How They Practice - Able To Play...

Petar Maric

How They PracticeThe Teachers & World Champions

75+ Effective Practice Techniques

AbleToPlayAccordion.com with Patricia Bartell

Renzo Ruggieri

Grayson MasefieldFrÉdÉric Deschamps

Dorin Grama

Pietro Adragna

Radu LaxgangJulien Gonzales

Andreas Nebl

Bratislav Manasijevic

Kendall Feeney Yevgeniy Nosov

Corrie Sams

Kurt WismerAlexander Veretennikov

Patricia Bartell

Patricia Bartell | Owner

Able To Play Accordion

Welcome!Welcome to the new Able To Play Accordion site. Thank you for your interest in downloading this e-book and being a part of this new website. You will find this e-book is packed with amazing practical practice routines, methods and mind-sets from respected teachers around the world and several world accordion champions.

AbleToPlayAccordion.com is here to provide valuable resources, similar to what you are now reading, to assist you in your journey with the accordion and music – whether you are a beginner or have vast experience. We provide resources that you can trust because it is backed by respected accordion teachers and accordion composers who have extensive experience from around the world.

Sheet music is the top request from our readers, so be watching in your email as week by week we will be releasing sheet music from classical to folk, and new music from several current composers (Renzo Ruggieri, Gianluca Pica, Andreas Nebl, Frédéric Deschamps, Mario Pedone and many more).

Our team looks forward to getting to know you in the forums and via the new online courses that soon will be released!

Kindly,

Patricia BartellOwner, Able To Play Accordion

How They PracticeThe Teachers & World Champions

TABle Of COnTenTs

3 T h e B a s i c sWant to get started now? Quick tips to get you started!

4 T i p s F r o m T h e T e a c h e r sTeachers from around the world share their practice secrets and techniques.

Patricia BartellYevgeniy NosovAndreas NeblKendall FeeneyBratislav Manasijevic

Kurt WismerCorrie SamsRenzo RuggieriFrèdèric Deschamps

1 6 T h e W o r l d C h a m p i o n sHow do you practice when you’re a World Champion?

Grayson MasefieldPetar MaricJulien GonzalesRadu Laxgang

Alexander Veretennikov Pietro Adragna Dorin Grama

All Design and Content © 2014 by Able To Play Accordion & featured authors.

3 How They Practice AbleToPlayAccordion.com

BasicsThe1

6

2

7

3

8

4

9

11

5

10

12

Quick Tips to Get You Started

Find a quiet place without distractions.

Break your music down into small sections.

Practice difficult parts first.

Stay focused.

Work to solve issues.

Listen to your practice.

Practice very slowly.

Get a comfortable chair to practice on - not too high.

Have a metronome and a pencil ready.

Do a few body and shoulder stretches before you begin.

Have a set goal for what you want to practice.

Be a Detective: find sharps & flats, unusual rhythms, meters, articulations, etc.

“The secret of getting ahead is getting started.” Mark Twain (1835-1910), American Author


The Teachers

“The beat is so important for the structure of a song. It’s like the back-bone of the piece.”

Tips From

Pat r i c i a B a r t e l l U S AHave a plan by setting goals as to what to accomplish during each practice session. Know what pieces need attention that day, which parts need work and set a goal to complete that during that particular session.

employ very deliberate practice with lots of concentration. Keeping focused and practicing each section with intention creates a solid foundation for the song. If your brain wanders during one section, break it up into even smaller doses, and when you practice a section – know why it’s being practiced and what needs improved.

Keep a slow, steady consistent tempo throughout sections. It’s easy to play the parts we know fast, and then the parts that are still a struggle or more difficult we slow down thus creating inconsistent tempos. Whatever the tempo is through the difficult parts should be the same tempo used throughout the rest of the piece, within context. This will produce even tempos when the piece is learned.

feel every beat in every measure slowly. The beat is so important for the structure of a song. It’s like the backbone of the piece. For some of us we feel the music without the beat, and therefore we play it like we feel but only we feel it, and our listeners

don’t understand the music. It becomes a bunch of notes without

structure.

When first learning your piece, make

sure you know when every beat

Teachers from around the world have their own tips and techniques for successful practice. Now those strategies can be yours!


(CONTINUED)

Continued on Next Page

Pat r i c i a B a r t e l l ( C o n ’ t )

drops in, as you progress, it will minimize but still be the foundation of the song. For virtuoso sections it’s easier to express and be in control when this is established early in practice sessions.

