record your practice

We are all encouraged to practice with a recording device, but seldom do we actually observe this advice.  Sometimes, we don’t want to hear ourselves or we don’t think we have adequate access to a recording device.  We seem to come up with any number of rationales for not recording ourselves.  However, it is an indispensable element to advancing as a flutist and as a musician.   Here are some recommendations for recording your practice:

1) While simple recording devices help us hear intonation, core of sound, clarity of sound, articulation, note accuracy, etc., the actual quality is not always so great.  You should Listen only for the things you wish to address, and use the recording as a pair of disinterested, third-party ears to help you.  Avoid focusing on things you cannot control, like the sound quality from a tiny speaker on your smart phone.

2) To make your practice session productive, I recommend using the device after you have warmed up and played through your passage, etude, long tones, etc. Then, record the thing you want to improve.  Listen to the recording, evaluating what you can do technically to achieve your desired outcome.  Record again and listen again.  Do this a handful of times and be open to what actually works, not just doing what you think is correct.  After a few times, move on to a new passage, so that you don’t frustrate yourself too much.

Nearly everything records these days.  So, use your smart phone, tablet, laptop, desktop, or whatever you have at hand. Recording rehearsal sessions only works if you remove yourself emotionally from the playing. View yourself as a kind and gentle instructor to yourself. After just a few practice sessions, you will hear significant improvement. Remember that you are not just practicing for today.  You are practicing for the rest of your life. So, every small improvement matters.