Part by part

How often do you practice an organ piece part by part?

I trust that most people understand the value of taking a composition apart and drilling just separate voices at first. But that's not always necessary. In homophonic music, you can play hands and feet separately as opposed to separate voices.

But even in polyphonic music, how do you usually start learning it?

Do you practice in episodes starting from the beginning, or perhaps starting from technically the most challenging episodes first, or even starting from the pedal entrance?

I guess it all depends on these factors: on your level of expertise and on the difficulty level of the piece (keeping in mind the texture and tempo required).

I've talked about practice at length on this blog and I hope that by now you know some of the most efficient (and not so efficient) ways to learn.

But I'm curious to find out how you do it. Share your thoughts in comments.

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PS I've given the names to the hedgehog and the piglet - Spiky and Pinky. The fox who wants to hear them play will be Browny and the bear who wants to sleep will be Honey. Enjoy!