Pay attention to small details. When you first learn the text of the music (the notation), you must be a detective. Look for all the unusual aspects of the song, what kind of articulation is used, the dynamic ranges, rhythmic patterns, etc., and then as you practice, you must go slow enough that you can observe these finer details which will make the piece sound more polished.

Position then play. Find all your hand positions before you play the notes. Play one group of notes with one hand position then get the next hand position ready before you play the next group of notes. It’s easier to play a group of notes (in one hand position)

than it is to play one note at a time. So position and play, position and play, etc.

Have multiple starting places, not just the beginning. Keep watch in your email for an

amazing way to practice only two bars at a time – it’s quite a challenge but so creative!

Consistency is key. Make practice a daily routine even if it is a short session. Understand and make a distinction between playing and practicing. Last of all, always have a pencil, and use it during practice (especially in the beginning).

“When you first learn the text of the music . . . you must be a detective.”

Y e v g e n i y N o s o v U S A8 Quick Tips for Success

1. Practice Slowly (patience).

2. Pay attention to what you are doing.

3. Practice the hands separately, first treble, then bass. Don’t put them together right away.

4. Do it in very small chunks (two measures plus the first beat of the next measure).

5. When the song can be recognized, you’re not practicing, you’re playing.

6. Figure out what it is you want to accomplish, have a plan.

7. Observe and listen to the execution of your articulation & dynamics.

8. Be considerate of others, i.e. your neighbors.

“When the song can be recognized . . . you’re playing”


(CONTINUED)


“One of the best ways for knowing how to express your music is to sing.”

A n d r e a s N e b l G E R M A N YPractice only the Right Hand and then only the Left Hand back and forth. It’s very important to practice in small segments. Only one bar, then two bars, or four, six, or eight bars.

These are the steps I use to practice:

Take the small segment and practice it Piano (softly) and Forté (strong).

• Play Staccato & Piano• Play Legato & Piano

• Play Staccato & Forté• Play Legato & Forté

This gives me four main points to practice with, although there are many more. I find these to be the core points I use and then afterward I can decide how I want to interpret the music. When you prepare for chamber music, it’s very good to prepare this way because you never know what can happen or what articulation and interpretation will be needed. This way you are fully prepared to play it any way requested. This is how I have practiced the accordion for many years.

When you are practicing your basses, it’s important to stay very close to them. Be like a tiger waiting to pounce – stay very close. When you’re not close you loose precision, and it’s hard to find the right articulation. The bellows provide the main point to find the expression of music. The buttons and keys of the accordion are very mechanical, but to find the “sound” is in the bellows. It’s similar to the strings: when a child begins to learn to play, the sound isn’t always very beautiful because they are giving too much pressure to the bow and not letting it have its own weight. Similarly, the bellows

must also have this natural organic movement and feel in order to find the right balance of pressure. When the bellows move naturally with gravity, the left hand is completely free. When you discover

this natural way of the bellows, it will help you know how to first produce the soft and clear sounds. You will know how much pressure you need or not need. Start by letting the bellows move on their own with the help of gravity,

and listen to how your instrument responds. Then, you will know how much pressure is needed. You then find the right energy for playing each dynamic and expression in a natural organic way. Find this balance between giving pressure and letting the bellows move.

One of the best ways for knowing how to express your music is to sing. When you sing, you can naturally find how your music should be expressed, the phrasing and even the articulation.

“The buttons and keys of the accordion are very mechanical but to find the “sound” is in the bellows.”


(CONTINUED)


“My practice, and my teaching is all about problem solving, as well as attention to the sound and color I am producing.”

K e n d a l l F e e n e y U S AThe great, early 20th century pianist Alfred Cortot advised the following approach to practicing, “Study, not only the difficult passage but the difficulty itself reduced to its most elementary principles.” The important message in this quote is: diagnose where the tricky moments occur and what exactly makes that particular moment difficult. Once you have clearly identified the exact place a passage breaks down, apply the tools you have learned in your lessons to the difficulty.

Let’s say your scale wise passages are uneven. If you examine your playing closely, you will find that only some of the notes are unevenly spaced, not all of the notes. So, is it a 3-4 finger combination that is uneven? A 2-1 finger sequence? In this way, you focus your practice on specifics rather than generalities. However, in order to notice that you are playing unevenly, your listening skills must be well honed. Maybe you are settling for less than you should in your practice. If you are not listening carefully, you may not be able to identify where problems occur.

