Music Strategies

Musicians See Writing Differently

"Madame Bovary taught me the difference between a sentimental performance and an honest one," grants a pianist [student at Julliard School in New York]. "Writing and rewriting have helped me see how a musical score is put together," says a violinist. And a percussionist remarks of a grammatical insight: "A colon works like a drumroll: it prepares you for the cymbals' clash; a semicolon is more like a modulation" (From "Educating Performers" by James Sloan Allen, The Key Reporter, Spring 1992, p. 8 as quoted in Journal of Reading, 199x, p. 317).

Mneumonics for Some Altered Chords

Eckert (1986) explains that "students in advanced-harmony or analysis courses often find it difficult to distinguish among, or to remember, the spellings of the various augmented sixth chords. They may also confuse them with the similarly-named Neapolitan sixth chord" (p. 23). He outlines a strategy for remembering the chords on the basis of prior knowledge and mnemonics.

His approach is based on students' knowledge of solfege syllables. The syllables (do, ra, me, fa, so, fi, le, etc.) are used to form mnemonics, with each syllable standing for a portion of the chord. For example:

• RAFFLE
• ra, fa, fa, le = the flat second, fourth and sixth degrees in the Neapolitan triad
  
• LEnd DOmenico FIve DOllars
• le, do, fi, do = Italian sixth chord
  
• Leafy Dome [Black Forest]
• le, fi, do, me = German six-five chord
  
• Filet Done Rare
• fi, le, do, re = French six-four-three chord
  
• Let's Down Richthofen's Fighter [Red Baron]
• le, do, ri, fi = Enharmonic-German six-four-three chord

Visual images might also be added to aid in remembering the chords.

Surviving Memory Lapses

It is sometimes the case that musicians will suffer a temporary loss of memory while performing. Foster (1992, p. 43) offers some strategies to help avoid and survive memory lapses.

• Use memory checkpoints throughout the piece.
• Think through the music selection without playing it.
• Listen carefully while playing.
• Practice with external distractions before the performance. "Perform with the television on, conversation in the background, or younger siblings running through the room."
• In the event of a memory lapse, work with instructors afterwards to "make sense of [the] disappointment, keep a positive attitude, and determine how to learn from the experience."
• Don't ignore the memory loss as this may be more damaging than reliving it.
• Remember that although the performance did not go as planned, you are a much better musician because of the practice you invested before the performance.
• "For students practicing for competitions and recitals, a teacher's influence is central, both in preparing for the unexpected and in affirming their worth if the preparation proves inadequate."