How do you practice tunes that you hate?

[JeffJetton]

Not sure if it helps, but "Jingle Bells" is arguably a Thanksgiving song instead of a Christmas song. Some sources say that it was originally performed for a Thanksgiving pageant. And you'll note that the original, English lyrics make absolutely zero mention of Jesus, Santa, Krampus, presents, Christmas trees, or anything other than just sleighing around in the snow. So it's about as much a Christmas song as "My Favorite Things"--by popular association only.

But yeah, if any piece you've been given to practice drives you up a wall, just ask for another one. I've had students do that to me. No biggie.

Off the top of my head, Barbara Polka and Helena Polka are similar. Although it really depends on the particular arrangement and what the pedalogical goal of the piece is.

 

[JerryPH]

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.

For kids and ESPECIALLY adults, your instructor desperately needs to know your likes and (equally important!), dislikes. If you hate a genre, DON"T PLAY IT... simply because the process becomes pretty much unbearable.

You will never, ever, EVER hear me play anything that I don't like. If this isn't fun and pleasurable, at this point in my life, I sure as heck won't do it.

So what was the solution? I think you kind of missed the boat in telling your tutor about your dislikes, this should have been mentioned THE MOMENT he said the words "Jingle Bells". That said, its never too late! The next meeting or earlier if you speak to them via the phone, email, chats, etc... mention it and make it a firm point.

Now, because it was not initially mentioned, he may think "oh, the song is too hard or technical", so be sure to clarify, its the genre and to please replace it with something that you enjoy. You having a fun session makes you happy... that makes your tutor happy and you get to come back and continue to advance faster than if you stay silent.

Honesty is the best policy, even if like in this case, you get brutally honest!

Good luck Knobby!

PS. My hard NO genres are anything Baltic or Klezmer (I just cannot wrap my mind around them... lol)... and of course "Lady of Spain". I can gladly go to my grave NEVER having played that one song... lol

 

[Giovanni]

When we were kids, the current health fad was a daily dose (tablespoonful) of rather unappetising cod liver oil (as a source of vitamin D) daily.
The trick was to hold your breath and get it down asap!
In later years, this was superseded by the much more palatable cod liver oil blended with malt extract, similar to this:

https://au.britishessentials.com/products/potters-herbals-malt-extract-with-cod-liver-oil-liquid-650g

Here's some advice from Mary Poppins (Julie Andrews):

Yes I remember my younger brother and I having a tablespoon full of cod liver oil each morning yuk....happy days ,outside toilets ,no central heating just a coal fire in the living room . A galvanised bath tub hanging from a hook near the back door .
Perhaps that's why so many pomps spent £10 and moved to a warmer climate ?
Kids today don't know what it was like ....in the Good old days ha ha ha

 

[knobby]

I think you kind of missed the boat in telling your tutor about your dislikes, this should have been mentioned THE MOMENT he said the words "Jingle Bells". That said, its never too late! The next meeting or earlier if you speak to them via the phone, email, chats, etc... mention it and make it a firm point.

I plan to
My initial reluctance to say anything stems from one of my earlier attempts to learn the accordion years ago. My tutor at the time said I was “too fussy” about what I wanted (and didn’t want) to play.

 

[Ffingers]

I plan to
My initial reluctance to say anything stems from one of my earlier attempts to learn the accordion years ago. My tutor at the time said I was “too fussy” about what I wanted (and didn’t want) to play.

To repeat myself ( like twice boiled cabbage ):
"Bad teachers are worse than no teacher at all; they can destroy all desire to learn."

When "too fussy" is hardly fussy enough.

As you know, I am old and being so have experienced many examples of instructors 'teaching' to a standard - usually some exam course or other - and de-motivating the student.
So much talent wasted.

 

[Rosie C]

For kids and ESPECIALLY adults, your instructor desperately needs to know your likes and (equally important!), dislikes.

This is so true. My mandolin teacher is excellent -in large part because he 'gets' my strange obsession with renaissance folk music and has actually introduced me to two bands I'd not heard of - and we've learned some of their tunes.

I should really find an accordion teacher. There's no one local, I tried one online but that didn't work, but there's literally a whole world of accordion teachers online.

 

[Caps]

Well I actually like Christmas music!
If I don't like a tune, I just don't play it.

