Notes and rhytm harmony?

[James Garlock]

Dear Rachel,

I always wanted to know, in parcticing , I know notes come first, but when do they become automatic for the fingers and then I can work on the notes rhythm?
I always wram up before lessons with trills eight notes, RH and LH, before any practice pieces.
I think I may be couterproductive always saying notes to learn recognition and forget timing can you see my delima?
Any help here I am on page 41 of your great book.
James Garlock

[RachelJ]

Hi James, and thanks for your question...

I really think it is a mistake to treat the notes and rhythm as separate things. Usually when people do that, it is because they are trying to go too fast and work on too many notes at a time.

If you go slowly enough and tackle your pieces one measure at a time, you will be able to play and count out loud correctly from the very beginning. It's only through working that way that you will truly master your pieces. Otherwise, you are making a lot more work for yourself and setting yourself up for a lot of frustration!

Please read my blog post on efficient learning at viewtopic.php?f=4&t=4

The main gist is that you learn each measure slowly, hands separately, then hands together, always counting out loud and playing very carefully. If you go slowly enough, you can play anything!

Let me know if that helps!

[James Garlock]

Thanks again Rachel for your useful teaching methods,

Yes I have read your stuff on clunk parctice about a year ago and have used some of this type of learning new pieces of music.

For now on I will, once I learn the notes, not say the notes but count the notes out, in time.

I really wanted to know, does there come a time when Your fingers automatically go to the right notes so I don't have to think about that aspect or playing and just concentrate on timing, dynamics and articulations that I see comes later in You book?
Thank for your helps,

James Garlock

[RachelJ]

Hi James,

If you practice hard, and really master each piece before moving on, you will be laying a stronger and stronger foundation. This will mean you will get better and better and sight reading and start to experience that feeling of being able to go to the right notes automatically.

The thing with the piano, though, is that you will always be striving to play pieces that are harder that what you can sight read easily. So, while eventually, you will be able to look at a piece that is "easy" for you and play it well at first sight, that will not be very fulfilling, and you will always want to work on much harder pieces that require the kind of measure-by-measure practice we are talking about now.

Keep at it!