Practice Tip #5 of 7: Woodshedding Required

5. Woodshedding? Instrumentalists may 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!