It is officially summer and that can mean the flexibility and freedom to work on aspects of your playing that you want to improve without the pressure of performances and tests. It can also mean that it’s more challenging to find the motivation to sit down and practice. Here are some ideas that you can try to help you reach your practice goals this summer.
Set Goals for the Week
A big part of finding the drive to work on something is knowing what you want to work on. This goal can be big or small, broad or detailed. The main point is to have something in mind to work towards. If you’ve always wanted to expand your range maybe choose a goal of consistently hitting one note higher than you usually do. If you’ve always struggled with rhythm you can choose a rhythm a day to work on. Your goal doesn’t have to be achievable within the week time frame but you might choose to break it down into manageable bits.
Set a Timer
Often I find the hardest part is just starting. You don’t have to practice for hours at a time to make a difference. Choose a time limit that feels easy to accomplish (maybe it’s 5 or 10 minutes), set a timer. If the timer goes off and you’re not feeling like you want to practice anymore that’s it for now. Often you’ll probably get into a groove and want to practice more and have a good time doing it.
Perfect is the Enemy of the Good
We’ve heard the old adage “Practice Makes Perfect” and yes, we are striving for perfection. However that can be very intimidating for some, to the point that they don’t want to try. Especially when we’re trying something new it can feel awkward and not sound great either, this is part of the process. Be patient with yourself and know that every step you take to improving is a step in the right direction.
Be Curious
Practicing something new can take time and sometimes you might not know where to start. I would suggest experimenting, what happens if I move my fingers like this? Am I hearing what I would like to hear? Ooo, that’s a cool sound, how did I get that sound? Even if you don’t get the effect you are working towards you might discover something else really cool to use in another piece! Curiosity can lead to discovery of a new technique, a new way of approaching your practice, and a new perspective.
Learn from Performances
There are a lot of resources out there where you can listen to amazing performers! Whether it’s a recording or a live performance an excellent way to stay motivated and inspired is listening to others. You can ask questions like: what do I like about this performance? What have others done differently? What would I do differently? How did they get that sound? A few important things to keep in mind when finding recordings: don’t just listen to the first recording you find; check for accuracy; remember that this recording is a tool and not a replacement for your own interpretation/music reading skills.
End with Something You Enjoy
Make your practice session fun and enjoyable. This might mean that you play a favourite song, a rhythm you enjoy or even listening to a recording that you really like. You want to tell your brain that this is an enjoyable activity, not a chore.
What’s something you might end a practice session with?