subject: Music Lesson Tips: How to Minimize Flubs [print this page] Music Lesson Tips: How to Minimize Flubs Music Lesson Tips: How to Minimize Flubs
Musical flubs are a common mistake to any beginner taking a music lesson. It happens when you miss a note, strike the wrong key, or pull off the wrong chord. Though it's normal, it's best that you minimize it to enhance your playing style. To do that, we have some handy tips that'll surely make your music lessons a lot easier. Read on and find out.
The Rule of Three
Repetition is key here. When you've been given a piece, a song, or just a set of notes, be sure to practice it at least three times. This way you are adapting your fingers (or your voice) to the required dexterity of that piece. With practice, you'll be allowing your fingers to do the job without conscious effort.
Also, once you stumble on a hard part, try to play it three timescleanly. Start up slow (we'll discuss this later) then try to pick up the pace until you get the timing right. Don't play it on a loop, however, because you will be fusing this section to the rest of the song. When you've got it down to the right rhythm or timing, try incorporating the tough part with the rest of your piece.
Do It Slow-Mo
When you're starting your music lesson, it's quite inevitable that you might rush a piece or two. Though it's not bad that you would want to test your skills, what's wrong here is you might make mistakes more often than you would by taking things slowly. If you tend to rush a solo, for example, you might strike the wrong keys, cause dead notes, or even mess up the whole solo itself.
With this in mind, try to play through a piece at a comfortable pace. If you're having trouble with a hard part, slow the tempo down. This eliminates the chances of you committing flubs. Though it might sound off, it's important that you get the right notes first. In fact, this technique is related to the one stated above. You should first play through the piece like you normally would and then slow down on the tougher parts.
Use Your Memory
One common way of causing flubs is being totally dependent on the sheet music itself. Beginners tend to plow through the sheet like they are reading stock exchange information. They can't relate one set from those succeeding and preceding it. Once the sheet music is taken off, however, mistakes soon occur.
This is why it's best that you get your brain involved. During your music lesson, play one or two bars on the chart till you get it right. Then stop and turn around. Now play that part again without looking at your sheet (and if you can, don't look at your fingers as well). By doing this, you are involving your brain's ability to memorize set pieces. This way you'll be learning the song by heart and thus minimizing your errors.
