How to learn difficult parts in music easily - break it down!
This is my most suggested practice strategy, and also one that I think we tend to forget about the most when we’re faced with a difficult passage in our music:
Disassemble the passage to its most basic form, and then build it back up piece by piece.
Side note: drop every expectation you have. I’m serious. If you are having problems with a difficult passage, but have this idea of what you ‘should’ be able to do and keep talking down to yourself/about yourself/comparison, then you’re probably going to resist breaking it down to basics, and end up keeping the struggle and frustration loop going.
If you find a passage difficult, then it is a difficult passage. End of.
I literally do this with passages I find difficult, no matter what the fancy pieces of paper on my wall say I should be able to do, because the skill isn’t necessarily the ability to play everything ‘perfectly’ immediately, but more how to navigate effectively learning, interpreting, and performing the music.
We all have strengths and weaknesses, and I think some bad habits are more of we learn how to approach them more efficiently rather than them leaving entirely. One of my bad habits is coming off of ties late, but I know how to manage that in my practice so that I don’t sound like that when I perform. Doesn’t mean the habit is gone, it just means I know how to deal with it behind the scenes.
Anyway…back to basics.
Let’s take measures 9-11 in Gabriel Fauré’s Morceau de concours for example. It’s not particularly complicated, but it’s in recent memory for me.
An issue that can arise when learning this in this particular section is keeping in time with the rhythms (rests and tied notes being culprits), aligning with the piano, and keeping everything smooth (hello there, slurred octave jumps.)
First, when we’re practicing this, we’re keeping an eighth note subdivision as the tempo in quarter notes is too slow to anticipate, keeping in mind the piano plays the quarter note beat with the exception of two eighth notes an octave apart from the flute part on beat three of the first measure of what we’re looking at. On to the disassembly:
To start disassembling, I recommended removing all of the ties as it’s a common habit to come off of ties late (it happens to me too.)
Fill in the eighth rest at the beginning of beat two in measure 10 with a C - another common habit like the one above is to stretch rests too much and come in late, and then either be late the rest of the way or compress the rhythm you’re coming in on. Also fill in the sixteenth rest in measure 9.
Take away the notes that make up the triplets so we essentially are playing straight eighths in this measure - this way we can make sure we line up properly with the beat, as well as what the piano is doing especially on the eighth notes in beat three.
Take away things like slurs and dynamics. Less things we have to make an effort to think about at this stage the better, and the slurs can be difficult and add extra time and be late with the rhythm if you’re not fully comfortable yet with the movement.
Now we have the skeleton of the line - practice to get comfortable with this.
BUT FIRST - practice it without the instrument - sing the rhythm until that is comfy (to be honest, I would suggest doing this at every step of reassembling to make sure everything is still comfortable before bringing in the instrument - which is actually another extra complication our minds deal with when learning.)
To then start reassembling, the first thing I recommended was making the B-natural and B-flat triplets, triplets again, but not playing the octave jumps. So we’ll play them in the same octave - making sure our note change lines up with the note change in the piano.
Second, add the triplets in the second half of the beat before. You can start by making them all C’s, or add the proper notes. Making them all C will help you with the basic rhythm a lot more, as well as bring out that chromatic line you’re creating with the piano part. Keep the eighth note inside the eighth rest for now - that’s our placeholder to not be late off of a rest.
Next, if you kept the second half of beat two all C’s in a triplet, make them how it’s notated, and also add the octave jumps in beat three. Don’t add any slurs in just yet. We’re getting comfortable with the rhythms and the note changes. Remember, we also still don’t have ties in the second measure of this - we’re keeping our anchors on the eighth notes.
Is this comfy yet? If so, we’re going to add some slurs - however the overarching slur in the original part of measure 10 isn’t what we’re doing. We’re going to add a slur to every eighth subdivision - so each group of triplets, and each group of 4 thirty-second notes. This way we’re still articulating every eighth note, and making sure we’re anchored in with the piano/metronome.
Next step will be to extend that slur per quarter note beat in measure 10. Don’t worry about beat two in measure 10 - that’s still by eighth, but the section of B-naturals and B-flats - we’re going to try to add the slur there, as well as beat one - don’t forget about beat one.
If this is comfy, extend that big slur on the B’s to the second half of beat two, encompassing all of the sixteenth note triplets under a slur, as it’s written. Also if you feel comfortable, extend the slur on the thirty-seconds in measure 9 to make the original 6 under a slur. We’re still keeping our placeholder in the rests, and no ties in the next measure.
Side note - as we’re doing all of this, make sure you’re still keeping the basic frame of it in your mind.
Add the dynamics. You thought we’d put the ties back in, didn’t you? No, the most common problem I’ve come across in my work is coming off of ties late and coming off of rests either too early or late, so I prefer to put the dynamics back in before taking out ties and placeholders so we can get used to details like dynamics while still keeping the proper rhythm with placeholders and without ties.
Next, we’ll either take out the placeholder note in our rests, or put the ties back in. Your choice. They held the same purpose, but we’re doing this slowly. Whatever you do, make sure that you’re keeping the basic frame in your mind so making this change doesn’t slip back into taking too much time.
Then, do the other option of what you didn’t do previously.
Now that we’ve broken down and reassembled the example passage, it may seem easier or less intimidating to approach step by step. If you find at any point when you’re working on your own music that something didn’t stick along the way of the reassembly process, then pinpoint what it is, what the issue is, and pick it apart accordingly.
Other things to consider that weren’t represented in this example: take out any ornaments, and break down groups of sixteenths or smaller into eighth notes to find your anchors within your subdivision and just play the anchors if you need to.
Always remember: If a passage looks like it ‘should’ be easy - if a passage is difficult for you, then it is a difficult passage.
If you’ve found this helpful, I’d really love to know about it.
And if you’re looking for a flute teacher, or some music lessons to help you with your practice routine, or want to try something new - I have a lot of offerings, either click here to enrol in my online flute lessons or click here to get in touch to chat about what might be right for you!