Computers in the practice room

It used to be that the only pieces of electronic equipment you needed in your studio were a metronome and a tuner. Many people still feel this way today. However, 21^st century innovations in interactive software and recording technology are proving to be remarkably beneficial in the practice room. From microphones to user-friendly accompaniment software, it’s all here. Welcome to the new and improved personal studio!

            The first item one should have handy in the practice room is a simple recording device. Laptops with a microphone and the appropriate software should perform this function. Personally, I use a device from Sony with an external microphone. The external microphone feature makes it easier to adjust for balance if you are recording with piano. The device you choose to purchase depends on its intended purpose, but given the choice, it might be worth it to spring for a slightly more expensive recorder. At the very least, it should not distort sound in the extreme registers or at extreme dynamics, as this would render it useless, more or less. For $300 or less, you should be able to purchase a simple, user-friendly and portable device that can be used to record for most festivals, in addition to daily use in the practice room. It is of course a good idea to hire a professional sound engineer with more advanced equipment for the really important recordings, such as college prescreening.

            I recently attended a master class given by Jim Walker, in which he advised students to record about ten minutes of their daily practice session. Since then, I’ve recorded myself more often. It is important to hear yourself play as much as possible, and not just during your practice. If you play back a recording of yourself, even if it is an informal snip-it of an etude, or just a few scales, you will begin to notice new things about your sound. It’s amazing how critical we can be of ourselves. At the end of the day, you are your best teacher.

            These recorders are perhaps most useful in private lessons. However, IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT YOU ASK PERMISSION FROM YOUR TEACHER BEFORE RECORDING THE LESSON. In my experience, most teachers will be okay with this, but many are not. Please be wary about this and tactful about asking. Recording lessons is helpful mostly because it allows you to take more extensive notes afterward, and concentrate more on your playing during the lesson. Also, when your teacher draws your attention to a flaw in your playing, you are more likely to hear it on the playback. Somehow everything becomes more objective. Either you were rushing or you weren’t. There is no room for uncertainty or argument.

            There is very little that you can’t accomplish on your own in a practice room, with the possible exception of rehearsing with a collaborative pianist. However, a new interactive software called Smartmusic, by MakeMusic®, now makes it possible to practice with a recorded piano part to simulate rehearsal with an accompanist. I have found the library of accompaniment recordings to be quite extensive, and the features to be equally helpful and conducive to individual practice. After picking the piece you want to practice, a window comes up with the selected recording. You have the option of selecting your desired tempo, starting place, ending place, and whether or not you want to hear the metronome or solo line. There is another feature called looping, where the program keeps playing the same designated section until you hit stop. The program records all your takes, and allows you to adjust balance and save takes afterward. Basically, it allows you to better prepare yourself for rehearsal and performance with a pianist. With all this new technology, the musicians who use every available resource in their practicing are more likely to improve as players. As technology becomes more essential to music in the 21^st century, it’s important to keep up with the new advancements. 

            However, beware the disadvantage of playing with a recorded part. While the software is programmed to wait for certain pitches after cadenzas, fermatas, and at the very beginning of each piece, the recording itself will not follow you as a human collaborative pianist would if you make a slight rhythmic error. However, because the recording won’t adjust to your mistakes, it is much easier to hear when you’ve made a mistake, or when you are rushing. Thus rehearsing with your actual accompanist will go much smoother, which is the entire point after all.

            Another significant software is Protools, which is used for cutting and pasting takes, and generally editing recordings. Unfortunately it is extremely expensive, being a tool for professional sound technicians; however, if you are working from a school tech lab and have it available to you, it is worth becoming familiar with. (Just be aware that many competitions prohibit editing takes.) In fact, although not all colleges require music majors to take a music technology course, it is important to familiarize oneself with the technology you might eventually need to edit a recording of your own. Software such as Finale or Sibelius will also prove to be useful. Almost all musicians will need to write an arrangement at some point in their lives. With a program like Finale, it is possible to offer this service.

            Besides portable recording devices and editing software, the Internet can also be a useful tool. Getting one’s name “out there” was once accomplished by making contacts alone, and hoping that this could make freelancing easier. However, this self-promotion is now possible through Youtube, Twitter, Facebook, iTunes, and many other sites. It is now very common and easy to set up your own website, Facebook page, and Youtube account to promote yourself. This way, it becomes easy to refer people to a professionally done recording on Youtube, or your website, when they express interest in hearing you play. All the more reason to embrace the technological advancements of the 21^st century.

            So the moral of the story is, have a computer in your studio, and know how to use it to its fullest advantage. You don’t have to be a tech wizard to promote yourself online, or use interactive software to practice playing with accompaniment. Evolution happens in technology, so keep up or risk extinction.