Top Ten Practice Tips! - Pt. 2

As a musician, are you discouraged when it comes to practicing? It can be frustrating putting time and effort into a musical passage only to be let down by the fact that it’s just not clicking for you. The next five practice tips vary from practical to philosophical. When implemented, your return investment from your practice time will increase. Combined with the previous five tips from Part 1, you’ll have a solid foundation when it comes to your practice approach. Let’s get to it!

6.) Stay confident & positive!

This is an important one. Remember, when you practice you are creating new neural pathways within your brain. It takes time. Do not be hard on yourself for not executing that guitar riff or drum fill perfectly the first time! It’s ok to fail and try again. You will eventually get it, you just have to not give up. Years back when I was really into a particular metal band, I would try day after day to play the riffs from their album’s TAB book. Some took me weeks to get down pat, others took months. I stayed confident in the fact that I knew I could and would be able to play those licks. I’ve also seen countless students have breakthroughs because they persevered and kept at it! When you’re first starting out, it might be a little tricky at first to get that full triad chord on the keys, or a clear sounding F chord on the guitar. Practice isn’t always easy, and what is difficult to play for one particular person might be easy for someone else. You can’t compare yourself to others without being discouraged, so don’t! Keep your head in the game. You’ve got this!

7.) Practice without your instrument.

The great thing about being a vocalist is that you always have your instrument on you, but not everyone is so lucky! This might seem like a weird one, but stay with me! Life is sometimes busy, and we are on-the-go more often than not. It’s just not practical to always have your instrument on you, although there are many travel-sized keyboards and guitars on the market these days. Try the following instrument-free strategies to implement practice time on your lunch break at work. First, listen to the song you are learning. Active listening while looking at the TAB, lead sheet, or notated staff helps your brain make connections it otherwise wouldn’t have made. Next, imagine yourself playing the song. This mental practice is proven to improve skill, and help you memorize the music quickly. Visualization works wonders. Lastly, bring out the “air guitar”! (Or whichever instrument you’re learning.) If you’re a drummer, picture the set around you and play along to the song in your headphones. You can even play along to the music in your head! Some guitarists use their arm to put chord shapes on, switching between the shapes, imagining that their arm is the neck of the guitar. If you’re a keyboard player, any flat surface can be utilized for finger exercise or can easily be turned into an imaginary keyboard to practice on.

8.) Record yourself and listen back.

This one has always been huge for me! Everyone remembers what it’s like to hear your own voice or performance on a recording. “That doesn’t sound like me!” is a typical reaction. That’s because when you play a riff, your mind is focused on the execution of the riff as well as the musicality. When you listen back, your brain power is now freed up to focus on the sound without the burden of having to execute the lick technically on the instrument. What inevitably happens is that the performer listening back is able to detect parts that they previously perceived differently while performing. I’ve seen this in my students. Some are shocked at how bad they sounded on a play-back track when they thought they were giving a great take. They learn from their play-back, and adjust what they need to. Some have the opposite effect, where they thought they were awful, but were surprised that they actually sounded quite good, which boosted their confidence. Either way, it’s beneficial to listen back.

9.) Take breaks.

Is your practice time not producing the results you want? Take a break. This one is often overlooked, and is more for those musicians out there with a passion. I can’t tell you how many times I wasn’t getting a difficult passage in the music, but then I’d take a break, come back to it later, and all of sudden I can magically play the passage. Taking practice breaks have been proven to give your brain time to process what you are trying to do. It continues to create those new neural pathways even after your last practice session. Taking breaks also has proven to make practice not as daunting, is beneficial for your motor skills, and prevents any risk of overusing/straining your hands. Breaks also help remind you to take care of your body. Eat, hydrate, use gentle finger stretching exercises, breathe, relax, get your conscious mind off the music, then return.

10.) Reward yourself & have fun!

When you’ve accomplished something, it’s always a good idea to take a moment to celebrate your win. Even if the win seems small. Maybe that chord on the uke is finally sounding clear, maybe you listened back to your performance and noticed that your tempo didn’t fluctuate. Whatever it is, reward yourself by celebrating. You can even make a deal with yourself before your practice time. “If I do so and so, I’ll allow myself a chocolate…” Whatever motivates you and keeps you having fun. Practice shouldn’t be drudgery, and now that you’re starting to implement these tips, your fun will increase with your productive practice sessions!

I hope you’ve enjoyed all 10 of these practice tips! Don’t just read them and forget them. Implement them!

If you missed part 1 of this article, check out the first five tips here.

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!