Not sure if I am the only one, (maybe reminiscences of dyslexia?), but when I have to play repeated series of notes like in 'Schradiek, school of violin technics' I tend to under or overcount the group of notes. Let's say you have to play something like c,d,c,d,c,d,c,d,c,d. Sometimes I play 4 times the c,d, sometimes 6, sometimes 5... Am I the only one with this problem? If not, what's your trick?
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Divide and conquer, it's really the only way. It's towards a different outcome, but you might find this guide to odd key signatures handy (It's all about counting to an unusual number in a musical context) youtube.com/watch?v=JQk-1IXRfew – AJFaraday 3 hours ago
Something I have noticed as I have improved from complete beginner is the ability to "group" more notes at a time. As a complete beginner it was a struggle to play one note correctly at a time. As I improved I found I could group 2 or even 3 notes at a time. Now at my best I am up to a bar or sometimes even two depending on the phrasing.
That is the way to approach this problem. Rather than group the above example as (c,d)x5 try (c,d,c,d)x2 + (c,d). Counting up to 2 is much easier than counting up to 5.
I doubt it’s a “trick”, but I count out loud either the beats and measures and read along or if it gets really repetitive I count the number of repetitions out loud with my mouth.
I’ve been working on a Ligeti piece on piano and near the end the same figure is repeated ten times and so I just count to ten and then move on.
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As a bass player I'd say this is really important, you always need to know where you are at any moment, and the best way is to count. Put it together with Brian Towers's and Laurence Payne's answers, if those are groups of quick notes, practise them as a group, slowly. If you have dyslexia problems you can write the number of repetitions on your partition to help you. – Kaddath 3 hours ago
Slow practice. Be in control of what you play. If you fumble something slowly, you're sure to fumble it fast!
answered 18 hours ago
There's no real "trick" to it, you just count. If it's a single note or chord, just counting "1-2-3.." out loud and then eventually in your head. If it's a pattern of notes (thinking of the ending Chopin's Nocturne in E-flat Major) you identify the start of a pattern and then do the exact same thing.
Starting off slow is always a great decision too :)
EDIT: I will also add this as a side note since you are a violinist, but if you are playing piano or any other instrument where you can have your hands playing independent parts, if one hand has such a structure that the other hand (that is playing the repeated notes) can follow, you can just memorize which note you end with your non-repeating note hand without too much hassle
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If you're playing in a group, it can also help to know the other players' parts. Like "I repeat this passage until the cello reaches this note" or something to that effect. It may not help for practicing your part solo, but it can be a good technique with an ensemble, provided you can identify a good cue from some other instrument. This skill is essential for playing a jazz ensemble, where improvisation might mean that your part isn't always the same every time. (Drum solo went a little long this time, but if you're just waiting for the right cue, you know when it's time to react.) If you have a conductor, this might also help, as they might provide a visual cue when moving to a new section which you can keep an eye out for.
