How to Practice Music Efficiently

There are many ways to practice music. Here's some things I've learnt in twenty years as a professional musician to help you make the most of your practice time.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Sheet Music (several copies)
• Instrument
• Pencil and Eraser
• Uninterrupted Practice Time
• Timer
• Tape Recorder or Video Camera (optional)

1. Eliminate all distractions. Before you begin practicing, take a bathroom break, get a snack and a glass of water, turn off your phone, and inform family members not to disturb you. Get everything you need together: pencils, instrument, accessories, notebook, so that you don't have to interrupt your session. Set your timer for a few minutes before the end of the practice session so that you can take time to wrap up.

2. Take a few deep breaths and clear your mind. Relax as much as possible, because relaxation is one of the major steps to good performing.

3. Set a goal for your practice session. This could be working out fingering or bowing in a passage, or getting your breath marks correct, or working a passage up to tempo, or learning new material.

4. Pull out your music. Begin at the very end of the piece. Work on the last few measures of the piece as slowly as necessary to play or sing it perfectly. If you have any difficulty, write yourself a note. With your metronome, once you've perfected the playing, (including phrasing, dynamics, expression, etc.) slowly work it up to tempo by advancing the metronome a click or two at a time.

5. Now go back through the piece a few more measures. Again, start as slowly as necessary, make notes to yourself, and work your way through to the very end of the piece, including the material you've already learned. With the metronome, work the part you're working on through the end of the piece up to tempo. (So if you started with measures 120-124 in step 4, then did measures 116-120 in this step, each time you play you will be playing from measures 116-124, practicing again what you've already perfected.)

6. When your time is up, take a minute to evaluate your session. Were there distractions? Did you have difficulties concentrating? Did you accomplish your goal? Write down anything that helped or hurt your practice.

7. Before your next practice session, review your notes. What can you do to improve your environment? Do you need questions answered or have to look up information before you can continue? Make these changes before the start of your next practice session.

Tips & Warnings

• Practicing from the end may seem counter-intuitive, but there are two very good reasons to do it this way. First, it draws on a learning method called "chaining" which has proven in studies to be an extremely effective way to learn. Second, when you get out in public and actually perform, there's a huge difference. Most people start at the beginning and as they play through a piece, they're confronted with material they've practiced less and less. This way, you start out with the most unfamiliar material first, and once you get through the first few measures, the material becomes easier and more familiar the further into the piece to play, and your confidence level increases the further you get through the piece.

Resources

• Benefits of Music Lessons

[moltomusic]

on 11/18/2009 Great ideas in your article! Steps 1, 2, 6, and 7 are especially helpful and are seldom discussed in other articles on practicing music. Preparation and followup both make the actual playing easier and more focused. Thank you for this article.

[keytothestars]

on 4/26/2009 Great method