7 Day Practice Checklist: With Thomas Viloteau

A TONEBASE RESOURCE
7 Day
Practice
Checklist
with Thomas Viloteau
By The tonebase Team www.tonebase.co

Practice 02
Checklist
Practice Checklist
Want to review Thomas’ tutorial? Download the lesson outline for an in depth
summary of what was covered!
INTRODUCTION
DAY 1
This checklist follows Thomas Viloteau's Number the measures

method for learning a piece in one week as
demonstrated in his tutorial Lagrima in 7 Identify the following:
Days. This checklist can be used to help
Sections to see the structure
you learn any piece you want!
of the piece
DAY 1: ANALYSIS
Keys, modality, and
modulations
Time to get a basic musical concept of the
piece! Whether we're familiar with the Important melodic elements
piece or not, we should take some time to (direction, line etc.)
analyze it. Look at the notes, the phrases,
Appoggiaturas
and try to extract everything that the score
tells you. Start with an entirely blank
Harmonies
canvas, ignoring the fingerings on the
score for now.
Practice 03
Checklist
DAY 2 & 3: FINGERINGS Your only goal is to find the right

fingering. In more complicated pieces, it
Days two and three are dedicated to might not be possible to execute things a
working out fingerings. Split up the piece tempo right away, so of course feel free to
into two sections and work on one section take all the time you need.
per day.
Play through the section and determine DAY 2 & 3

what fingerings are comfortable for you at
performance tempo. Play a small section Do your fingerings minimize
of music at the final tempo of the piece. the work for your left hand?
Spend as little time as possible on this-
you haven’t learned it correctly yet, so no Change your strings so you
need to reinforce potentially incorrect can hear if your fingering will
technique. be scratchy on new strings
Are your fingerings informed

by your musical choices?
Are your phrases balanced?
Have you identified the

moments when you want to
use vibrato or rubato?
Determine where you’ll be

playing rest stroke and free
stroke
Are your fingering generally

solving problems rather than
creating new ones?
Practice 04
Checklist
DAY 4 & 5
Group practice sections by

identifying up to nine things
that will require your focus
Are your sections small

enough that you can practice
while focusing on all of the
necessary elements?
Are you aware of your

mental and physical
preparation?
Observe your movements

and gestures. Check to see if
you're doing any counter
productive movements.
Increase the metronome at

very small increments
DAY 4 & 5: PRACTICING
Practice each section until
you can play it ten times
Days four and five are dedicated to
perfectly with a metronome
practicing. Split up the piece into two
before you move on.
sections and work on one section per day.
Can you execute the difficult
It’s important to spend several days with fingerings even if you’re
this kind of practice. After a single day, the nervous, as you may be right
information will only be stored in your before a concert?
short-term memory. After a few days of

working every day, the piece moves into
your long term memory, and you’ll still be
able to recall it weeks or months later.
Practice 05
Checklist
DAY 6
Identify what is making a

section difficult. Are you
overlooking anything?
Play each section by itself

without stopping. If there’s
something wrong, find a
solution on the spot.
Use your smartphone to

videotape your hand as you
go in order to identify
problems. Use slow motion
to detect inconsistencies or
improper techniques.
Are your voices balanced?
Are you confident about

your stylistic decisions?
Listen to your tone and

articulation to make sure
they fit your interpretation.
DAY 6: CORRECTING MISTAKES

Try playing the repeats
differently to see what fits.
Take this day to solidify the information
you absorbed in the previous two days. If Find what you need to think
you haven’t quite memorized the piece by about and make the muscle
now, review your analysis of each chord’s memory work for you.
function and the reasons for your

fingering choices. If this is all done
properly, memorization shouldn’t require
any additional time.
Practice 06
Checklist
DAY 7: FINAL DAY

DAY 7
This daily strategy is an adaptable method If by this point you are still
that can help you work through any piece, encountering difficulties,
including difficult ones. These habits save identify the specific problem
you time, get to the point, and will hopefully and invent an exercise to
help you incorporate a more efficient help you master it!
approach to learning your repertoire!

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A TONEBASE RESOURCE

By The tonebase Team www.tonebase.co

This checklist follows Thomas Viloteau's Number the measures

DAY 2 & 3: FINGERINGS Your only goal is to find the right

Play through the section and determine DAY 2 & 3

need to reinforce potentially incorrect can hear if your fingering will

technique. be scratchy on new strings

Are your fingerings informed

Are your phrases balanced?

Have you identified the

Determine where you’ll be

Are your fingering generally

Group practice sections by

Are your sections small

Are you aware of your

Observe your movements

Increase the metronome at

It’s important to spend several days with fingerings even if you’re

information will only be stored in your before a concert?

short-term memory. After a few days of

Identify what is making a

Play each section by itself

Use your smartphone to

Are your voices balanced?

Are you confident about

Listen to your tone and

DAY 6: CORRECTING MISTAKES

function and the reasons for your

DAY 7: FINAL DAY

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