Three different ways to tackle tricky technical passages and supplement slow practice

Having trouble with a technical passage in your practice? Here are three of my favourite ways to tackle them that can use to supplement everyone’s favourite practice method - slow practice:

Beat shifting with the metronome

This one is deceptive when we’re not used to it. This is because we get so used to playing something one way with the metronome that anything else can throw us off. THAT’S where we’re strengthening. What we’re doing is making the metronome go ding in places we wouldn’t normally make it go ding (ie. not have the beginning of the beat ding in the right place.)

Start out easy with deciding the metronome will go ding on the off beat or “and” of a beat in a passage, so if you start playing on the beginning of a beat, you’re now starting on the off beat in the silence of the metronome.

When that gets easy, if it makes sense in the technical passage you’re looking at, decide the metronome goes ding on the second sixteenth, or “e” of the beat. Then the fourth sixteenth or the “a” of the beat. Make necessary adjustments as per the passage being worked on and the time signature you’re in.

With this we’re reinforcing the rhythm as we can by throwing curveballs our way at hearing the beat elsewhere in the passage via the metronome. This will feel very wrong if it’s something you’re not used to, but that’s part of the point.

Changing around the articulation

When we change the parameters of a technical passage we’re working on, such as articulation, it can do a couple things straight away - it feels so much easier to play OR suddenly we can’t play it at all.

In changing the articulation as a practice strategy, what we’re trying to do is strengthen any weaknesses we’re unaware of in the passage, as well as reinforce what we have already learned.

In the case of changing it makes it easier - we’re working from a place of ease to work out the basic technique of the passage, and later strengthening it as written - it’s easier to do the written articulation when the notes are learned with ease first.

In the case of changing the articulation makes it more difficult - we’re strengthening any weaknesses or as I think of it as repairing any leaks in our technique. We’re reinforcing what we’ve learned, but because we’re attacking it from all sorts of angles, we’ll be ready for anything and more flexible and confident if something throws us off during performance.

Zoomed-in additive chunks

Assuming we’re used to chunking (taking small chunks out of context to work them out separately), let’s take it a bit further. Zoom in on the very middle of your passage - the worst part, the hardest part. Zoom further onto the two notes in the middle.

Play them slowly in rhythm with the metronome.

Comfy? Add the two notes on both ends of that. Then two more. Then two more. You get the idea. What we’re doing is getting into the nitty gritty of the hard part, and building out so the part we’re working on most is the toughest section, but also working on entering and exiting that part note by note with ease.

One of the hardest things I find is when we’ve taken a hard part out of context, worked on it, and put it back in it’s easy to fall into the trap of hesitating or stopping when approaching that freshly worked section because we’ve practiced it separately so much and not bridging ourselves in or out of it.

To take this practice a little further, try this same method but in tempo…or at least a quicker tempo. This way we’re also training our hands to know what the passage feels like in the way we will be playing it, but in a very small, very focused and controlled manner. This step is for after you’ve learned the notes, nuance, and rhythm properly.

These methods can seem pretty focused, but give them a chance by adding a little bit of variety to your practice routine. Coming from different angles in your practice can help strengthen and reinforce your skills while saving time - work smart, not hard.

If any of these helped you, or if you’re going to give them a try, I’d love to hear about it!

If you’re looking for a flute teacher, wanting to try flute lessons, and/or want to build your practice strategy toolbox, I have space available in my online studio - I would love to work with you! I have a couple of different offerings - click here for info on regular enrolment for ongoing flute lessons, click here for info on my flute lesson bundles, and click here to contact me if you’d like to get started but don’t know what’s right for you!