Performance Problem in mind

[jetz320]

Hi everyone. I'm learning the famous erhu solo "Er Chuen Ying Yue" (by Ah Bing) and my music is 4 pages long. I'm planning to perform this soon sometime in March but I only have 1 music stand.

For all you performing soloist, what do you do? Memorizing is possible but it'll take at least 2-3 months.

[calden]

Jetz;

I've memorized lots of pieces but not this one yet. There is too much repitition for me to organize it properly in my brain.

For this piece, I copied and shrunk the music a bit, then cut and pasted it so it would all fit on two pages. I can send you a pdf of what I've got if you'd like it. I'm not sure if every single measure would be exactly the version you have, but from what I've seen of these erhu standards it would probably be pretty standard.

Carlos

[jetz320]

I've memorized about the first half of the song. I get the tune, but I have just a wittle, wiiiittttllleee more bit to work on for the bowing.

The easy thing about trying to memorize the song is that the whole song doesn't have some weird out of the blue tune in the middle or anything. So the whole song is practically the same. At the same time, if it's too similar, then you can get mixed up and have some trouble!

[wanggx]

I have a way to memorise it faster. Listen to the recording many times and store it inside ur head. I won't force myself to memorise the notes as it can be quite confusing. I try to remember the tune and apply it during practices. More practices helps and I would find that I actually memorised the whole song without realizing it myself. But thats me. Hope these can help you.Good Luck for your solo.

PS By the way, do you have accompaniment? If you do, you can flip the pages when the accompaniment si going on ;D

[dsouthwood]

A friend gave me a tip for memorizing: If you memorize by learning small sections and then stringing them together, start from the end of the piece and work forward. If you memorize by playing the first eight bars over and over, for example, you are training yourself to stop at the end of that section. So start by playing the last eight bars over and over until they are memorized, and then do the same with the eight bars before that, but always continuing through to the end. That way, you are training yourself to continue from one section to the next, stopping only when you reach the end of the piece.

[jetz320]

I'm doing all the things you have mentioned. I memorize by the paragraph. I stop after I feel that it is enough.

I've listened to so many versions of the song using so many instruments. There is a xun & xiao version, erhu, violin & cello, erhu with an orchestra, and the original by Ah Bing.

I've played along with them many times, and I have the first half memorized.

[angalese]

(Yay my first post I'm not a lurker anymore! sorry had to get that out)

Some music store sell extenders for stands if you dont get it all memorized you might want to check about those. I know we had them when I was in music school to use for longer pieces.

[jetz320]

Thanks, I'd look at that. I got a music stand that can support something big, I might use a bigger folder for my music so that I can just expand it.

[jetz320]

Oh yeah, welcome to the forum!!!!

[calden]

jetz:

Still have that two-page version if you want it.

Carlos

[YouLanFengChune]

Well, i have a method for memorizing 37-page concertoes. I played 2 last year, and the way is funny, but some old teacher taught me

Tell yourself stories for every stanza. As detailed as possible, best if u can relate to the story of the piece.

For Erquan, a nice way would be....
6 56 4 - 3 - 12---- ( It was a cold and wintery day in Wuxi, southern province of China. .... Poor days, no food, and scorned by the people)

remember that Ah Bing was an illegitimate son, adopted by the monastry, thrown out due to to his ever present impulses to play music. Caught syphillis from "nightlife", ended up with ED, and was broke and penniless. Played by a pond named Erquan, and was thinking, holding back his tears, wishing for a better future.

Expand on this story, and remember there are 7 stanzas with 5 different moods.

Hehehe, i just had an arrangement for my quintet. Erquan!

[jetz320]

Wow music genius!