Making Amazing Music Is Like Making Amazing Pizza!
Learning a new piece can be challenging and very intimidating, especially if you try to tackle all the elements or “ingredients” at once. We all know how to make a pizza. We don’t throw the water, flour, salt, pizza sauce, toppings, and cheese all into a bowl and put it into the oven! Perfect pizza comes from five steps, and mastering a piece of music can be divided into five steps.
“The Crust!” If it’s a pizza, you make the dough or buy a crust and put it on the pan, if it’s music, start by learning the notes and fingerings. Writing them into your part and then practicing them until you have them, getting them in tune, or if you’re playing piano or keyboard, until you can play each hand separately and then combine.
“The Sauce!” Rhythms. Practice clapping or saying them in small chunks, then play on one note before you try to play the notes in rhythm. Use a metronome with your teacher’s help!
“The Toppings!” Bowings, articulations, and techniques needed for each section.
“The Cheese!” Expression from dynamics, character, tempo, and knowing the style of the music. Try to read the expressive markings from the composer, such as “dolce” or “allegro”, and talk with your teacher about what they mean in the context of your piece.
“Put It Together And Bake It!” After you practice the first four steps, start putting them together! Everything about playing an instrument is simple, but it’s not easy. The hard part is doing a lot of simple things at the same time. Dividing the steps makes it easier!
Be A Connoisseur Of Music, Become An Expert At Crafting The Perfect Performance
Why does the process of creating a pizza seem so obvious? Because even if you’ve never made one, you’ve seen pizza, smelled pizza, tasted pizza and probably seen someone make one! You can tell the difference between the best one, and one that is just a quick fast-food snack and it’s okay.
Be a connoisseur of music, become an expert at knowing a terrific performance from one that’s just ok. How do you do this? The best way is to go to concerts often! Seeing a symphony, a jazz band, a musical, a folk singer, a string quartet, a piano trio, a brass or woodwind quintet, or an opera in person is completely different from listening to a recording or watching a video. It gives you a chance to “sit in the restaurant”, to see what the chef and the kitchen staff are doing, to smell the amazing aromas and enjoy the ambiance. Concerts allow you to see the performers, the venues, the engineers, the stage crew, to see what the warm up looks like, and to experience it with other people. It’s a magical experience! After all, what’s better, eating the pizza or looking at a video of someone eating a pizza?
Become Part Of The Process
Now it’s your turn, make your own pizza! Use the outline above to prepare for your own performance and enjoy it! Obviously consistent practicing, lessons, great attitude, and a certain amount of trial and error are going to be part of the process, but knowing what you want draws you close to that goal!
Share The Recipe
The best way to solidify something you have learned is to teach it to someone else. Whether you are actually helping a friend or family member practice, or whether you just take some time to explain how you practice, what you are learning, and how it effects your performing, explaining it to someone else clarifies everything in your own mind and is often fun for the person listening, who hasn’t had the same experience yet. Think of it like hosting your own cooking or travel show! You are hosting a show about music, what makes a particular piece unique or fascinating, and what it takes to perform it!
- Karine Stone, Music Instructor at Vibe Music Academy.
