technique

Many instrumentalists refer to playing fast notes as technique. For me, though, the skills required for both beautiful sound production and flexible facility constitute technique. I believe that facility cannot be separated from sound production. The Daphnis et Chloé excerpt is dependent upon good breathing, body posture, pharyngeal space, vowel choices, balance, and placement – all are elements of a comprehensive technique.  Play a technically challenging phrase (for instance, the famous excerpt from Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf), focusing on one thing at a time.  Start with observing your finger placement, then focus on tone quality, and finally add articulation.  The entire time, just observe as if you are a scientist conducting research.  Do not judge or worry about what you think is right or wrong.  Just observe.  Record yourself and listen and critique yourself as a disinterested third party.  This is how you really discover what needs attention, and this is how you improve your comprehensive technique.