As a musician, it is important to practice your instrument on a regular basis in order to see improvements. But sometimes our practicing is inefficient – we think that mindless playing through the music helps us learn it quickly. However, like most things in life, quality is better than quantity. (In other words, longer practice does not always equal better practice.) So, here are some practice tips for you to implement right now in order to learn your music faster.
1. Remove distractions.
Social media, technology, friends, cats, food – they all distract you when you practice. It’s so easy to pick up your phone when it chimes, but these things take your mind away from your music. Constantly “broken” practice results in distracted, half-hearted efforts to learn. And that is not effective or beneficial to your practicing.
So put your phone down. Or better yet, go put it in a different room. Turn off the TV. Ask your family or friends to leave you alone for the next 30 minutes. Prepare your environment so that you can have uninterrupted practice time. This helps you get into a groove where you are completely absorbed in your work, which in turn will help you learn your music much faster.
2. Listen to what you are practicing.
Something I’ve learned from my experience as both a piano student and a piano teacher is that often the performer (or student) hears the music differently than the audience (or the teacher). This is so important to realize. As you are practicing, your mind interprets the aural and physical feedback differently than what is actually going on.
Let me give you an example. Say you are practicing a piece that requires you to crescendo from pianissimo to fortissimo over the course of one measure. You believe you are indeed crescendoing, but your teacher tells you that the crescendo is not nearly as drastic as it should be. Because you see the dynamic marking in your music, and because you are trying to get louder, your brain tells you that you are doing fine. However, from the outside, it’s not quite right.
Again: your mind interprets the aural and physical feedback differently than what is actually going on. Unless you can train yourself to interpret the feedback differently. We do this by listening.
As you practice, remember that your mind can get in the way of your performance. Then, focus on listening to what you are playing. Ask yourself questions like, “Am I following these dynamics correctly?” “Can I play more rubato here?” or “Am I giving enough contrast between the staccatos and legatos?” This will help you understand your music better, which will – in turn – help you practice it better and learn it faster.
*For a bonus tip on how to more effectively listen to yourself as you practice, read here.
3. Think critically.
Be your own teacher. Are you having a problem with a specific measure in your music? Figure out how to solve the problem on your own. Don’t just wait until your next lesson. Thinking critically in your practice session will help you learn your music faster and prepare you for harder pieces in the future.
When I was studying piano in college, I often asked myself during my practicing, “What would my piano teacher tell me to do about this problem I’m having?” More often than not, I was able to think through the problem and fix the issue myself.
4. Focus on how it feels.
While I can’t speak for all musicians, I can say that many pianists don’t correctly implement proper technique in their playing. This goes beyond fast and fancy finger work, however. Technique for all musicians includes how the body works as a whole in order to play the instrument.
Do you want to practice more effectively? Notice how it physically feels to play. Notice your arms, shoulders, back, neck, legs, hands, wrists, head, everything. Even the smallest amount of tension in your body can hinder your progress. So focus on how it feels, and then release the tension. This will help you play better and learn your music faster.
5. Go in threes.
Stuck on a particular measure or phrase? Play through it slowly, get comfortable with it, and then play it three times in a row correctly, without a single mistake. If you mess up on try 2 or try 3, start over. After you can do that at a slow tempo, speed it up a little and play it again perfectly three consecutive times. Then speed it up some more and do it again. Once you can accurately play the section three times in a row without any mistakes, you are on your way to quick success.
So there you go – 5 practice tips you can start using right now to master your instrument. Find what works for you, try something new, and work hard! Click here for more practice tips, and stay tuned for even more ways you can become a better musician.
I always practice things 4 times- no idea why 😂
That’s great!😆