Written by Claire Oplinger, Class of 2024
As we find ourselves having to balance the semester workload amidst the stress of a lingering pandemic, it is easy to become unfocused and unmotivated. In the practice room, self-recording is a valuable tool to continue improving as musicians and stay engaged despite these unforeseen circumstances. Self-recording, in essence, is simply turning on a recording device and either doing a mock performance or recording yourself as you practice. A key concept to note is that for recording to be effective, the process has to be deliberate. Thoughtful time and effort does need to be put into listening to and analyzing recordings. The ultimate goal is to detect weaknesses and strengths so that practice time can be spent efficiently- focusing on the areas that need improvement. By addressing any technical problems, there is much more freedom to explore stylistic choices, expression, and deeper meaning of musical works. Below you will find both reasons why recording is beneficial and some logistical suggestions on how to implement this tool in your practicing.
To summarize the benefits of self-recording:
Recordings provide concrete, unbiased feedback
Recordings can be analyzed in several ways (ex. 1st listen: focus on musical expression, direction of the phrases, and whether it was adequately conveyed; 2nd listen: focus on rhythm, set a metronome and note any rhythmic or tempo inconsistencies; 3rd listen: focus on intonation, use a tuner and note any tuning inconsistencies)
Taking time to listen to recordings gives your body a break from the physical act of playing your instrument
Recordings provide a way to archive progress (It is always encouraging to look back and see how much you have grown!)
Consistently recording during practice makes formal recording for auditions less stressful
Recordings can be shown to a professor to help diagnose and fix problems
Listening to and analyzing your own recordings helps improve critical listening skills
Analyzing recordings and addressing weaknesses in your playing helps you to be more independent (in a sense, becoming your own teacher)
Recordings can also be a way to showcase your strengths and triumphs
Benefits for Lessons
By using self-recording to identify and isolate problems, it allows you to improve more rapidly and avoid becoming stuck. It helps you address noticeable technical problems prior to playing for your professor. In this way, lessons are more effective because they are focused on qualities of sound or technique that you have not detected and improved yet. If every lesson were focused on correcting technique, intonation, phrasing and physical tension that you could have easily detected on your own by listening to a recording, it limits the possibility for growth. Having a method for evaluating all of these areas on your own allows lessons to be centered more around bringing the music to life from an expressive standpoint than correcting technical issues.
Strategies for Recording
In my personal experience, I have found that a tiered-listening strategy is the most effective. This would mean listening several times to the same recording, but focusing on one area each time. For instance, the first listen could involve an overall analysis of phrasing and whether musical ideas were effectively conveyed. This may include direction, breathing, rubato, dynamics, tone colors, and any other expressive category. This could also involve noting key strengths of the recording, as this is equally important to identifying weaknesses. A second listen could involve isolating the rhythmic components and tempo, which can be easily evaluated by setting a metronome. Noting the exact places where rhythm is unclear or tempo fluctuates can help you isolate those areas. A third listen could be for intonation, where you use a tuner (as well as your ear) to identify places where intonation can be improved. This process is especially applicable when preparing for orchestral auditions, where playing in time and in tune are key factors to advancing to the next round.
It is sometimes also valuable to listen openly, without any particular category in mind. In this way, your ear might perceive something different than you anticipated because you are not focusing on a singular narrow area. This may be especially useful when feeling stuck or stagnated in your practicing.
It is also worth noting that time to listen to practice recordings can be built in during or after practicing, depending on your schedule. For repertoire that is new, it may be helpful to listen back immediately, while full runs of performance-ready repertoire could be listened to after practicing is completed. Listening back to recordings often can help inform the focus areas for the next practice session.
Archiving Recordings
Recordings can also be archived for later listening. It could be helpful to organize recordings by composer, era, or function of the music (ex. Technical exercise, Etude, Solo Work, Orchestral Excerpts). The way that you archive recordings is up to personal preference but examples include: simply storing in file folders on a desktop, using iTunes playlists, using Google Drive, or using DropBox. Many people also choose to post their practicing to social media accounts. For more on practice accounts, check out the specific NAfME blog post on this topic. Listening back to old recordings can inform how you view current strengths/weaknesses in your playing and also serves to remind you of your growth as a musician.
Concluding Remarks
Overall, self-recording is an extremely powerful tool for improving as a musician. Utilizing this tool effectively makes it possible to target very specific weaknesses in your playing and consequently improve quickly. While it is often very difficult to listen to yourself on a recording, becoming more objective in both practicing and self-evaluation is beneficial in the long run. Growing comfortable in addressing your weaknesses in a constructive manner will ultimately help you overcome obstacles such as negative self talk and feeling self-conscious. These benefits can also carry over into other aspects of your life. It is important to remember that emotional and mental state does impact your playing, and having a healthy approach can improve your performance as well as how you feel while performing. Practicing effectively fosters confidence in knowing that you have truly done your best. And likewise, this helps you to focus on the ultimate goal of communicating the music to the audience and enriching their lives through a musical experience.
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