What to Do Before Starting a New Piece

Following these steps before practising makes playing easier and helps you analyse the piece's ideas, structure and interpretation, allowing better results in less time.

These points are as follows:

1. Examine the key signature and accidentals throughout the piece, marking them if necessary.

2. Examine the note values and rhythmic patterns throughout the piece.

3. Practise scales and arpeggios in the piece's key or makam.

4. Read the note names rhythmically first, then sing them in solfège.

5. Practise ornaments and changes in dynamics.

6. Work through difficult passages slowly using marcato articulation.

7. Once you have worked through the notation, listen to different performers.

Explanations

Marcato: playing distinctly, with emphasis.

Solfège: singing notes according to their pitch, rhythm and duration.

Rhythmic note reading (“bona”): reading note names with their correct durations.

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Rekor Sanat – Bağlama Teacher