Individual Performance Skills

Understanding Individual Performance Skills


Physical Techniques

  • Grasp the essentials of voice control for vocalists, which includes breathing, pitch control, and resonance.
  • Understand the concept of fingering, crucial for guitarists, pianists, and many other instrument players.
  • Comprehend the importance of posture in improving the efficacy and reducing the physical strain of musical performance.
  • Familiarise with the use of percussion techniques such as striking, shaking, and scraping for drummers and other percussionists.
  • Appreciate the concept of embouchure for wind and brass instrument players, which refers to the way a musician applies their mouth to the instrument.

Expressive Techniques

  • Identify the role of dynamics in creating contrast and maintaining interest in a performance.
  • Understand the use of timbral variation to bring colour and depth to a performance.
  • Explicate the concept of articulation, the difference between smooth (legato) and detached (staccato) note sequences.
  • Enumerate the impact of rhythmic variation, utilising changes in tempo or meter to sustain audience engagement.

Musical Interpretation and Communication

  • Review the necessity of understanding a piece’s context and its implications on your performance.
  • Comprehend the process of expressing emotion through music.
  • Recognise the importance of interaction with the audience, utilising eye contact, body language, and gesture.

Practice and Performance Preparation

  • Learn the use of focused, deliberate practice which involves setting clear, achievable goals and constantly reviewing progress.
  • Understand the value of warm-up routines for both physical preparedness and mental focus.
  • Comprehend the application of rehearsal techniques, such as sectional rehearsal, slow practice, and mental rehearsal.
  • Absorb the benefits of performance routines, including setting up, soundchecking, and gaining familiarity with the performance space.

Performance Evaluation

  • Understand the value of self-evaluation, including reflective listening to recordings of your performances.
  • Recognise the importance of peer review - constructive feedback from fellow musicians can offer valuable insights.
  • Emphasise on goal setting for continuous improvement based on your evaluations.

Always remember that an engaging and technically accurate performance is a blend of effective physical technique, expressive musicianship, thorough preparation, and continuous evaluation. Practising these core skills is crucial to becoming a confident and compelling musician.