3 Tips To Prepare For a Gig: Part One
I am very pleased to announce that the next Artists Showcase for Arcadia Music Studio will be Tuesday, February 16, 6pm, at ColorBlind Studios, Franquette Avenue, in Concord. This evening’s program will feature my guitar and bass students performing a wide-range of exciting music, and give all the players a chance to “show-off” a little bit. And because this is Mardi Gras, we will have a big finale number with beads and a parade.
When giving guitar lessons or bass lessons, it’s very important for the instructor to assign attainable goals to the student. There is a saying I learned from my grandfather, “Poco a poco si va lontano;” that is, we move forward, we make progress bit by bit, little by little. One of my biggest responsibilities to my students is to keep them moving forward at a pace that will work for them.
I am always amazed how the prospect of an upcoming performance can galvanize a group or an individual into action. There is heightened awareness, and greater sense of dedication to the practice of the musical art. That’s one of the principal reasons that I produce the Artists Showcase. It provides both student and teacher a point in time to work musical magic, and to truly demonstrate “Where y’at” on the instrument.
The first tip to prepare for the gig is to properly learn the piece. Most of the music performed at the Artists Showcase is in written manuscript. This actually is an advantage to both me and the student, because it provides a clear, unambiguous idea of what we are going to play. This is the main reason why reading music is a very important part of my teaching practice.
Now, there is one very powerful manner of learning a piece that requires a good amount of discipline, and will result in a solid performance. The goal is to play every note correctly from the first time. As simple as that sounds, this practice runs contrary to our natural tendency to play a piece really fast and sloppy just to “get through it”, or to rush through sections that seem familiar.
The discipline is to concentrate and play every note correctly off the page at an abysmally slow and uneven tempo. The piece will not sound like music, nor will the payer get many “jollies” from hearing it like that. However, by playing it right from the start, you increase the chance of playing it right every time.
More to come, and be sure to check out my band, Li’l Ricky Blues!
