On the one hand, I love that I’ve been playing for thirty years and I continue to learn new ways of learning. On the other, it helps us mortals feel better that players at your level still work on the basics such as rhythm and tempo. I just subscribed and looking forward to more videos.

@jackhowell8708

5 ай бұрын

What a nice comment, Bob, thank you. To be honest, I haven’t done this drill much since I got my current job, but I did it CONSTANTLY preparing for my audition, and from my experience on audition committees I can say that it is absolutely crucial for orchestral aspirants. What I do often, however, is use a metronome on the slowest pulse possible for the tempo. For example, if you can play Ride of the Valkyries with absolutely even 16ths with the metronome at one beat per bar (30 bpm) you will be rock solid. If you can do that, try one beat per two bars (15 bpm). I have an odd reaction when you say “players at your level” because I am in such awe of my colleagues that I’m always fighting imposter syndrome. Every single day I start with fundamentals because fundamentals will never desert you. And I think of the football player who said “success isn’t owned, it’s leased, and the rent is due every day.”

👏 👏👏👍 As one of my colleagues used to always say: “TIME, more than a magazine “

@jackhowell8708

7 ай бұрын

Thanks, EmJay. Makes me think of my high school Current/World Events teacher, who insisted that we read BOTH Time and Newsweek for “a balanced view” of the issues. Good times.

@emjay2045

3 ай бұрын

@@jackhowell8708ha. But I was doing a play on words about “time/ tempo” using the magazine title that my colleague was referring to 🤷🏽‍♂️

I watched this video when it first came out. Tonight I actually tried. It was humbling! I used the first couple lines of the slow movement of the second Devienne Sonata. I had a little more "luck" on the exposition of the Mozart Concerto, so I am not too dejected! This approach is going into my practice regimen...

@jackhowell8708

5 ай бұрын

Thanks for this. Anyone who has played the Firebird variation for an audition and heard from the other side of the screen “Would the candidate please play this excerpt again, paying close attention to the length of the rests” would do well to give this a shot. It’s a super annoying and time consuming drill and someone who already has a job and tenure could be forgiven for not doing it, but those trying win auditions should at least take the test.

Thank you, finally an answer to my rhytm headache; I must set up this drill.

@jackhowell8708

4 ай бұрын

You’re welcome! I hope. What I have found is that the acid test reveals more than it fixes. Problems - and everyone has different feels - tend to arise from reacting to the beat that just happened rather than anticipating the beat that is coming. A metronome on a pulse so slow - half note, bar, two bars - that it cannot be reacted to and must be anticipated, like a tennis player or softball player hitting a ball often helps. We humans have a hard-wired sense of anticipation for things in motion but are terrible stopwatches. A comment to another video mentioned a metronome app that randomly omits a selected percentage of beats, that seems like it would be effective also.

@joenremmer7898

3 ай бұрын

@@jackhowell8708 thank you for this insight. It sheds light on my pulse conondrums, especially why it is so hard to maintain a somewhat slower tempo.

Thank you, definatley a mind set i need to develop.

Great workout. I'll definitely try it.

Great test, I think it's an excellent tool, thank you Mr. Howell.

@jackhowell8708

7 ай бұрын

Thanks, Jose, great to hear from you.

especially important playing in an ensemble my issue I practice with a metronome at the required timing but the conductor would play at a higher speed and throw me out !!

@jackhowell8708

7 ай бұрын

Hmm. It is a symptom of reacting to the beat rather than anticipating the pulse that changes in tempo will throw off timing. I’m a big fan of the slow metronome- 1 beat per bar, even 2 bars for allegro. It’s like a batter or a tennis player hitting the ball. The pitcher/opponent does everything possible to vary speed and defeat the batter/player, but the good ones sense the speed, anticipate, and make contact.

Rhythm is 90%, the factor in achieving virtuosity. Finger techniques is the other 10%.