Practice Tip #5: Woodshedding Required

5. Woodshedding? Instrumentalists probably know this term better than singers. It means working out the kinks in a tough passage. This is how you do it:

PICK YOUR PASSAGE: It may have tough intervals or lots of notes (melismas/runs) or lots of words, but for whatever reason, you're having a tough time getting it right.
SLOW DOWN: Take the slowest tempo necessary for you to sing/play each note accurately.
For singers: focus on notes & rhythms first on neutral syllable, then speak the text in rhythm, then put it all together!
For instrumentalists: work out that fingering
TAKE TIME to work out the kinks at that slower tempo.
REPEAT & INCREASE: Repeat the passage and gradually increase the tempo as you continue to sing/play it correctly.
CELEBRATE each passage you sing/play with fewer errors. You're getting there!