Martha A. Masters: Reaching The Next Level

Contents

• Developing Critical Listening Skills
• Develop Your Concentration
• Have a Thorough Understanding of the Material
• Listen at a Pace That Allows You to Hear the Details
• Keep an Open Mind
• Be Detail Oriented
• Listen Critically to Others
• Listen Critically to Yourself
• The Basics of Good Technique
• Sitting Position
• Right-Hand Technique
• Left-Hand Technique
• Learning New Repertoire with Good Study Habits
• Gain a General Understanding of the Piece
• Divide and Conquer
• Getting It Performance Ready
• Spot Practicing
• Keep the Quality of Learning at a High Level
• Gaining Control of Your Technique
• Relax
• Have a Clear Goal in Your Technical Exercises
• Do What Works for You
• Etruscan Prelude No. 1, by Reginald Smith Brindle
• Sueo, by Jos? Vias
• Fundamentals of Strong Playing at Any Level
• Playing with a Consistent, Beautiful Tone
• Great Nails
• Consistent Hand Position
• Follow Through
• Allegro moderato, from Five Vignettes, by Atanas Ourkouzounov
• Controlling Tempo
• Don't Use Rubato as an Excuse
• Pulse or Death (of the Performance)
• Allegro, from Partita No. IV, by Giuseppe Antonio Brescianello
• Recuerdo triste, by Jos? Broc?
• Playing Truly Legato
• Test the Right Hand
• Test the Left Hand
• Cantabile, from Cinq etudes faciles, ou presque, by Simone Iannarelli
• Etude No. 7, by Napol?on Coste
• Expanding Your Interpretive Skills
• Determining Phrases and Breathing
• Sing It
• Overt Breathing
• Introduction and Andante, by Jos? Vias
• Meditando, from Preludios Po?ticos, by Jaime Zenamon
• Crafting Your Interpretation: Dynamics & Colors
• Mythical Magical Moment Interpretations
• Start Interpreting Early
• Study the Game
• Know the Score, Discover the Music
• Improvise Interpretations
• Have No Fear
• Prelude No. 5, by Francisco T?rrega
• Making Informed Fingering Choices
• What Factors Can Motivate Fingering Choices?
• What Motivates Your Fingering Choices?
• String Damping
• Accidental Dissonance
• Cross String Interference
• Melodic Lines versus Arpeggios
• Sympathetic Vibrations
• Bolero, by Juli?n Arcas
• Articulations
• Experiment with Ideas
• Create a Plan
• Cure Accidental Accents
• Capriccio, from Partita No. X, by Giuseppe Antonio Brescianello
• Vibrato
• Use Vibrato Deliberately and Consistently
• Practice Vibrato as a Technique
• Berceuse, by Napol?on Coste
• Discovering the Soul of the Piece
• Listen to the Great Interpreters
• Know Your History
• Don't Let Your Knowledge Clog Your Process
• Merengue, by Frantz Cass?us
• Valseana, by Sergio Assad
• Tying It All Together
• Improving Your Sight-Reading
• Know Where the Notes Are
• Pre-Read
• Play Slowly
• Get the Main Idea
• Read Ahead
• Coping with Performance Anxiety
• Physical Effects of Anxiety
• Mental Effects of Anxiety
• Be Prepared
• Be Positive
• Keep Performing
• What It Takes To Succeed ? and What Is Success?
• What Is Your Definition of Success?
• If You Want to be a Professional?
• They Have to Know You to Hire You
• Don't Wait for the Phone to Ring
• Compete to be Heard
• Reaching the Next Level
• Selected Annotated Bibliography
• Medium Level Difficulty Repertoire
• Technique Books
• Music for Sight Reading
• Books on Various Musical Subjects