Maybe you struggle with accuracy in a given passage. My teachers, the groundbreaking pedagogues Dorothy Taubman and her protégé Edna Golandsky often said, “There is always a reason why we miss a note.” Isn’t that liberating? The implication is that with enough understanding of how to move freely, in a coordinated manner, we can solve the various issues that arise at our instrument. My practice, and my teaching is all about problem solving, as well as attention to the sound and color I am producing.

We musicians can become so focused on moving our fingers, that we forget that part of technique is being

able to imagine a beautiful phrase with beautiful sound production and having the technical tools to produce that lovely nuanced phrase or particular Debussy color. We are also required as musicians to understand style and to develop an informed approach to music from a variety of historical periods. This involves listening to a tremendous amount of music that is not always

accordion or piano music. Listen to great singers, great violinists, string quartets, symphonies! That is part of practicing, part of your preparation to approach an important work. Another listening requirement for my students

includes listening to one contemporary piece of music a week. Expand your ears in order to look forward musically, rather than always looking back!

The ideal performance is one in which we transcend the instrument we are playing and the audience is left with a powerful, moving musical experience, or alternately, a lively, entertaining, fun musical experience. Either way, I strive to be a musician first. My instrument is simply my vehicle to bring the music of great composers to listeners, linking us all in a shared human experience that can span centuries.


(CONTINUED)


B r at i s l av M a n a s i j e v i c S e r b i aPracticing is an integral part of every musician and

the most important factor for the development of

each individual. Students practice in various ways

in order to achieve progress in the musical sense.

In my work with students I’ve had different approaches

in terms of practice and have come to the following

conclusions:

1. It is very important to play the music you love. It

gives you the incentive to progress.

2. When learning a new piece, it is important that

you listen to that piece, but not necessarily . . .

The first step in practicing a new piece is slowly

playing the right hand from the beginning to the

end, if possible, at a very slow tempo. Then, play the

left hand bass. This is a good way to get a feel for

the piece and identify the tricky

places that need special

attention.

T h e s e c o n d step is fingering.

Depending on their

age, I contstantly

help students find

the appropriate

fingering for the

COMING SOON! at AbleToPlayAccordion.com

“How to Practice tHe accordion effectively” by Bratislav Manasijevic

The new e-book with in-depth training on all aspects of practicing for beginners to advanced.


(CONTINUED)


B r at i s l av M a n a s i j e v i c ( C o n t ’ d )

right and the left hands. Fingering should be written

above each note so that students are able to always

play using the same fingering. This is especially very

important with the button accordion, where written

fingering is required. Fingering is very important

for both hands, right and left hand, especially in

compositions with free basses.

The third step is how to practice a particular piece.

My opinion and experience has revealed that the

best exercise is practicing small sections of the piece,

and even exercise two to four measures, starting at

mulitple points, repeated five to ten times. Between

repetitions, take a short break. Articulation can be

set up at this stage of the exercises.

The fourth step is adding dynamics . After specifying

the dynamics, we finalize, set mechanisms, and work

out the details.

It is important to practice in a very slow tempo. In

this way, we have plenty of time to think about all the

details and we are really aware of each moment in the

composition. Variations of exercises are an integral

part of every exercise. Please note that listening to

the other artist’s interpretation of pieces

which we are learning is very important,

but not the rule by which we are governed.

I’m sure you will come to new ideas and

motives during your playing and still vary to some

extent from steady performances on youtube, CD,

or elsewhere.

I will write more details about exercises, work on the

motives, articulation, technique, fingering, bellows

technique and more, in my book “How To Practice

the Accordion Effectively”, which will be coming soon.

“It is very important to play the music you love. It gives you the incentive to progress.”

Ku r t W i s m e r U S A • When you first get a new piece, go through the whole piece slowly.

• Use a metronome to get the timing and tempo correct.

• If you’re having trouble with flats, sharps or other notation, mark them with a highlighter or pencil.

• Work the trouble spots slowly.

• If you start getting frustrated with a certain piece or part of a piece, take a 5-10 minute

break or play one you enjoy.

• Watch your posture. Good posture affects your playing for the better.

“Work the trouble spots slowly.”


