Practice Pointers

Practicing needs to have a structure to maximize its benefit. I've included some tips to help you organize your practice time better. Put the principles to work and you will find your progress maximized.

As far as practice goes, it’s most important to have a daily procedure to follow:

1. Always keep a road map in front of you...

This can be in the form of books, videos and your own handwritten list of goals. This way you’ll always have a reference point of where you’ve been and where you’re heading. By assessing your accomplishments daily, you’ll find even more inspiration in knowing that you have measurable progress in your efforts. By keeping a list of what you hope to accomplish in the future, you’ll also always have something to aspire to ... giving purpose to your studies.

2. Keep a list of exercises and songs to practice daily.

This will reinforce what you’ve learned and will increase your dexterity to take on even more difficult pieces later.

3. Always bracket your time for practice...

If you can only afford 1/2 hour daily, thats better than not taking any time. Only make sure that you’re at the very least practicing daily! My former music teacher used to tell me as a young boy that if I missed one day of practice, the next day was just catchup practice. Do the math, 1 lost day = 2 lost days of progress. Miss 2 days = 4 lost days of progress.

4. Take your time with your progress.

Do not become frustrated when you find that you’re not progressing. What may seem like slow progress is in reality the period of time necessary to absorb a solid foundation. Great musicians are not born but made over thousands of hours of practice.

5. Always cross reference your previous lessons with your current lessons.

For example, make sure that you’re not finding yourself falling into poor posture and position habits. Go back to earlier points on proper positioning to ensure you’re on the right track.