I've been playing for 5 years and I'm having so much trouble with Badinerie and being able to finger the notes so fast. Granted I've never had a teacher but it's really impressive that you were able to pull this off after only 4 months of playing. Do you have any tips on how to improve on technical pieces?
Shanti Johnson Hi, thanks so much for your comment! My primary advice would be to practice SLOWLY! Nobody wants to do that, but 2hrs of mindful, careful, slow, practice every day - practicing just the bits you can't do (you can look at the easier bits later!), is far preferable to 8 hours of playing a piece over and and over at full speed every day, where people just skate over the same mistakes without really taking time to iron them out, and so never improve. The quality of your practice is much more important than the quantity. Also, you really do need to find a good teacher who can help you. I know it's a cliché that everyone says, but you really can only go so far by yourself. I owe my teachers so much. Good luck!
Katie Morgan Thank you so much for the advice! I'll try to find a teacher soon and I'll probably be practicing this piece for a while but I'll make sure to play it slowly first :)
How many hours per day were you practicing to be advance so quickly? I think if you had started when you were Emma Resmini's age and TH-cam existed then, you would be a famous flutist.
To be honest, I have no idea how long I practiced the flute for at first. I'm pretty sure it was never more than an hour during the first year, because piano was my main instrument, until I decided I loved playing the flute more. I'd practice around 2hrs during my A levels, and 3hrs a day (occasionally 4hrs) during my music degree, but once did 7hrs when I decided to change programmes at the last minute, and had to learn challenging repertoire quickly. Looking back, I should have done a lot more practice, but I got by ok with the amount I did. It's more important to practice mindfully for a shorter time, than it is to practice for long hours, just skating over problems.
+Capricious Mugwump I said I honestly don't know how much practice I did. I'm guessing an hour. I was very keen and absolutely determined to reach the target I'd set myself, if only to prove people wrong and annoy them! 😄 The mind is a very powerful thing! - Much more powerful than "talent". A positive and determined mindset, combined with practice, and you can achieve anything! Mindset and a critical approach to practicing, is much more important than long hours of unconcentrated practice. Please don't say you'll quit the flute; not even in jest! It makes me so sad when people say that, because the flute is such a beautiful instrument that brings people so many hours and years of enjoyment if they commit to it.
+Capricious Mugwump And also don't forget that I was a grade 8 pianist at the time, so I was a fluent music reader. That meant half the battle dealt with, and only had to focus on learning fingerings (which I had a good memory for) and technique, for the most part.
This is impressive! You were obviously born to play the flute! If you'd started learning younger you'd have definitely been a child prodigy.
Thanks, although I'm not sure I'd have been a prodigy. I was so unfocused and so easily distracted as a child.
Impressive playing! I think you would have been a Welsh version of Emma Resmini if you'd started earlier.
I've been playing for 5 years and I'm having so much trouble with Badinerie and being able to finger the notes so fast. Granted I've never had a teacher but it's really impressive that you were able to pull this off after only 4 months of playing. Do you have any tips on how to improve on technical pieces?
Shanti Johnson Hi, thanks so much for your comment! My primary advice would be to practice SLOWLY! Nobody wants to do that, but 2hrs of mindful, careful, slow, practice every day - practicing just the bits you can't do (you can look at the easier bits later!), is far preferable to 8 hours of playing a piece over and and over at full speed every day, where people just skate over the same mistakes without really taking time to iron them out, and so never improve. The quality of your practice is much more important than the quantity. Also, you really do need to find a good teacher who can help you. I know it's a cliché that everyone says, but you really can only go so far by yourself. I owe my teachers so much. Good luck!
Katie Morgan Thank you so much for the advice! I'll try to find a teacher soon and I'll probably be practicing this piece for a while but I'll make sure to play it slowly first :)
How many hours per day were you practicing to be advance so quickly? I think if you had started when you were Emma Resmini's age and TH-cam existed then, you would be a famous flutist.
To be honest, I have no idea how long I practiced the flute for at first. I'm pretty sure it was never more than an hour during the first year, because piano was my main instrument, until I decided I loved playing the flute more. I'd practice around 2hrs during my A levels, and 3hrs a day (occasionally 4hrs) during my music degree, but once did 7hrs when I decided to change programmes at the last minute, and had to learn challenging repertoire quickly. Looking back, I should have done a lot more practice, but I got by ok with the amount I did. It's more important to practice mindfully for a shorter time, than it is to practice for long hours, just skating over problems.
+Katie Morgan only an hour a day? And you play Badinerie after 4 months? Are you serious? Think I'll quit the flute now....
+Capricious Mugwump I said I honestly don't know how much practice I did. I'm guessing an hour. I was very keen and absolutely determined to reach the target I'd set myself, if only to prove people wrong and annoy them! 😄 The mind is a very powerful thing! - Much more powerful than "talent". A positive and determined mindset, combined with practice, and you can achieve anything! Mindset and a critical approach to practicing, is much more important than long hours of unconcentrated practice.
Please don't say you'll quit the flute; not even in jest! It makes me so sad when people say that, because the flute is such a beautiful instrument that brings people so many hours and years of enjoyment if they commit to it.
+Capricious Mugwump And also don't forget that I was a grade 8 pianist at the time, so I was a fluent music reader. That meant half the battle dealt with, and only had to focus on learning fingerings (which I had a good memory for) and technique, for the most part.