Football coaches spend a great deal of their time thinking of effective practice routines for their team. In fact, a player spends about 95% percent of his time practicing and only 5% of his time at the match, so practice needs to be well-planned.
The same principles apply in music: We only spend a small amount of time performing, therefore instead of endured, our practice time needs to be enjoyed so that we can achieve the best results and the greatest satisfaction in what we do.
These top tips are effective for anyone who plays an instrument or sings:
1) What do you want to achieve?
Have a goal in mind! Hopefully your teacher will have given you three or four simple tasks to achieve this week and has written them into your practice pad. When you sit down don’t just play a few times then move on – give yourself an objective of what you want to conquer!
2) Find a quiet room.
Sometimes our practice environment is subject to a lot of additional noise like the Television or family members walking in and out of the practice area. These distractions can disrupt the flow of your practice and will take your mind of the task at hand! Staying focused is key to having a good practice session. What can you do to improve your practice environment?
3) Create a journey.
It’s a good habit to break your practice into sections. For example, you could start with a few exercise and stretches, then move to scales followed by songs, and finally end with some written theory or an aural app. Spending a few minutes on each will create a well-rounded practice session.
4) Where is your stationary?
Keep your pencil and a pencil sharpener close so that you can make quick notes on the page and also record your practice in your practice pad! Also, try to keep your books in the same place so they don’t go missing. Having a book folder or box is a great way to keep things in order! Having to search for books can be tiresome and wastes precious time!
5) Technology is your friend!
Some examples of things you can have nearby are: a stereo for playing backing tracks, headphones or an iPad or iPhone. Some great apps include a tuner, a metronome and a timing clock! There are so many great music game apps and the ABRSM have aural training apps that you can use to get ready for your exam!
6) Practice smart.
A long practice session is not always best – you need to practice smart! A series of smaller practices over a week is better than doing an hour on the weekend. If you have trouble with a section of music, don’t stay on it for too long because your brain needs time to rest – come back to it later or the following day!
We love to practice the bits we are good at, but good practice includes working on the weak bits too! For example, you don’t always need to practice your song from the top – chances are that you already know the first half really well, so try working on the bits that are weaker! You don’t always need to practice in a certain format either. For example, you can practice scales in a different order to keep things fresh and interesting.
8) Practice without your instrument.
Sometimes you see footballers practicing their dribbling without a ball. Seems weird, right?! However, they are actually using visualization! It is the same for us: We don’t always need to be at our instrument to practice. We can read through the music in the car or on the train and pretend we are playing. We can hum the tune, tap the rhythms or practice the finger patterns just as effectively away from our instrument, as if our instrument was right there with us!
9) A well rounded diet.
Music is not just about learning and practicing songs! The best musicians visit other elements like theory, aural (ear training), creativity, improvisation, games, memory and technical exercises. All of these fields overlap and make you a better musician which is why good teachers ensure students are getting this “well-rounded diet”.
In summary, practice can and should be fun! It is a great sense of achievement when you realise how much your practice is paying off! Keep working on your practice routine and don’t be afraid to try new things. Use some of these tips the next time you sit down with your instrument and see the results come flying in!
Good Luck and Happy Practicing!!