Practice Tips
A collection of articles, tips, and information for students of all ages! Click on the Practice Tips link above or the categories button on the right.
Where do I start?
Have an instrument in good playing condition. Talk to your teacher if there is a problem.
Take you instrument home.
Open the case.
Sometimes just hanging out with your instrument is a good thing – watch tv and hold / play around with it.
Start small and take baby steps – go for 1 minute!! Really!
Hold your bow without the instrument and do bowing exercises.
What counts as practice?
If your brain is involved it’s practice. Writing in counting, air bowing, clapping, finger exercises – even without sound it counts as practice!
Remember – the most difficult part of practicing is opening your case!
_______________________________
Advance Tips
Record yourself often – both audio and video. I recommend the Tascam DR-1 and Kodak ZX1.
_______________
You must involve your brain!
Know your outcome.
See the result.
Visualize.
Plan. Pre-plan. Plan some more.
Don’t be a robot.
Look into it.
Enjoy it.
Change something.
Evaluate.
Think about it. Really think. Change. Make it real. Make it happen. Choreograph it.
With thoughtful though in play, TAKE ACTION!
Just do it!
I’ve also discovered that sometimes fixing something just involves doing it. Just doing it or fixing it. This is not to discount the need for repetition. We learn by repetition and rote. However, blind and mindless repetition is useless.
I always thought the hardest part of practicing at a young age was
being yelled at for not practicing. Sort of a combination of Al Pacino and The Wrath of Khan. ehh.
Wrath of Khan is a favorite of mine!!!! KHAAAAAANNNNNNN!!!!! ok now go practice your melodic minors….
What’s a melodic minor?
Hey, the link to the practice flow chart page is dead. Wanna try again? Thanks!
Thank you for letting me know! It should be good now.
Great flowchart! It teaches the students the steps for efficient and effective practicing in an easy to follow format. This will be a great addition to my teaching tools.
Thank you!