(CONTINUED)


C o r r i e S a m s U S Afocus. So many times we can easily loose focus when we are practicing and let our minds go on autopilot. It’s important to pay attention to every detail (going very slowly), keeping your brain engaged. Analyze your music as you practice, paying attention to fingering, rhythm, articulation, dynamics and most of all, the type of sound that is produced. There are many times during a performance on stage when

the brain goes into an analytical mode but if you haven’t practiced like that, it will throw you off and you begin to question the fingering, the notes, etc. when in the past it wasn’t an issue.

Do Hard Things. Start with the weakest, hardest, or least favorite parts of your music first. This will ensure that progress is made throughout the entire piece and not just the parts you like and already know. Also if you start with these weaker, more hard parts first, while your brain and energy are fresh and peaked, you’ll find it goes much quicker than saving it to the end of your practice.

Write it down. Before you start practicing, write down your specific goals for that practice session. This helps you focus on what you need to work on and engages your brain in the process. If you don’t like writing, record your goals as an audio memo.

Downsize Distractions. If you get distracted easily by specific things (i.e. Checking

social media or surfing the web), minimize or cut out your access to these things during practice sessions. Turn the cellphone off or set it to airplane mode. This protects your practice time so that you make good progress.

Remember the value. Sometimes it is easy to get bogged down in the discouraging places in our music

or overwhelmed by all we have to learn. Remember that every bit of quality practice time is building you into a better musician, and that pushing through the discouraging and hard times is not only building good

musicianship, but also character qualities like perseverance and patience. Also remember why you play and that learning music is a lifelong journey.

Take breaks. When you have long practice sessions, take short breaks and stand up, move around,

and stretch your arms and shoulders.

enjoy your music. Sometimes I become so focused on practice that

I forget that I like the pieces I am working on. Take a few minutes and simply enjoy your music.

“Remember that every bit of quality practice time is building you into a better musician. . . .”


(CONTINUED)


“Work the trouble spots slowly.”

R e n z o R u g g i e r i I TA LYstep One: You must read and play the correct notes from the beginning with the correct fingering. It’s not a problem if you want to play in bigger sections as long as you’re able to maintain playing the correct notes with the proper fingering with no mistakes. Slowly. No mistakes. Imagine a garden with green grass. When you start walking a particular direction, the grass is pressed down along as you walk. When you keep walking that same path, the grass will eventually be packed down creating a solid pathway.

In music, we have to follow only one path (same notes/same fingering). When you make mistakes and don’t play exact notes with fingering, you create another path, and another path, and another path, but there is no concrete, solid path, and this is where mistakes will happen again and again.

step Two: Rhythm. Each note must arrive in its specified time. During this step you can solve any other technical problem that arises. Change fingering if necessary. Examine the difficult parts.

step Three: Interpretation. Most importantly at this step, create and fix the bellows. All bellow markings must be assigned and followed exactly. Bellows must start closed for each section of the piece. When this is done, if a mistake is made, you know exactly the bellow position to start in. Then work on phrasing, articulation and other interpretation areas.

step four: Now the sequence starts. Play slowly. If you play in tempo too soon it only opens the door to create mistakes. Don’t play the whole piece. Study only during the day, and then in the evening, just play. The principal goal when you are studying the music is to stop all the time and fix any problems. When you play, it’s the contrary. You must find your way

through with your heart, with your feeling, not the fingering. You also need motivation, whether it is to prepare for a concert, record for a CD, competition, etc. Dream of something. A dream can come true but it’s not always simple to realize. You will play more

when you have a motivation. Imagine yourself at your concert, hearing the applause of the audience, holding the award from a competition. Reaching your desired goal doesn’t always happen. The point is not the arrival but to just do it and enjoy the journey. Don’t put too much pressure around the results. Obviously we want results, but we must first enjoy our own music and the journey.

When working to record a CD, concert, competition,

“In music, we have to follow only one path . . . .”

“You also need motivation . . . Dream of something. A dream can come true but it’s not always simple to realize.”


(CONTINUED)


F r è d è r i c D e s c h a m p s F r a n c eThe Importance of Movement

The fascinating subject of movement is crucial to all forms of expression -- and to life. The relation of movement with music is more than evident, and you have most likely already discovered it for yourselves. I look at the examples of award-winning artists Radu Laxgang, Pietro Adragna, Petar Maric and others, since the relation between movement and music is most demonstrative in their performances.

