Practice Tips From Pro Musicians
How you rehearse your music is just as important as how much!
Practicing is important, but many music students waste their time by practicing in ways that simply do not help them improve. This article provides some productive tips.
Anyone that wants to improve at an activity must practice on a regular basis. Whether that activity is playing a musical instrument, shooting a basketball, or driving a race car, practice is necessary if you are going to advance to the next level of your craft. For musicians, it is absolutely necessary that a person find a way to practice at least once every other day, if not more. Common wisdom is that a beginner should practice twenty to thirty minutes at each sitting while more advanced musicians may practice for hours each day. How much you practice is a very personal issue, but here are some ideas to help you get the most out of it.
Practice Where You Will Not Be Interrupted
Contrary to the belief of some students, you do not practice better when listening to the television or radio. When practicing at home find a quiet, comfortable spot with a straight back chair to sit on. Avoid practicing while sitting in a recliner or on the sofa. At the same time, play toward a corner of the room rather than facing straight into a flat wall. Find the direction and layout for your rehearsal space that is best for you. If you find that the room is too loud, consider moving to a room with carpet, a bed, or long draperies to soak up some of the sound.
Practice In Chunks
When trying to memorize a phone number you break it down into three chunks, ie. (515) 555-1212. When trying to memorize or learn difficult music you should attempt to do the same. Never practice simply by playing a song straight through from beginning to end. Chances are that you made mistakes in the middle. Go back and fix them by chunking notes together three or four at a time until your fingers can keep up properly. Then add more notes and speed the chunks up until you are able to play the complete piece.
Keep A Record
Practice records are not just for beginners. Keep a list of what you have been working on each day so that you can then go back and work on the items that you have missed. If you have a large repertoire of music to practice it is a pretty good chance that you will miss something or subconsciously avoid it. Keeping a log of what you have managed to play well and what still needs more work is a great way to stay focused and improve as a musician.
