02/03/2022
Practicing
Practice is how we grow as musicians. Of course there are other things too, like talking about music, reading, learning, listening, jamming, playing, improvising and performing. But it always comes down to actually sitting down and working things out.
Scales, arpeggios, technical exercises and etudes are all essential, but so is sight reading and learning new material. So how do you decide what to work on?
Before we can even get there we have more questions to answer, like when, where and how long?
When?
I find I have two options, early in the morning before my daughter is awake, or after she has gone to bed in the evening. I also work a physical day job and am usually exhausted in the evening so sometimes that isn't the best option.
Where?
Spare bedroom? Living room? Dining room? This is one of the most important parts of the equation. Having a space that is free of distractions is very important. Leave your cellphone somewhere else or turn it off. Turn off the TV and the computer, it is far too easy to be distracted while trying to practice these days. With so many things designed to distract us, it helps to have a space set up, or that you can quickly re-arrange to be able to focus.
How long?
This is another good one. Twenty minutes of noodling or playing through pieces isn't practicing, it's playing, which is great! But it's still not real practice. Having a daily warm up routine and set of exercises that you spend 5 minutes working through each day can go a long way! However, if you've only got 5 minutes, what should you do?
It's hard to find time for real practice sometimes, but if you set yourself up for success it can be very rewarding.
If your having trouble finding motivation to practice, try these 3 steps!
1) Decide on a dedicated practice time each day (or on set days). This could be as little as 15 minutes of undisturbed time, or a good solid hour if you can make it work. Everyone is busy but if you schedule it in you'd be surprised what you can accomplish!
2) set up a practice space. It could be a spare room, a corner of a room, or a music stand that you bring out. If you can create a distraction free zone for practice, you will be much more productive!
3) Have a plan! If you need to, write down what you are going to work on. It doesn't have to all be scales (I actually really enjoy practicing scales!) And make sure to leave a few minutes to just play and enjoy it.
I hope this helps!
If you have any questions about practicing, please don't hesitate to reach out!
If you have some tips or some things I've missed please feel free to share in the comments!
Happy practicing!
Bob