How to Prepare for a Recital

Choose your repertoire and recital date with your teacher.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Music Stands
• The Confident Performer
• Sheet Music
• CD Players
• Headsets
• CDs

1. Practice regularly without skipping one day. Long rehearsals are no substitute for daily practice.
2. Practice with one small goal or improvement in mind each day.
3. Isolate technical problems and work on a one- or two-measure passage.
4. Focus on the downbeat and upbeat where there are rhythm problems.
5. Work very slowly where there are fingering or pitch-change problems.
6. Memorize your musical presentation.
7. Get a CD of a professional performing your repertoire, if possible. Listen to this CD and incorporate any styles that you and your teacher feel are musical.
8. Improve your music memorization skill by humming or whistling the melodies when walking or traveling in your car.
9. Become thoroughly prepared. This builds confidence.

Tips & Warnings

• There is no substitute for lessons with a good teacher with an excellent success history. That person will spot areas in your work that need strengthening and will supply tips, techniques and tricks to overcome musical problems.
• Read "The Confident Performer," by David Roland.
• Avoid using musical suggestions from untrained people. Bad habits are hard to shed.