Many times, in your relationship with your instrument, you will encounter small problems that will taint your musical routine: loss of memory, technical blocks, hazardous interpretation, lack of theory, rhythmic irregularities and so on. It’s quite difficult, because on one hand, you really want to take pleasure in your instrument without spending too much time torturing your brain, while on the other hand, you deserve all the same progress, even a little, given the amount of investment it requires for this discipline. These mistakes are the result

R e n z o R u g g i e r i ( C o n t ’ d )

create something with your teacher that is unique and personal to your style and personality. Whether it is a nice effect or something very original to put in your music that is only for you. And lastly, don’t focus on too many things. Solve only one thing at a time. If you try to solve staccato problems at the same time as the bellows it can be too many things for the brain. Also celebrate each

step. When all the fingering is correct, celebrate! When the bellows are correct and you play them successfully, celebrate!

Also, join a band, have other accordion friends to play with and be a part of. Never get isolated. Everything is important from playing, composing, and competing, to having accordion friends.

“. . .join a band, have other accordion friends to play with . . . never get isolated.”

“You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.”C.S. Lewis, (1898–1963), British author


(CONTINUED)


F r è d è r i c D e s c h a m p s ( C o n t ’ d )

of what preceeded them, the wrong movement or position, which is why they are hard to correct. So what can we do? I will tell you the story of a situation that you may to relate to.

Last month, I was in working with Guillaume Fric from Aveyron. He was experiencing some problems understanding a slightly torturous rhythm. It wasn’t anything but an accumulation of micro-difficulties which, bit by bit, had transformed a simple problem into a huge issue. So I developed exercises using side movements of the body, which provide a certain structure for tempo, making the rhythm clear but also giving energy and feeling to the music, on the condition that the bellows were kept regular and in constant tension. So everything went very well, and the problems for Guillaume dissipated. Our Aveyronnais now takes confidence in himself and ‘lets himself go’ in his music, free from all muscular tension. This movement allows complete freedom to his body for better expression.

So when these difficult situations arise, I look for the root of the real problem that causes these annoying technical consequences. The idea came to me, unusual, but it made sense.

My process is to discover the main cause of each problem. Solve the root cause and the results will be exactly what you desire. I do this in my personal life and daily routine as a professor concerning the pedagogical relationship I maintain with my students. Why spend so much time trying to correct isolated problems when, with a good toolbox1 and a bit of logical reasoning, we can anticipate a better outcome and thus avoid so many problems.

Now to find the real problem that existed for Guillaume, as for each of us, in the use of his body movements. He is capable of break dancing and doing techno with such energy that it’s breathtaking, but on the contrary, when he must express himself alone facing the public on stage with his accordion, he looses a bit of his impressive natural freedom of movement he has.

Lack of confidence in himself causes this blocking of his general muscular system. That lack of confidence blocks his back and his arms, so the bellows are softened because his control is altered, and the fingers take the lead. If the body does not guide the fingers to reach the button or the key needed, the fingers make the best of things, do the work, get tired, become tense, get blocked, and in doing so causes mistakes or irregularities and/or both. This causes all the energy to go out from our brilliant artist who struggles with that annoying tendency which works against him. We too can find ourselves in this unpleasant situation where the fear of doing poorly paralyzes us; and the paralysis pushes us to

1 By a good toolbox, I’m referring to an assortment of exercises that, alone, help develop important qualities of playing. Exercises that strengthen control, produce flexibility, speed, precision, and transformation from reflex to reflection, etc.

“My process is to discover the main cause of each problem. Solve the root cause and the results will be exactly what you desire.”

Guillaume Fric


(CONTINUED)



do poorly. So the lesson is: when you are afraid, don’t pay attention to the problem, move from it!

You would think he’d have understood all of this by now in the three years we have worked together but knowing doesn’t avoid the problems (though it’s great to know). Doing does.

When I teach, I have my student, during the lesson take what I have just taught them via words, and with movements, using sounds, explain it to another student in the room, just to see if they have understood the concepts. Often, trying to repeat the same thing isn’t that simple because the problem comes from lack of repetition and not from comprehension. The part involving movements and the sound is always too much to ask of them because they don’t dare, and so they don’t move. An artist moves. Which one do you want to be? Note that you have a choice - so take advantage of it!

