Mel Bay's Creative Keyboard® Webzine | Gail Smith - Take a Musical Inventory

Take a Musical Inventory

by Gail Smith

We must take inventory to see how many exercises we can play. We need to take more time this year to exercise our fingers and hands. It takes the muscles 15 minutes to warm up. Take inventory on how many scales you can play four octaves. I recommend going thru all the major and minor scales every day. Once you know them start timing yourself and see how long it takes you to play thru them. Next play the Hanon exercises. Take inventory and see how many you know by memory. Practice the arpeggios in major and minor and diminished sevenths. Next practice pieces you know by memory then work on the hard spots in new repertoire you have selected or that has been assigned for your lesson.

There are many carefully selected exercises in "The Complete Book of Exercises" that can provide hours of practice. It is best to pick out a few at a time to really work on. Every once in a while it is fun to have a marathon day of finger workouts. Most of us are too busy to practice more than an hour or two a day. I'd rather spend a day at the piano than a day at the beach. Each of us have our priorities but depending on our responsibilities and ages, if we like playing the piano, we will make time.

It is my desire to help each student play their best at whatever level they are. I encourage each student to keep their old pieces memorized. So much time and practice goes into memorizing a piano solo that it behooves everyone to keep that piece up.

Everyone should take an inventory and see how many pieces they know by memory. I began writing down all all the Christmas solos I thought I knew by memory. After playing each one perfect, I wrote the title down. I was very happy at the result. I had a list of over forty special solos for Christmas. I hope to memorize more next year.now that I know what I don't know by memory. But I encourage all of you to take inventory and see for instance, how many popular pieces you can play by memory? How many hymns can you play by memory? How many classical pieces can you play by memory? How many Patriotic pieces can you play by heart?

Write a list of pieces you want to learn this year. Listen to classical CD's to hear wonderful pieces you may want to learn. Be inspired. Go to concerts this year and support classical music

In the meantime, take inventory of what you can play.no matter at what level you presently are !

By taking a musical inventory now, you will be able to see what you accomplish this year at the piano.

Happy New Year from Gail Smith

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