade than I played nothing. I bought a drum set while I was in college and started playing drums. I think I was 19. I decided that I loved playing music so much that I wanted to major in music. I got a pecussion teacher and learned to play all percussion in about 3 to 4 months. I was working 32 hours a week and going to school so all I could put in was two hours a day practice. I also had a rock band.

I practiced for about 3 months and in that time I learned some audtion pieces to get into GA state university music program. The audition included a pretty complex snare drum solo, a marimba piece, a multi percussion piece and sight reading on the snare drum and marimba. I beat out a whole bunch of high school students trying to get 1 of 3 slots for the year. I am sure that some of those highschool students had been playing since they were 12 or 13 years old. The head of the percussion department at GA state was the principal for the Atlanta Symphony and had students from the National Koren Symphony come all the way to the United States to study with him. So this program was very competative.

All in all, I think I had about 9 months of learning the drums with about 2 hours to practice a day. Maybe a little more on the weekends when I wasn't trying to sleep. I didn't practice insane amounts. I have a gift for music that always needs continual development.

Natural talent and ability also comes into play and is a large part of being successful.

I am 39 and I just started playing the flute again after 25 years of not playng a note. I have been playing for about 4 to 5 months now and I have been practicing an average of 2 to 3 hours a day when I don't have to work. My work schedule gets hectic and somtimes I am not home for a week and I don't get to play a note.

I am getting close to playing as well as a high school senior. My instructor does a lot of All State stuff and is president of the local flute club. She has me working on stuff that her seniors are working on.

I haven't been playing long.

My point is.

You have to have talent and skill to make all of those practice hours count or no matter how much you practice, it's really not going to make a difference in the long run.

Right now I do music for fun, but someday when I retire I might try my hand at teaching.


It's like fluteguy18 said:

You just answered your "big" question. The truth of the matter is that no one cares how long you have been playing. They just care about how good you are in the exact moment of the audition

Keep your chin up and practice as much as you can. Do your best. If you don't make it. Try again next year.

c_otter really knows how to practice and learn a piece from the looks of it. Take his/her advice. That is the best way to learn.[/quote]

[fluteguy18]

As harsh as it seems, I agree entirely vampav8trix.

Keep your chin up

Absolutely. I myself just got news about a really big audition of mine. The result: I was eliminated. There were 10 spots in the program, and the teacher chose 11 students by accident. So, the board/panel decided to cut the oldest of remaining applicants. That was me.

So, at the moment, I am feeling several things at once. First of all, the Admissions director called me to tell me in person. So that made me feel good, and made me feel valued [because there were probably several hundred applicants]. Secondly, I am elated that I was on the original roster, and had "made it" into the program. Third, I am furious that I was removed from the final roster because I was "too old" [even though there was no cut off age... and on top of that, I was only 1 year older than the rest of the applicants]. Lastly, I am hugely depressed because this was my only chance to study with this person. She is 84 years old, and an absolute legend of a flute player. If I am too old at my current age, I will be too old next year. And, there isn't any guarantee that she will live long enough for me to audition for her for Graduate school.

But, I am trying to keep my chin up. I am not quitting. Just because I didn't get it, doesn't mean I shouldn't have been in there. I was in the top 10/11 players of a few hundred players/auditionees in my age range. So, that is encouraging.

So, if things don't work out, keep trying. There ARE other schools if this one doesn't work out.

"If there is a will, there is a way."

[vampav8trix]

I am sorry to hear that you didn't make the cut fluteguy18.

Keep plugging away. Where there is a will there is a way.

[pied_piper]

...So, the board/panel decided to cut the oldest of remaining applicants. That was me. ... I am furious that I was removed from the final roster because I was "too old" [even though there was no cut off age...

fluteguy18, If they told you that you were removed solely on the basis of your age, I would think you have a legitimate protest based upon age discrimination.

[fluteguy18]

I know that I do. I could definately file a complaint, but the thing is, is that I just want to let it go. Because I was the last person cut, I am first on the waiting list. Not everyone can always afford to go, so if someone cancels, I might get invited.

But, I definately see what you mean. I just want to put it behind me. I put 9 months preparation into the audition material, and countless hours working on the recordings for the CD. Being in the Music 'Biz' I know that I will get many more rejections. Normally, rejections arent a big deal. I feel lousy for a day or two, and I am over it. This one however was a very personal audition for me, and the fact that I was so close, and it was taken away for something as fickle as age, makes it marginally more crushing. I just want to step away from music for a week or so to clear my head.

Protesting their decision would just be more trouble than it is worth. And besides... several of the people who run this program are big names in the world of classical music. I don't want to make a bad reputation for myself, particularly when I am as young as I am. This program was geared towards high school aged students. I am 19, and finishing up my sophomore year of college. My birthday is in the summer, so I am always the youngest in my class. I would be more than willing to bet that there will be a 19 year old, newly graduated high school student in attendance this summer. But there is no point in fighting it. I want to win my auditions and earn my positions the right way, and the fair way. I would feel like my integrity was comprimised if I kicked and screamed my way into the program, particularly as prestigious a program as this one, all because I was eliminated because I was barely 1 year too old for a program that has no cut off age.

[pied_piper]

OK. That puts a slightly different slant on the situation. If the program is intended to be an experience for high school students and you are already a college sophmore, then there are other factors besides just the age. Your point that you don't want to be perceived as a "troublemaker" certainly tempers your options.

My comments were from a personal level because as an adult flutist who is not a professional, there are very few opportunities to compete. I've seen a number of flute competitions where they frequently state that applicants must be under 25, in high school, in college, or other similar age-related restrictions. In my case, I have nothing to prove, I just play now because I enjoy the challenge and want to improve my playing abilities. Even if there were no age restrictions on these competitions, I would probably be blown away by the younger competition. I'm fortunate, however, that there is an annual flute fair in my area that includes an adult amateur competition category, so I get to compete against other non-professional adult flutists. Those types of opportunities are very rare though for adult flutists such as myself.

Anyway, I'll wish you good luck and being the first alternate, I hope that the circumstances work out so that you get to participate in the program. Based upon your comments, you are obviously mature for your age and see the big picture beyond the current moment. Hopefully, you'll have other opportunities to study with a "legend" if this one doesn't work out.

[fluteguy18]

hmm... it seemst that we have hijacked the thread. I don't mind talking about this, but if anyone has any comments, please PM me. Let's return this thread to it's original purpose:

So yeah, I have 3 weeks to learn these 3 pieces and record them with live piano accompaniment. I already have The Godard one (Valse) and its... well... hard. Any advice on learning pieces fast, and/or tips for the specific pieces are appreciated.

The songs are:

* Paul Hindemith Sonata for Flute and Piano (Third Movement Only: Marsch)
(Note: Including March)
* Godard Suite for Flute and Piano (Third Movement Only: Valse)
* Feld Sonata for Flute and Piano (First Movement Only: Allegro Giacoso)