Learning Backwards

By Vidas Pinkevicius (get free updates of new posts here)

​Does your organ playing lack clarity of touch and you can't seem to hold the middle voices just right?

I have a nice and painless solution for you.

Yesterday as Ausra and I were entering the church, Vytautas was playing Bach's Prelude in C major from WTC II and it sounded quite calm, relaxed and actually already almost fit for the public performance.

But as soon as he saw us, somehow his playing changed into the old manner - a little rushed and messy.

He didn't listen to the dialogue between the voices and was only concerned with playing the correct notes. Because of the stress of someone else listening and immediate feedback obviously it didn't work so well.

So then we suggested him the following trick:

Play the last line 5 to 10 times at this slower tempo. He did and the result of this last line was beautiful. I joked that now he can play at least one line for the upcoming concert.

Then we asked to play the line before that 5 to 10 times. Again it was beautiful.

You see, we're I'm going with this?

Work on your piece backwards practicing one line at a time 5 to 10 times and stopping at the beginning of the next line.

We gave Vytautas a recipe for success - do this for 7 days in a row and see what happens when we'll meet again to critique his organ playing.