When you understand the essence of a situation, the words you use to describe it really don’t matter. It’s just getting the story across in a logical manner while being mindful not to lose your listeners. Now, you’ll no longer make mistakes because you have grasped the concept. You understand so the words you choose will be right and you’ll notice that the key words for each person are different. But this is the subject of another article.

Coming back, remember the problem of our artist is about lack of movement. Is it possible to learn how to move by using words? I say, yes! I have him sing so that he will listen, have him move so that he is free from his own tension. I started him in a situation without stress during the lesson

and then transitioned into small groups to finally, in the end, using these movements on stage So, quite obviously he is making great strides, our apprentice world champion, (already a world

champion – Audience Award at the Trophée Mondial in Spokane, WA 2012). For those that know me a bit closer, you know that I like to constantly explore new ways and to increase ever more the efficiency of my work. Life is short and losing time is out of the question!

Guillaume integrated in record time the right movements, even to the point he is now able to explain, and better yet, to show and demonstrate it to students that he cannot communicate with other than body language (since his level of Chinese is about the level

of yours).

What a great lesson learned by him which resulted in his coming for a week as my assistant to the University of Shanghai and communicating with artists who don’t have anything to go by but the movements of his body as a guide and the sound

“The lesson is: when you are afraid, don’t pay attention to the problem, move from it!”

“I have him sing so that he will listen, have him move so that he is free from his own tension.”

Make them sing to develop listening. Musical language has no barriers.


(CONTINUED)


of the voice (because without movement of the tongue or mouth, that are part of the body, there would be no sound) and the circle is complete!

Our National Guillaume now finds himself in an element which he has now mastered to perfection: animation. He takes confidence, he manages, he assumes, and he progresses. He moves!!!! You can now imagine at this moment of this experience, to what point I look forward to his returning to France to harvest the fruits of this rare experience, and to apply all this new framework to his own playing?

I have told you this story so that each of you know that you have in your disposition the means to do the same, without stressing. Go take this experience everywhere. Find yourself a musical partner and swap roles. Be at times the professor, other times the student, and play the game. The professor takes upon himself initiatives, directs, and gives the example however he will. His tone should be convincing, even if he is uncomfortable. Nothing should show through, like a hand of steel in a glove of silk! The student, on the other hand,

listens, watches, shuts up and waits motionless! Try the experience and tell me what you find by posting in the forum of this new website: abletoplayaccordion.com. You’ll find the most complicated part is not what we think it is, but something else.

“I have told you this story so that each of you know that you have in your disposition the means to do the same . . .”

Guillaume Fric working with students in Shanghai

World-Wide Exposure for COMPOSERSYou Compose. We Publish!

• sell your music digitally on AbleToPlayAccordion.com• Make money on each sale (50%) • Increase your music sales• You keep the rights to your music while gaining exposure• FREE international advertising for your compositions

Get your music advertised for FREE on AbleToPlayAccordion.com

CLICK HERE to learn more or visit AbleToPlayAccordion.com

http://abletoplayaccordion.com/composers/


When you practice, realize that you’re developing the foundation of something, much like the foundation of a house. How that foundational structure is built is the most important aspect and must be secured strongly for a solid house. If I were to have a technical part, I’d build it up slowly so when I go to play it, I’d have that as a my strong basis (foundation). I know then, nothing is going to fall under my feet and it’s not going to collapse on me. I can confidently play it because I know what’s there and how I built it. You need that underlying knowledge that the work that was done carefully and slowly in practice will give you the automatic reflex needed when performing. Nothing is instant, but when you prepare knowing that your practice builds a foundation for something, you will want to take care of all the details…very slowly and deliberately.

Think before you practice. Many people don’t take that moment to think about what they want to practice or how they want to practice. Take a few moments to think and plan out what you want to practice rather than just putting your accordion on

and fiddling thru the easy parts and calling that practice. Have a plan, an idea of the parts that need attention, what is priority, and work through that progressively, and your practice will be much more productive and efficient. You’ll save a lot more time and be happy with the progress. Knowing you set out with a plan, executed it and succeeded,

you’ll feel more accomplished. On some days if you weren’t able to succeed through your whole plan, then the next day you’ll know what you need to do to accomplish your goal. Use your time wisely.