 

[fjsys]

Well for me, I try to figure out with the instructor what is the thing that I am supposed to be learning from the song. Then master that and ask if we can move on.
The other things that I have done is to play it in such a way that it amuses me. (adding a swing to it or changing the words and singing "jingle smells" and such)
But yeah make sure that your tutor knows, otherwise it is a miserable experience for both of you. (I think they can tell when you hate it, but still need you to get something out of it...)

 

[saundersbp]

I tend to like most music. What I hate is lousy arrangements. I just cannot get myself to put effort into learning a piece that has been arranged badly and does not do the original justice...

I also like most music, although jingle bells would stretch the point. I'm not with Nietzsche on much but the famous quote "Reality is captured in the categorical nets of language only at the expense of fatal distortion" sums up my view on arrangements in general. I'd be more inclined to transcribe than arrange personally.

There are exceptions of course! The much loved (and expected of accordion players) "Libertango" is a bugger to convincingly pull off solo and needs some sort of thoughtful arrangement if you have to go it alone.

 

[OuijaBoard]

I perform with a traditional Scottish group that has been performing in my area for over 20 years. I myself date to a couple years before the pandemic. I'm more of an Irish specialist but became involved with this group due to being sick of loud pub noise at Irish sessions in my area, and now love Scottish trad as well. Every season the group learns a few dozen new tunes to perform that year. They teach each tune by ear and then give people the dots to use if they wish. Normally I make every effort to do my learning by ear and also memorize the tunes to stretch as a musician. I also feel this is the best way to get dance-based traditional music into your bones so you get the sway and lilt of it.

Unfortunately, the leaders of this group have a tendency to want to put forward "compositions" by members of the group. Stuff that is not in the traditional repertoire and quite frankly never will be. My tolerance for giving any attention or effort to this stuff is about one to two tunes per season, max. This season we're already at two, and were recently informed we will at our next rehearsal be sitting there ear-learning "quite a few" tunes strung into a set, tunes quote-unquote "composed" by yet a third individual. A looooong set. Probably starting with a slow air or waltz, followed by yet another slower tune, followed by faster tunes. Endless nonsense. I give zero you-know-whats about this and am already less than enchanted with one of the two so-called "compositions" we're already doing by group members.

So, when it comes to being used as a vehicle for "quite a few tunes" to indulge the vanity and ego of an individual in a group that supposedly is focused on traditional music . . . I'm gonna zone out and will do the bare minimum to practice and play this stuff off the dots, and put it all into the circular file the second the season is over. No ear-learning, no memorizing, just sheet music work to the bare minimum to play coherently with the group at performance. The end.

 

[Tom]

I perform with a traditional Scottish group that has been performing in my area for over 20 years. I myself date to a couple years before the pandemic. I'm more of an Irish specialist but became involved with this group due to being sick of loud pub noise at Irish sessions in my area, and now love Scottish trad as well. Every season the group learns a few dozen new tunes to perform that year. They teach each tune by ear and then give people the dots to use if they wish. Normally I make every effort to do my learning by ear and also memorize the tunes to stretch as a musician. I also feel this is the best way to get dance-based traditional music into your bones so you get the sway and lilt of it.

Unfortunately, the leaders of this group have a tendency to want to put forward "compositions" by members of the group. Stuff that is not in the traditional repertoire and quite frankly never will be. My tolerance for giving any attention or effort to this stuff is about one to two tunes per season, max. This season we're already at two, and were recently informed we will at our next rehearsal be sitting there ear-learning "quite a few" tunes strung into a set, tunes quote-unquote "composed" by yet a third individual. A looooong set. Probably starting with a slow air or waltz, followed by yet another slower tune, followed by faster tunes. Endless nonsense. I give zero you-know-whats about this and am already less than enchanted with one of the two so-called "compositions" we're already doing by group members.

So, when it comes to being used as a vehicle for "quite a few tunes" to indulge the vanity and ego of an individual in a group that supposedly is focused on traditional music . . . I'm gonna zone out and will do the bare minimum to practice and play this stuff off the dots, and put it all into the circular file the second the season is over. No ear-learning, no memorizing, just sheet music work to the bare minimum to play coherently with the group at performance. The end.

