When encountering a score for the first time, one of the first things to do is find the patterns. Get an overall picture of the piece by looking over it and seeing any places where patterns come back. You can either mark it in the score (A B A', etc.) or just make a mental note of the themes that repeat. There are a few reasons to find the patterns:
1) It shows you what the main themes are. If it's being repeated, clearly it's important.
2) It helps direct your practice. Getting each theme/pattern down will be extra beneficial as a start. You'll learn a greater amount of the piece in a shorter period of time.
3) It simplifies practice. When you realize you only have to learn that pattern once, it reduces the amount of work you have to do. I've been shocked at how often students will start playing a piece and insistent they cannot do something when they've already played it twice. Finding patterns right away prevents that problem.
4) It reduces overwhelm. It's easy to get overwhelmed by all the notes on the page. When you realize that it's mainly the same two or three themes repeated, feeling overwhelmed goes out the window. You only have to learn a few patterns. No big deal.
Get into the habit of finding patterns in the score right away and simplify learning new music.
Comments