Don’t procrastinate. It’s so easy to do this, and nothing gets accomplished. We have said, “I’ll practice soon,” “I’ll get to it,” but when you finally do, you realize you’ve delayed so long you’re not in the mindset to really practice. You find yourself not motivated to practice the difficult parts or read the difficult passages; you’d rather just play through the easy parts you know and be done. Instead of delaying

it, have a go at it, do it, and succeed. If you practice wisely, most things are possible and you’ll play a lot better, probably better than you think.

exercise. The accordion is a physical instrument, so we must think about our fitness. Our job as performers is to look after our appearance as well. Eat healthy, exercise and drink lots of water.

Grayson Masefield neW ZelAnD

2008 World Champion

“I can confidently play it because I know what’s there and how I built it.”

“Instead of delaying it, have a go at it, do it and succeed. ”

How Do They Practice?

World Champions

Grayson Masefield6x World Champion



World Champions Con

tin

ued


The most important advice about practicing any piece is that you do it in slow tempo. Put everything in perfect order with full concentration, and afterwards you will have more confidence on stage. After you have slowly practiced every difficult part of your program, play it from the beginning to the end as you would in concert. Doing this will condition you fully and you will grow accustomed to the full program.

The fingers: keep them as close as possible to the keyboard, and don’t lose time always letting them go out of the keyboard. Your fingers need to stay closed, and the only movement allowed is when they play. Move your body in the shape of the music and you will look more beautiful and be inside, connected to your music.

Global suggestion for any musician: Live the same off stage as you would on stage. Have a happy life off the stage in every area, and the audience will recognize that when you’re on stage.

Petar Maric4x World Champion

Petar Maric seRBIA

2010 World Champion

“Put everything in perfect order with full concentration . . . .”

Julien Gonzales fRAnCe

2005 World Champion

When I begin a new piece, I take time to understand it. I take it and read it like a book. I don’t start with the accordion on at first, but take the time to discover the actual music. Then I find the most difficult parts of the piece and try to understand why they’re difficult. I don’t read it a hundred notes at a time; I go note by note. At first I don’t even take 1 bar or 48 bars with lots of technique, but just take time to understand the score. Music is like words that make a sentence, then it’s music and after that it becomes a piece. Music is like a book. When you don’t understand one word, you can’t understand the sentence. So if you understand the most important part of the

musical sentence, then you’ll be able to understand the whole phrase and how the piece works together. At this stage, after studying the score, I don’t focus on technique, or just the right hand or left hand. I focus on the bellows first. How you manage the bellows is very important. That is how the sentence is executed.

Julien Gonzales9x World Champion


World Champions Con

tin

ued


Many people think about the technical aspects and forget or ignore the left hand. If you don’t have the orchestra playing with you (your left hand), you don’t have the harmony. Harmony provides 95 percent of the power to the right hand/melody. First, I work the left hand with the bellows, and then I try to understand how the melody is composed on top of this harmony. Afterward, I understand the piece and can work a full bar or line technically. This is another way to understand the music.

When I have a difficult technical part, I split it into three parts; it’s five notes and then the next five notes in sequence. There’s the melody; the harmony; 3, 4 or 5 part voicings: how long the sentence is, etc. I look to find how the harmony is changing and afterwards I have the geography of the keyboard. When I change the movement of the arms, I always

find the arm moves at the same time as the harmony. One thing to do is listen to the piece before you practice it. It’s not to listen in order to copy it, but just to have the melody in your head. When you can find video or audio it’s good to listen one or two times. Afterward you just take your pencil and start analyzing the harmony. If you don’t have any recording, then just play the left hand alone ,and the right hand alone, and afterward you’ll see and understand how the music goes.

for absolute beginners, learn how the accordion works, and then how to read the notes. Afterward, sing the notes to understand the “breathing” aspect of music which correlates to how the bellows

are managed. Many don’t breathe and it affects the music. You can learn to use the bellows properly by way of singing even if it’s just on one or two notes. By doing this you will learn to manage the breathing of the bellows. Two very important things: understand your music, and focus on the bellows.

“Two very important things: understand your music, and focus on the bellows.”

J u l i e n G o n z a l e s (Continued)

Practice the entire piece slowly. The difficult parts must be practiced all the time. Practicing using the exercises of Frederic Deschamps is very helpful.

first study and learn the text of the piece (basic elements), and then afterward the dynamics. When the text of the music is learned, I play one time full tempo and then ten times slowly with the metronome.

