Skeleton Practice

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Deconstructing the Score (5)

Building a Hull

The dictionary defines hull as the main body of a ship or other vessel, including the bottom, sides, and deck but not the masts, superstructure, rigging, engines, and other fittings. But what has this got to do with practising the piano? When playing slow movements, ornate music or pieces with a lot of surface detail, it is very useful to strip the music down to its essentials and practise a variety of simplified versions. This helps us to stop obsessing about the detail and view the bare bones of the music, thus attending to what is really important. Building a...