Top Ten Practice Tips! - Part 1

We all want to be the best musicians we can. But how do we do this? How do we know that we aren’t spinning our wheels, only to get nowhere? There are many opinions about practice habits out there, so I wanted to compile the best practice tips into one place. I have found from many years of experience that these tips here are vital to your trajectory as a musician. Practicing your instrument(s) shouldn’t be difficult, and these pointers will help you grow musically, if implemented. Let’s dive in.

1.) Keep your instrument handy.

Out of sight, out of mind. If your keyboard is in it’s case, in a closet, in a room that you rarely go into, then chances are you are not going to practice your instrument enough. When I was a teen first learning my scales, I kept my guitar out in my living room on the very seat I would sit on. Every time I went to watch a little TV, I would see it sitting there and I would be forced to pick it up. Suddenly TV time was productive, because I was running up and down scales, building dexterity as I “vegged”. However, you don’t even need to do that! Just pick it up whenever you pass by it on your way to do other things. 2 minutes here, 2 minutes there. This strategy goes a long way. (Vocalists have this one easy!)

2.) Practice Everyday.

You’ve heard this said before. The word “Everyday” can seem daunting. Yet studies have shown that this is pretty much a given if you want to improve. Contrary to popular online beliefs (you know the gurus who say you can get better without practice lol), there’s no way around this one. Sure, we have the occasional equivalent of a “cheat day” where you take a day off. Not every day will we make it to our practice time. But setting the goal changes the mindset, and you are likely to practice more - especially if you have implemented tip #1 above! Also, did you know that studies show it is better to practice a little everyday (say 5-10 min), then it is to practice for hours on just one day? So, don’t be scared of the word “Everyday”, it only means to practice, even if not for a very long time, not to practice 8 hrs per day.

3.) Admit/Identify/Overcome.

What do we mean by this? Well, like with everything in life, if you have a problem that is not getting fixed, you must first admit to it and identify that area that is problematic. In music, it could be your rhythm, or the unclarity of your strings due to poor finger form, or it could be that one pesky measure that throws off the rest of the song. Whatever it is, don’t gloss over it or pretend that nothing is wrong. This will help you identify what needs to be targeted. Then, you can hyper-focus on that area. Did you know that no musician is perfect? *Gasps* We all eventually hit something that gives us trouble. Just be honest with yourself and then you’ll be able to eventually overcome it! Don’t let the phrase “practice time” become synonymous with dread and/or discouragement. Admit & identify so you can overcome. There’s nothing better than that feeling of when something clicks and you finally have it!

4.) Slow it down & break it down.

These two things combined will probably solve 99% of any troubles you have with learning a passage of music. When I have a student arrive to my class concerned that they just aren’t getting anywhere with a piece of music, I immediately say two things: stop playing through the entire song, & stop rushing. Break down the song into smaller chunks. Inch by inch, it’s a cinch! You’ve probably also heard it said that you don’t eat an entire elephant at once. It’s one bite at time. Take the first measure, and put it on repeat. Play it enough times to where you can play it without looking or thinking about it. Then add the next measure. Play those two over and over and over and over and, well, you get the idea. Depending on the type of music you are learning, measures may not be the way to go, but maybe a whole section, a verse, or chorus, or a transition from one of those to the next part. In any case, there is no fire, so do not rush! There is no obligation to play something up to tempo when you are first learning it. Like they say in my kid’s martial arts class, “Slow is smooth, and smooth is fast.” Same goes for music.

5.) Use a metronome (or play-through track).

I’m weird. I love to use a metronome. However, not everyone considers the metronome their friend. It takes some getting used to, and at first seems more like a nuisance that can drive someone crazy! To utilize a metronome to increase the benefits of your practice time, you may have to first practice learning how to use a metronome properly. It’ll be worth it in the end. If a song is like a train, the click of the train-tracks is the tempo and heart beat of the song that keeps it rolling. Without a heart beat, the song dies. With an uneven heart beat, the song is less pleasing to the ear. That’s because our brains get gratification from hearing and playing directly on an even beat. Once that is set up within the song, then some (intentional) give and take with the tempo is satisfying to our ear, such as a ritardando. Pursuit is the proof of desire, and if you want “git good”, then prove it by at least challenging yourself to practice playing along with the metronome. You may get a little off from the click, but that teaches your ear to pay attention. You’ll learn how to play on the beat with whatever instrument you have, regardless of it’s action and craftsmanship. Start with a really slow BPM (beats per minute), then each day bump it up a few BPM as you get more comfortable with the passage. If you just can’t hang with the metronome, a play-through track (where you can control the tempo of the track) is a good alternative. These learning materials can be found in Hal Leonard products, on Ultimate Guitar Tab, Faber products, Multitracks, etc. You can even slow down YouTube tutorials while you’re first learning.

I hope these first 5 tips help you take your playing to the next level!

Keep an eye out for Part 2 of my “Top Ten Practice Tips!” (Coming Soon)

P.S. - One main way to get your kiddo to practice more, is having them attend music classes in a group setting! They are more inspired (and friendly competition gets ignited) as they learn, grow, and perform together. This is one of my main points in my article, “Why Group Classes?”. So be sure to check that out!

Also, if you’re looking for the perfect music class for your kiddo? We’ve got you covered with our Rapid Rock Band class! Sign up today and try it for FREE!