Oh no, they sent you one of my tunes again! Sorry about that, they were supposed to go to Mars. Good luck to you Ouija!

 

[dak]

Oh no, they sent you one of my tunes again! Sorry about that, they were supposed to go to Mars.

The god of war plays accordion?

 

[Tom]

The god of war plays accordion?

I was thinking more about the planet!

 

[murathan]

Some songs are necessary for a students development. I use jingle bells in lessons as the first "real" song to play for beginners. But every song can be skipped too if they dont like. It may be compensated with other songs. Generally Christmas songs are easy and a good starter pack. But skipping a lot of songs will effect your development. So you may practice them thinking for your development.

 

[dak]

The god of war plays accordion?

I was thinking more about the planet!

Now that must be one big accordion for sure.

 

[Tom]

Now that must be one big accordion for sure.

Not sure who makes Planet Accordions, house brand of Accordion Heaven, but they seem aptly named and I am sure pretty nice. Dan Newton from Café Orchestra plays one.

 

[noelekal]

I simply don't play them.

Life is too short to play stuff we just don't like.

 

[JerryPH]

Some songs are necessary for a students development. I use jingle bells in lessons as the first "real" song to play for beginners. But every song can be skipped too if they dont like. It may be compensated with other songs. Generally Christmas songs are easy and a good starter pack. But skipping a lot of songs will effect your development. So you may practice them thinking for your development.

If one really thinks about it... a good teacher will find out what that student likes or dislikes in song genres and will avoid the ones they do not like very effectively. There is more than enough variety in song selection out there to keep anyone busy for many decades and never repeat a song. It's not wise to risk losing a student because you make them play songs they do not enjoy.

Now, this is also different than "the basics". If a student hates practicing scales, I find songs they love that have tons of scale runs in them and slip the exercises in there with the goal to specifically point out their advantages, usually the student dives right in after seeing the benefits, if this little technique is done right.

Scales, arpeggios, chords are musts for students serious about learning. I'd add including Hannon in all keys now too, eventually in both left and right hands. Your increased playing abilities faster progress will thank you and this is something that helps you in ALL songs. You cannot effectively learn a new language if you don't know the alphabet or how to pronounce the words.

Just my opinion, of course.

 

[murathan]

If one really thinks about it... a good teacher will find out what that student likes or dislikes in song genres and will avoid the ones they do not like very effectively. There is more than enough variety in song selection out there to keep anyone busy for many decades and never repeat a song. It's not wise to risk losing a student because you make them play songs they do not enjoy.

Now, this is also different than "the basics". If a student hates practicing scales, I find songs they love that have tons of scale runs in them and slip the exercises in there with the goal to specifically point out their advantages, usually the student dives right in after seeing the benefits, if this little technique is done right.

Scales, arpeggios, chords are musts for students serious about learning. I'd add including Hannon in all keys now too, eventually in both left and right hands. Your increased playing abilities faster progress will thank you and this is something that helps you in ALL songs. You cannot effectively learn a new language if you don't know the alphabet or how to pronounce the words.

Just my opinion, of course.

You say right. As you probably know either, generally teachers have a certain program to follow on students. That is a "working for everybody" program, a system that works with teacher selected songs, not too much or too scarce ( too much becomes boring, too scarce they will not be able to develop) there is a balance there. So they mostly dont want to change that much. Hating Christmas songs is some kind of unheard of actually.

Personally I dont push for all scales but I certainly make them know the simple scales. Up to B minor or F minor (I use major and its harmonic minor each, starting from C major and A minor). I think teacher-student relations are sort of like psychiatrist-patient relations. Both of them must suit each other. A learner must find their kind of teacher.

 

[Zevy]

You say right. As you probably know either, generally teachers have a certain program to follow on students. That is a "working for everybody" program, a system that works with teacher selected songs, not too much or too scarce ( too much becomes boring, too scarce they will not be able to develop) there is a balance there. So they mostly dont want to change that much. Hating Christmas songs is some kind of unheard of actually.

Personally I dont push for all scales but I certainly make them know the simple scales. Up to B minor or F minor (I use major and its harmonic minor each, starting from C major and A minor). I think teacher-student relations are sort of like psychiatrist-patient relations. Both of them must suit each other. A learner must find their kind of teacher.

My teacher gave me this tune. A lot of scale action in there!