Wrag wre Copyright© 2011 by Car Fischer, LLC BConcentration Game While a student at Juilliard, | first created this exercise as a simple game to develop accuracy and co-ordination. It is a fantastically simple and effective way to develop a heightened sense of con- centration and connection to your body and instrument. Here are the rules: Must be done with a metronome. Preferably the kind with a moving sweep (digital or wind-up) so that you can both hear and see the movement of time. This visual will allow you to mentally and physically anticipate notes, rests and breaths. A simple blinking red: light metronome is not nearly as effective. Repeat each bar four times before playing the next measure and repeating that one four times as well. If you can get through the entire exercise without missing a note, go back to the beginning and repeat each measure three times, then two, then finally exactly as written without repeated measures. If you chip or miss any note, you must return to the first G and start again on whatever grouping of repeats you were working on. Alternate between breath and tongued attacks, trying to make them sound as similar as possible. The choice of articulation doesn’t have to be with any regularity, but know which one you will use before playing the quarter note. ‘The entire exercise is comprised of 400, 300, 200, and 100 second groupings totaling 1,000 sec- onds of correct concentration. See how long it takes you to reach the magic number. My only other rule for this game is not to leave the practice room until the goal is achieved. It should take less than 17 minutes to do it perfectly without having to repeat any of the groupings. How- ever, the first time I tried, it took me almost three hours! Not to worry, the goal of reaching a higher level of concentration is very achievable and this exercise is a great way to work on that all-important skill.