We all know that practice makes perfect, but many don’t realize how to practice an instrument so that they are actually making real and efficient progress. It is possible to practice for hours without making progress and maybe actually creating bad habits instead. Here are some ways to practice so that you are consistently improving your skills.
Consistency
It is no surprise that consistency is important, but it had to be said. If your practice sessions are too far apart, you will spend a lot of time relearning skills. Even five minutes a day can help more than an hour once a month. Try to make it easy for yourself. Have your supplies together, and if possible, in a very visible, easy-to-access location.
Set Goals
One of the biggest mistakes made when practicing is not having goals. Pulling out your instrument to play at all is part of the battle, but even if you do that consistently every day, you will see very little to no progress without a plan. Many musicians fall into the trap of playing straight through their scales, etudes, and concertos and telling themselves, “Ok. Played it. Check.” But this is not practicing. Or at least it is far from all that needs to be done when practicing.
Instead, know what you want to improve on. At first, it may be as simple as “learn three more notes.” Eventually, a goal may be something like learn vibrato, learn that tricky passage in my etude, or improve my intonation in the upper register. Be specific for each practice session. “Learn this concerto” is a big picture goal, but not one you can accomplish in one sitting. Break it down into smaller steps and avoid the more mindless play-throughs or noodling approaches to practice.
Practice Your Mistakes
This may sound obvious, but it is commonly overlooked. This goes hand in hand with the last point. Instrumentalists who practice by playing straight through their music each day often correct fumbles as they go and leave it at that. But more often than not, this technique just reinforces the mistake (and following correction) as a habit that is repeated every time you practice without actually ridding yourself of making that mistake again. Skip the play-throughs and go straight to where you know you always mess up. You don’t have to (and shouldn’t) play every note of everything you are learning every day. Only spend time on what actually needs the work. Put in the slow, repetitive work on specific spots that actually need work so that every phrase eventually sounds as good as the easy ones.
Take Notes
One way to keep track of those spots that need attention is to keep notes. Notes in your music are extremely important. Mark accidentals, tempo and dynamic changes, reminders of where you tend to be out of tune, or even put a big circle around that measure you always mess up so that next time you can go straight to it.
Beyond all the marking you can put in your music, a separate set of notes can also be very helpful. A notebook is great way to write down the goals you have started setting for yourself. You can write down the instructions or advice your teacher gave you, keep track of what tempos you are able to reach in passages you are training to play faster, have a list of every phrase that needs more practice in your etude, and whatever else keeps you focused on improving a little every time you pick up your instrument. These notes are also a great way to see how often you practice and your real progress. This is either a great encouragement or a wake-up call!
Muscle Memory
Do not underestimate the power of muscle memory. Just like you use muscle memory to play a note when you see one on the page, you can learn to use muscle memory when you see a scale or arpeggio pattern in your music. Beyond being helpful when sightreading, you should also be aiming for muscle memory for your etudes or solos. Learn the tricky and fast passages by starting slowly and learning to play at tempo with incremental and repetitive practice. Aim for accuracy every time you play these sections and eventually your eye may get lost in those sixteenth notes but your fingers will keep it going until you find your place again! Even if you are not lost, you should not be painstakingly reading every little note during a performance, but reading the music in chunks at a time. Of course, this is crucial for memorization as well.
Record Yourself
Don’t make the mistake of thinking you know how you sound. Listening while playing and listening without playing are very different experiences and skills. How you sound is a huge part of playing an instrument, so do not neglect to pay close attention to that no matter how uncomfortable! Recording yourself is a simple exercise that can bring a lot to your attention. Make use of your notebook when listening to your recordings. You will hear not only wrong notes or intonation, but maybe even style choices that you don’t like as much when you hear the recording. Write these all down as you listen, and then, of course, practice your mistakes!
Practice Should Sound Bad
As a final note, if you are pushing yourself to be better and focusing on what needs to improve, the majority of your practice should not sound good. Otherwise, you do not need to be practicing that! As you keep going, your worst playing will reach higher and higher levels though and that is always a good feeling! What are some other techniques you use to practice an instrument effectively and avoid getting into ruts?