{"id":54052,"date":"2019-06-04T08:00:24","date_gmt":"2019-06-04T15:00:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.classicalguitarshed.com\/?p=54052"},"modified":"2020-10-22T03:35:43","modified_gmt":"2020-10-22T10:35:43","slug":"tq-robert-schumann-easy-pieces","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/classicalguitarshed.com\/tq-robert-schumann-easy-pieces\/","title":{"rendered":"Composer Robert Schumann on How to Play Well and Avoid Mediocrity"},"content":{"rendered":"

Tuesday Quotes<\/a> are short explorations of music, life, and the daily endeavor of practicing classical guitar. Enjoy!<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cTry to play easy pieces well; it is better than to play difficult ones in a mediocre style.\u201d
\n<\/em><\/p>\n

Robert Schumann<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\n

It\u2019s perfectly natural to want to play harder and harder pieces. And indeed, we should always challenge ourselves in practice.<\/p>\n

But we have many types of challenge.<\/p>\n

One area of increasing challenge is speed. Another is note-density (thicker chord textures and voicings). Yet another involves the physical demands of shifting around the entire instrument.<\/p>\n

We can tackle these more obvious challenges, and should. However, the notes don\u2019t make the music. We do.<\/p>\n

Music cannot speak for itself. We the musicians breathe life into music. It\u2019s a collaboration between composer and performer. (Just as with architect and builder, writer and orator, manager and maker.)<\/p>\n

We take the simple dots on the page and create the sounds that trigger an emotional response.<\/p>\n

And we do this using skill and intention. We connect<\/a> notes smoothly. We get louder and softer. We bring some notes forward<\/a> and others to the background. We stretch and compress<\/a> time.<\/p>\n

These are the musical elements that take music from mere notes to something more. This is where we find humanity and meaning in our daily practice.<\/p>\n

But we can\u2019t do this more musical work if the notes take all our attention. Instead we can stay with \u201ceasier\u201d pieces longer and do this different work with them.<\/p>\n

In time, if we\u2019re patient, we will play the difficult pieces. But instead of playing them, as Schumann warns, \u201cin a mediocre style\u201d, we\u2019ll play them beautifully.<\/p>\n

This only happens if we build the skills<\/a>. And we learn the skills on the easier pieces.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Tuesday Quotes are short explorations of music, life, and the daily endeavor of practicing classical guitar. Enjoy! \u201cTry to play easy pieces well; it is better than to play difficult ones in a mediocre style.\u201d Robert Schumann It\u2019s perfectly natural to want to play harder and harder pieces. And indeed, we should always challenge ourselves in practice. But we have … <\/p>\n

Read More<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":2973,"featured_media":54055,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[328],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-54052","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tuesday-quotes"],"yoast_head":"\n[Quote] Composer Robert Schumann on How to Play Well and Avoid Mediocrity<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Composer Robert Schumann on How to Play Well and Avoid Mediocrity\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Tuesday Quotes are short explorations of music, life, and the daily endeavor of practicing classical guitar. Enjoy! \u201cTry to play easy pieces well; it is better than to play difficult ones in a mediocre style.\u201d Robert Schumann It\u2019s perfectly natural to want to play harder and harder pieces. And indeed, we should always challenge ourselves in practice. But we have ... 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