Taylor Sappe

BMI affiliated published songwriter since 1979
Private Music Instructor at DeMelfi School of Music and "in-your-home" instruction
Record producer and A&R for Captain Blue Records

Photo by Ken Gallagher

Practice tips for serious musicians

All of the tips listed below should be practiced as slowly as you need to go to be able to get it right without changing tempo.

1. Once you have gotten through it, turn on your metronome and set it for a tempo close to where you played it.
2. Once you can play it in sync with the metronome, crank up the speed from 5 to 10 beats per minute and play it again until you can play it without stopping.
3. Repeat step 2 until you get it up to the correct tempo of the song.
4. Once you have reached the correct tempo, play it at that tempo until you can play it accurately and with feel.
5. Repeat step 4, but this time without the metronome.

First level Beginners

1. Select a measure with a note grouping that looks difficult. Play only that note grouping until you can play it accurately.
2. Select a measure and play only that measure until you can play it through without stopping.
3. When you have played each measure in the song, go back and play the entire song through by linking the measures together from beginning to end. Repeat the song until you can play it from beginning to end without stopping.
4. After you have mastered step 3, play the song repeatedly until you can play it from beginning to end accurately and with feel. This will help to program your muscle memory.
5. When you have mastered step 4, add the song to your repertoire list along with the tempo you last played it at.

Second level beginners

1. Take a look through the song and look at all of the note groups that look unusual or difficult.
2. Play each note group until you can play through that group comfortably.
3. Select the first two measures of the song and play through just those two measures until you can do so without stopping.
4. Select the next two measures and play through without stopping. Continue this procedure until you have reached the end of the song.
5. Play the song through from beginning to end repeatedly until you can do so without stopping.
6. Add the song to your repertoire list along with the tempo you last played it at.
7. Review your entire repertoire list. Play each song at the tempo you have listed for it. This will help to further program your muscle memory so that you can play all of the songs in your repertoire without thinking about what you are doing.

Novices

1. Locate and learn the most difficult note groupings of the song first.
2. Starting at the beginning of the song, work on a 4 bar phrase at one time until you can play through it without stopping.
3. Do the same with the next 4 bar group until you have reached the end of the song.
4. Play the entire song repeatedly until you can do so without stopping.
5. Add it to your repertoire list along with the tempo you last played it at.
6. Review your entire repertoire list at a tempo 5 beats per minute faster than you last played it.

First level Intermediate

1. Locate and learn the most difficult note groupings of the song first.
2. Identifying patterns within a song makes it easier to remember. Watch for repeated patterns. Sometimes you will play the same pattern the same way, changing direction, or starting on a different pitch. You might even play the same rhythmic pattern with different notes.
3. Play the entire intro until you can play through it without stopping.
4. Play the entire next section (usually the verse) until you can play it through without stopping.
5. Play the entire next section (usually the chorus) until you can play it without stopping.
6. Play the bridge (if there is one) until you can play it without stopping.
7. Play the entire song until you can do so without stopping.
8. Add it to your repertoire list along with the tempo you last played it at.
9. Review your entire repertoire list at 5 beats per minute faster than your most comfortable tempo.

Second level intermediate

1. If the song has a bridge, learn the bridge first. This will be the most difficult to play because the bridge only occurs once in a song. Verses and choruses are usually repeated (sometimes with a few variations, but they are usually basically the same).
2. Learn the intro next because this usually only occurs once in the song.
3. Learn a verse.
4. Learn a chorus.
5. Now tie them altogether by playing the entire song until you can do so without stopping.
6. Add the song to your repertoire list at the tempo you last played it.
7. Review your repertoire list at a tempo at least 5 beats per minute faster than what you are comfortable playing the song at. If you become comfortable at that 5 bpm faster, then change the tempo listing for that song to the new tempo. Each time you find it easy to play at a tempo, speed it up at least 5 more beats per minute.

First level Advanced

1. Work on an entire song from beginning to end until you can play it through without stopping.
2. Add it to your repertoire along with the tempo you played it at.
3. Review your repertoire 5 bpm faster than you are most comfortable.

Second level advanced

1. Work on an entire song from beginning to end until you can play it through without stopping.
2. Add it to your repertoire along with the tempo you played it at.
3. Work on a second song from beginning to end until you can play it without stopping.
4. Add it to your repertoire along with the tempo you played it at.
5. Review your repertoire 5 bpm faster than you are most comfortable.

Third level advanced

1. Work on two songs at once, treating them as one song. Start at the beginning of the first song and play through to the end of the second song. Do this repeatedly until you can do it without stopping. It is okay to stop between songs to reset the metronome.
2. Add both songs to your repertoire at their correct tempos.
3. Review your entire repertoire as though it were one song. Play from the beginning of the first song until you reach the end of the last song.
4. Repeat step 3 until you can play your entire repertoire without stopping, play it accurately and with feel.

Fourth level advanced

1. Work on an entire group of songs, such as an entire set, or even an entire show, at one time as though they were one song, stopping only to reset the metronome for each song if necessary.