A lot of students start with a bang and then fizzle out after a month or so, and they think it’s a matter of discipline. Most of the time, it has more to do with having the wrong idea of what practice should feel like. Sure, you might make a lot of progress in a long practice session, but you won’t be able to keep that up. What’s more important is that you practice every day, not that you practice for a really long time every few days. If you make practice a small, daily event, you’ll make progress without even realizing it.
It’s also important to have a clear idea of what you want to accomplish before you start practicing. If you don’t, you’ll probably just end up playing through your music a few times without really improving anything, and you might even be ingraining some bad habits. If you decide that you want to accomplish one or two specific things, like finally getting that one section right or playing with better tone, you’ll have a clear idea of what you’re aiming for and you’ll know when you’ve succeeded. This will help you stay focused and avoid the frustration of practicing for a while without getting anything done. Having small successes will also help motivate you to practice instead of doing something else.
Another key element of useful practice is that you need to stay focused on what you’re doing. You won’t get much out of mindless practicing while you watch TV, even if you practice for hours. If you consciously work on improving something specific, you’ll retain the information much better. It’s better to practice for shorter amounts of time and really concentrate than it is to practice for a long time while you do other things. This is especially true in today’s society, where we’re constantly distracted by our computers, phones, and iPads.
Practice isn’t the only step in the learning process- rest is also important. It’s when we’re resting that our brains process what we practiced and store it away for later use. If instead of resting we push ourselves to practice even more, we won’t get as much out of our practicing, and we might even start to develop bad habits. In addition to that, we might get frustrated. So take a break and come back to your music later. Not only will you feel better and retain the information better, but you’ll also avoid decreased ability to play your instrument when you’re tired. In the long run, alternating rest and practice will help keep you from getting burned out and giving up.
Finally, remember that the goal of your practice routine should be to enjoy practicing and appreciate the small improvements you make each day. This attitude will help you stick with your routine instead of getting discouraged and avoiding practice. Acknowledge your small successes and don’t worry if it takes you a long time to improve- if you stick with your routine you will get there eventually. Eventually, you will find yourself practicing every day without even really thinking about it, and then you will really start to feel yourself improve. The best musicians are rarely the ones who practiced the most in one day, but the ones who practiced a little bit every day for years.
