How do you learn a new piece?

[tubacrow]

Today I received a new solo in the mail, and I began my ritual of learning a new work. After I finished, I wondered how do others approach and learn new music. I would enjoy hearing how you personally do it, and maybe add new tools to my skill set.

So tubanetters: How do you learn a new piece?

[tubacrow]

I am thinking about a work we have never seen or heard before.

[BVD Press]

7/ Play the piece it until you can play it with no errors.
8/ Go back and insert your imagination. Toy with the piece and find ways to make it more expressive/heroic/humorous/sentimental/longing/reflective/surprising/ironic/etc. as you perceive appropriate.

The two above are the most important in my book. Basically learn it and then make it your own. Learn it first is the key. You must own the piece to have a successful performance...

[tclements]

1 - I look through the work completely from beginning to end (away from the tuba) with a metronome, to get a general overall impression of the work. With the score, or piano part, if there is one.
2 - (still away from the tuba) I sing all of the rhythms (AT tempo), working out the tricky ones under tempo.
3 - (still away from the tuba) I sing the entire work (at tempo) until I get it the way I want it.
4 - Using the tuba part now, play all of the hardest technical passages at 1/2 tempo to get a 'feel' for their difficulty.
5 - Play all the easy parts to get the realization I want.
6 - Woodshed the hard parts, bumping the metronome up ONE click when it is 'perfect,' until I reach the correct tempo.
7 - START playing each movement (or section) straight through as if in a performance.
8 - Clean it up with a recording device.

Works for me. Good luck!

[tubacrow]

Thank you, It is always nice to see different approaches, and also nice to see when you are doing the same things as other players.