Instrumentalists' checklist for solving practice room problems

Image by Rennett Stowe,
Image from Wikimedia Commons

We can waste so much time in the practice room but I think it's pretty understandable.  Many of us aren't really taught how to problem solve when we're practicing, yet that's what's really needed if we want our playing to be dependable, comfortable, and musical.  If we don't know what the problem is we can't even begin to solve it yet that's so often what we do in the practice room because we don't know where to begin.

So how do we not get overwhelmed with our mistakes?  How do we figure out what's wrong when we run into a problem and how do we fix it?

I have compiled a checklist of questions that reveal the problems that typically throw instrumentalists off.   Vocalists, many of these also apply to you but you since you have some unique issues to deal with, I'll compile another list in the days to come, specific to your instrument.

1. Could it be a fingering issue?  If you have a fingering written in or you're using one that's printed in the score, try some other fingerings to make sure that you have one that is going to work for you.  When you find something good, mark it in the music.  If you don't have a fingering in the part to start with, then that might be the problem.  Thoughtfully find one and mark it in.  Good fingerings can make a huge difference in your accuracy, musicality, and comfort which means you'll be more likely to play the music consistently well.  You don't have to mark in every fingering - just mark in enough to keep you on track.
2. Could it be a bowing issue if you're a string player?  This is a similar issue to fingering.  Mark in bowings once you figure out what works best.
3. Could it be a breath issue if you're a wind or brass player?  Again, this is also similar to the fingering issue.  Mark in wear you want to breathe so that you build in consistent breaths and phrasing.  That will leave your mind free to think of the music.
4. Once you have a good fingering, are you secure with how to get from one hand position to another?  Do you know how far you really have to go (or not go?)  Slowly go from one position to the next and back until you have found a comfortable, fluid way to do so.  
5. Is there an interval that's throwing you off?  Stop and make sure you know what interval you're supposed to be playing and then sing it several times in a row, with assurance, before trying to play it again.  Use your ear to guide your hands and fingers.  
6. Could it be a rhythm issue?  Do you know mathematically how the rhythm is supposed to go? Draw in vertical lines to represent the beats or write in the counts in the proper places so that your eyes have something to latch onto when reading the music.  Write the subdivisions above or below the music, being sure that it all lines up correctly.  Before playing it on your instrument, make sure you can clap out the rhythm or vocalize it while conducting or tapping out the beat.
7. Could it be a meter issue?  Is it in 3/4?  Make sure you know how the meter is supposed to feel and where the emphasis typically is.  Count out loud and make sure that you're actually feeling the beats where they should be in relation to the music.  Especially if you're trying to put the music together with someone else, displacing beats unintentionally could be an issue.  In regards to 3/4, I have discovered that this is particularly troublesome meter.  You can read more about that in my blog post, "A note of sympathy and apology to a time signature."
8. Is the passage a fast passage that gets your fingers tied up in knots?  Look for as many patterns and sequences that you can find to simplify it for your eyes, fingers, and mind.  Are there scales?  Triadic motion?  Repeated motives? 
9. Are you unsure of how an ornament is supposed to be executed?  Make sure you know exactly how the ornament is to be played and where it should begin in relation to the notes around it.  Once you figure it out, write in whatever you need to so that you play the ornament the same way every time and you aren't just trying to cram a whole bunch of notes into a tiny space, which is what many of us end up doing.
10. Is there another phrase that is similar but just slightly different?  Look and analyze.  Once you know how they are differ, play the phrases back to back slowly, being sure to note the differences while you are playing.
11. Could it be a transition problem between one phrase or section and another?  Often times we work hard on individual phrases and then piece them together without working on the glue that connects them.  Practice going from one phrase to the next so that you can do so securely and musically.
12. Is the problem at a page turn or a line change?  If it's at a page turn, either photocopy one of the pages so that you can see the entire passage that crosses the page break without having to turn a page.  For both page turns and line changes, you can also memorize the material around the turn so that you can practice it without any hiccups.
13. If you are playing with other musicians, are you unsure of where to come in after several measures of rest?  Look at a score to find cues that will help you know what leads up to your entrance and write cues into your own part.  It can also be helpful to sing another instrument's part during the rests so that you aren't just shutting off your mind or obsessing over counting. Counting can often get messed up, especially under pressure, so knowing how your part fits aurally is often more dependable.
14. Is the music written in a way that is confusing to you?  Especially when you're dealing with lots of sharps or flats it is sometimes easier to re-think the notes or the passage in its enharmonic equivalent.  Many people have a preference when it comes to flat keys or sharp keys and think better in one or the other.  Me?  I prefer flats, hands down.  Sharps are too, well, sharp.  Since this is a bit complicated you can read about an example of this in my own life in my post, "Let's play 'stump the pianist' - AARGH!"

I know I'm probably missing something important so if you come up with any, please do share them by leaving a comment!

Now go and practice and enjoy problem solving - it may take some time now but will save you even more time and frustration in the long run!

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