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practice
CLEAR Out Distractions
I’ve written several newsletters in the past about things you should have right at your fingertips before you start to practice … the tuner, tabs, picks and hammers, comfortable chair, etc. But I’ve never told you what should be cleared from your practice space before starting. So here we go, and the first one sounds mean … but it’s not.
Other People: Practicing is something you should do alone to really focus on your skills or correct mistakes. If someone is hanging around in my practice s…
Stop Sloppy Practice
We need to practice with intention, focus, and precision to maximize the effectiveness of our practice sessions. Here are some key points to consider if, like me, you want to eliminate sloppy practice habits.
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Pay attention to detail. Sloppy practice often results from overlooking small details such as fingerings, articulations, dynamics, and rhythm. Pay close attention to these elements and strive for accuracy in every aspect of your playing.
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Slow It Down. Practicing slowly allows you …
It’s not the What, When, or Where! It’s the “How!”
I believe that It's the “how” you're practicing that makes a difference in the quality and effectiveness of your practice sessions. Simply going through the motions without focus or intentionality may not yield the desired results in terms of skill improvement and musical growth. Here are some key points to consider.
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Focused practice: Concentrating on specific goals and areas of improvement during practice sessions can lead to more significant progress. Identify your weaknesses or challen…
How to Fix "I CAN'T"
I think I’ve told you before, I get pretty nervous when I perform. Now I did OK at the craft mall and the Butterfly Palace in Branson where I played 6 to 8 hours a day. While I was playing, people were walking around, and only a few sat down and really focused their undivided attention on what I was doing. But put me in front of a crowd to do a solo and my hammers start shaking.
This goes back to my childhood. My grandmother was a concert pianist who even played for Queen Elizabeth. My mother e…
Are You Stuck?
If you live in one of the northern states, this time of year getting stuck in the snow is a real concern. If you’re retired, you just stay home when there’s a fresh snowfall that the city hasn’t yet cleared. But if you have a job, you have to get out in it anyway. And sometimes you get stuck.
The same can happen with your music. Let me ask you a few questions.
- Are you satisfied with the pace of your progress?
- Do you have a clear understanding of what you should be practicing next?
- Do you h…
It’s Not WHAT … It’s HOW You’re Practicing
Too often, our focus lands on what we are practicing – whether it’s your dulcimer, a sport, a language, or a skill. However, the true essence of mastery lies not just in the act of practicing, but in how that practice is approached and executed. It's a subtle yet profound distinction: it's not what you're practicing; it's how you're practicing that truly matters.
Quality Over Quantity:
Mindless repetition of tunes or exercises does not lead to improvement. The key lies in the quality of pract…
Why Don't I Practice More???
Weren't you totally excited the day you brought home your first dulcimer? I imagine you practiced 'til your fingertips were sore, or your arms felt like they were falling off from wielding those two hammers. But then, as days or weeks went by, the time you invested in practicing decreased ... maybe even stopped altogether. You found excuses to push practice time to the back burner. I wonder why this has happened to so many of us.
Well, I have some thoughts about this (of course). Let's ex…
Behind Every Performance
One of the privileges we have, living in today’s world, is access to pristine, note-perfect recordings on YouTube, the radio, CDs. But this privilege comes at a cost. Performers, as well as our audiences, have developed the mind-set that such perfection should be possible every time we play for others – whether we are hanging out with friends on the front porch or attending a performance in a concert hall. And, Lord knows, we performers try our best. I’ve spent most of my adult life feeling like…
Winning at Winfield
The Value of Contests
by Steve Eulberg
Defining what “winning” means to you.
For some people the notion of combining “competition” and “dulcimer” is oxymoronic. They just don’t go together! I see music competitions as an opportunity to prepare some music to share with appreciative listeners. (Where else can you buy such an attentive audience for $.05 a head?) ($10 entry fee/200 people) The process of preparing tunes for this kind of presentation is an intensive artistic endeavor!
I’ve competed i…
How Do You Eat an Elephant?
Eating an elephant can be daunting and overwhelming. So can setting and achieving lifetime goals. How can you accomplish something as big as eating an elephant? By doing it the SMART way, of course … eating it one bite at a time.
Everything in life that seems daunting, overwhelming, and even impossible can be accomplished gradually by taking on just a little at a time. If you can learn how to break down large goals in to smaller more manageable goals, you will be well on your way to reaching yo…
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