If you play jazz music, one of the best things to do for practicing is to listen to a lot of jazz, not just from

one musician but many musicians. Transcribe one of the solos from an artist, and analyze it to see how they think.

“I play one time full tempo then ten times slowly with the metronome.”

Radu Laxgang 2013 World Champion

Radu LaxgangGeRMAnY

2013 World Champion


World Champions Con

tin

ued


The most important thing to keep in mind about practicing is the left hand. If the left hand is solid, then the right hand will be moderately fine. Much like a singer and ensemble, if the group plays well, then the singer will feel more comfortable. I think that’s very important.

When I play and study the accordion, I always keep in mind that I am not alone. What I mean by

Pietro Adragna ITAlY

2009 World Champion

Pietro Adragna2x World Champion

Alexander Veretennikov 6x World Champion

Alexander VeretennikovRUssIA

2007 World Champion

You need to practice a lot. But it’s better to practice all the time with exactly the right idea and using your brain.

Practicing is like sports. If you work your muscles every week with the same exercises, then very soon they will stop getting stronger. For very good and fast results you must use different exercises for each set of muscles, so the muscles are always experiencing different situations and levels of stress.

It is the same with practicing. You must exercise your brain all the time with new ideas. But you must have and think about new exercises, new positions

and new situations when you play. If you can play all the time using different exercises, situations and ideas, then you will be able to concentrate and can play normally on stage or in any situation that may occur (psycologial or real). So, when you practice, always work with your brain and have new ideas of how you will practice. Try to play in different ways all the time, but with good quality and meditated thought.

for good practicing you must have purpose for the future. Competition is one good purpose. You practice to play well on competition because you want to win. Concerts, playing with an ensemble, recording a CD, etc. are all good purposes. Also a very good purpose can be to play some special program (Tango, Vivaldi, Baroque etc.). Without purpose you will not have motivation to practice well. You must have an exact purpose and a lot of interesting ideas.

“. . . always work with your brain and have new ideas . . . ”


World Champions Con

tin

ued

this is, I don’t think of the left hand as just the bass buttons. When I play classical music, I always imagine that the bass notes (the first two rows of the accordion bass) are like that of the double bass, and the chords are like the cello or viola. If it’s variety music, I think of the bass notes as an electric bass and the chords as a guitar. Here on the right hand you have lots of options for solo instruments, e.g. saxophone, clarinet. When I play, I have a full ensemble.

So study first just the left hand, thinking about bass, cello or guitar and make it like its own solo melody. Afterward, still with only the left hand, make music. Then take the right hand and do the same, make music. Then put both hands together, music (LH) with music (RH).

Also remember that the bellows must always have good tension when you pull or push. Keep the bellows constant.

I don’t get nervous now. I just enjoy that moment before going on stage. You must have the mindset that this is your moment. Everyone is waiting and staying there for you. So I do my best, engaging with the audience, and from them I receive energy to play. I get comfortable. I forget about all and enjoy my moment and giving the expression of music to the

public. We must not play like a computer. The music dictates to us how to express the music. If I play a samba, the music tells me to move like the samba.

When you are practicing rhythm, take time to think about the beat. It’s very good to play with others, and listen to them. When you study alone, the beat is still very important, but you are more free with the beat because you can do whatever you want. But if you are in a group, listen to the others.

“We must not play like a computer. The music dictates to us how to express the music.”

P i e t r o A d r a g n a (Continued)

You must have respect for the instrument by having a love for executing quality sound as you play. This quality of sound is controlled by the touch of the right hand, the technique of the left hand and use of proper bellow control.

Have an understanding of how the accordion system is built -- the tones, and combinations of both left and right hand. When we understand these combinations of tonalities, church modes, and hidden scales, then you are free with the instrument both physically and psychologically.

Consider the time, concentration and ideas that are invested in the art, and remember that there is always something new to learn and discover. Music is unlimited.

“. . . remember that there is always something new to learn and discover.”

Dorin Grama 2011 World Champion

Dorin grama MOlDOVA

2011 World Champion

It’s Your Turn!What’s Next?

Click HERE to Start!or go to www.AbleToPlayAccordion.com

Go to The Website

Create a Profile

Tell us YOUR takeaways on this e-book and what has worked for you!

Step One

Step Two

Step Three

http://www.abletoplayaccordion.com







How They Practice - Able To Play...

Documents

Transcript of How They Practice - Able To Play...