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How do you practice tunes that you hate?

knobby

knobby

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My tutor gave me a Christmas tune to practice the other week; "Jingle Bells". I hate it! In fact, I hate Christmas. Pretty much everything about it I hate, but in particular Christmas tunes... like Jingle *&^%$£@ Bells! It drives me nuts every time I pick up my accordion to practice. The time spent practicing has dropped way down as I hate attempting to play this tune. I've missed quite a few days practicing over the holiday to give myself a rest from it, and tonight after 10 minutes I'd had enough.
Should I have said something to my tutor about my hatred of Christmas and its music? I thought about it but didn't want to come across as being "picky" in what exercises/tunes I'll attempt.
I'm sure I'm not alone in being given something to play that you hate - any tips on how to get through it? Or should I just stop playing it and confess all to my tutor next time I have a lesson?
 
I’m interested, too, in how people tackle practicing music they don’t like. I really struggle to practice and often just “hit a wall” and have to stop, leave it and return to it later. In fact my progress seems painfully slow and I while I have several pieces on the go at the same time (is this a good idea?) I don’t really have any pieces I can play through completely and well. Oddly, though, anything I learn “by ear” I tend to complete, the last such piece being Jingle Bells! So, please, any words of wisdom on practising and improving I’d very much appreciate too.

knobby, I hope you don’t mind me chipping in on your post.
 
knobby said:
My tutor gave me a Christmas tune to practice the other week; "Jingle Bells". I hate it! In fact, I hate Christmas. Pretty much everything about it I hate, but in particular Christmas tunes... like Jingle *&^%$£@ Bells! It drives me nuts every time I pick up my accordion to practice. The time spent practicing has dropped way down as I hate attempting to play this tune. I've missed quite a few days practicing over the holiday to give myself a rest from it, and tonight after 10 minutes I'd had enough.
Should I have said something to my tutor about my hatred of Christmas and its music? I thought about it but didn't want to come across as being "picky" in what exercises/tunes I'll attempt.
Click to expand...
What kind of favor do you think you are doing your tutor by sabotaging their work with a lack of feedback about what does not agree with you? It's like being invited to dinner and not telling the cook about severe food intolerances. You think they rejoice in seeing their work projectile-vomited?
 
Jingle Bells does pose an interesting technical problem on accordion: playing those 3 repeated notes at the beginning almost-legato. We have a lot of exercises for striking the same key with different fingers, usually staccato and usually as a speed drill, but not many for the articulation that aligns with the sound a voice singing the first 2 words of the song.

Does anyone have a handy example of another well-known tune that supplies that same technical challenge in a similar tempo?
 
Siegmund said:
Jingle Bells does pose an interesting technical problem on accordion: playing those 3 repeated notes at the beginning almost-legato. We have a lot of exercises for striking the same key with different fingers, usually staccato and usually as a speed drill, but not many for the articulation that aligns with the sound a voice singing the first 2 words of the song.

Does anyone have a handy example of another well-known tune that supplies that same technical challenge in a similar tempo?
Click to expand...
Reginella Campagnola (Woodpecker Song) is the only one I can come up with off the top of my head.
 
knobby said:
I hate it! In fact, I hate Christmas. Pretty much everything about it I hate, but in particular Christmas tunes... like Jingle *&^%$£@ Bells!
Click to expand...
I'm with you buddy. I'd just punch the tutor in the bellows for even suggesting Jingle @~%& Bells. And to give it to you in the middle of the @~%&$ January? What kind of a sick pervert is he?

Just don't play the stuff you hate. It's easily done if it's a tune. Harder to do if it's a particularly bad-sounding etude though. Because deep inside you know it's supposed to be good for your technique and most etudes are not supposed to sound nice anyway.

Problems only begin if it's a lot of uninspiring stuff. I was making my way through an old Soviet bayan book, and 2/3 tunes were just rubbish. Skipping 66% of the repertoire was not a good idea and did not help my progress.
 
In addition to my hatred of everything Christmas (I'm glad I'm not the only one! We're, like, soulmates!), I also have to confess that I don't actually like a good 80% of accordion repertoire, and I don't like how most accordions sound.

I'm not sure what I'm doing on this forum :unsure:
 
At least he doesn’t make you play Beer Barrel and Chicken Dance. I am desperately trying to avoid Beer Barrel this year and will only hold my nose and practice Chicken Dance the day before I have to play it (paid gig).

I actually like the Christmas tunes, sorry.
 
tcabot said:
In addition to my hatred of everything Christmas (I'm glad I'm not the only one! We're, like, soulmates!), I also have to confess that I don't actually like a good 80% of accordion repertoire, and I don't like how most accordions sound.

I'm not sure what I'm doing on this forum :unsure:
Click to expand...
Hmmmm, pretty sure I hate 80% of all music these days, but I love what I love, although I will admit a heretical yawn at Van Damme. Sorry.
 
When I was young and had an instructor, I was at his mercy for song choices. I never vocalized any thoughts and just grinned and bared it. Basically because there wasn't any other options.

Now I'm an older guy and play what I like - only.
 
Last edited:
knobby said:
My tutor gave me a Christmas tune to practice the other week; "Jingle Bells". I hate it! In fact, I hate Christmas. Pretty much everything about it I hate, but in particular Christmas tunes... like Jingle *&^%$£@ Bells! It drives me nuts every time I pick up my accordion to practice. The time spent practicing has dropped way down as I hate attempting to play this tune. I've missed quite a few days practicing over the holiday to give myself a rest from it, and tonight after 10 minutes I'd had enough.
Should I have said something to my tutor about my hatred of Christmas and its music? I thought about it but didn't want to come across as being "picky" in what exercises/tunes I'll attempt.
I'm sure I'm not alone in being given something to play that you hate - any tips on how to get through it? Or should I just stop playing it and confess all to my tutor next time I have a lesson?
Click to expand...

Teaching and learning is a two way process, Knobby.

If you do not communicate effectively with your tutor, he/she/it will not be able to determine your personal strengths, predelictions and purpose in learning whatever it is that you are studying.
If your instructor is unable to accommodate your specific needs, then discontinue the relationship and seek another.
Bad teachers are worse than no teacher at all; they can destroy all desire to learn.
 
Last edited:
tcabot said:
In addition to my hatred of everything Christmas (I'm glad I'm not the only one! We're, like, soulmates!), I also have to confess that I don't actually like a good 80% of accordion repertoire, and I don't like how most accordions sound.

I'm not sure what I'm doing on this forum :unsure:
Click to expand...
But there is such a wide range of music, performers, instruments etc.

This:




departs from the more popular genres, played by one of the most versatile and accomplished artists.

So much music, and so short a lifetime.
 
knobby said:
My tutor gave me a Christmas tune to practice the other week; "Jingle Bells". I hate it! In fact, I hate Christmas. Pretty much everything about it I hate, but in particular Christmas tunes... like Jingle *&^%$£@ Bells! It drives me nuts every time I pick up my accordion to practice. The time spent practicing has dropped way down as I hate attempting to play this tune. I've missed quite a few days practicing over the holiday to give myself a rest from it, and tonight after 10 minutes I'd had enough.
Should I have said something to my tutor about my hatred of Christmas and its music? I thought about it but didn't want to come across as being "picky" in what exercises/tunes I'll attempt.
I'm sure I'm not alone in being given something to play that you hate - any tips on how to get through it? Or should I just stop playing it and confess all to my tutor next time I have a lesson?
Click to expand...
I have this experience with playing 'Fields of Athenry' accompany.
A song which is loved by many (seniors). And dreaded by those who had to play it too often.

I cope by improvising a lot.
 
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