I found this- just the title- in my drafts. I'm not sure where I was headed with it, but it really is the answer to so many things, in music and otherwise. If you want to get better, if you feel like you've lost motivation, if the music just isn't making sense to you- the answer is probably: practice.
But repetition does not guarantee improvement. To quote flutist Marcel Moyse, "It is a question of time, patience, and intelligent work". I think most of us understand we will need patience when learning a musical instrument- though patience comes harder to some of us than others. But intelligent work is a concept we can get a lot of leverage out of. Not only in music, but that is another topic. The importance of intelligent work was brought home to me one day long ago when I overheard a young music student "practice" the violin for a half hour. Most of the time was spent taking the instrument out, tuning, getting the music ready...and then playing each song with mistakes, one time. The child fumbled through the hard parts, and at the end played her favorite song (the one she already played well) several times. Hmm. I learned something. I learned that we need to "let" (encourage) kids to play their favorite pieces for enjoyment after they are mastered. But I also learned there is a lot that can be learned about practicing intelligently. Which is why if you've ever innocently asked me how much time your child should practice, I will give a squishy answer. (If now you are curious what my answer is, days per week is more important than time per day- and at the beginning if you want to measure something, you can measure repetitions, despite what I just said about repetition not guaranteeing improvement.) If you want to practice efficiently, the #1 "hack" or easiest/laziest/most efficient way to improve is to LISTEN. Listen do as many different versions of the piece you are learning as you can. Look at the music while listening, listen with your eyes closed, listen and finger along on your instrument. Try recording yourself and listening back. My #2 recommendation is to find the parts that need extra practice. I know it's more fun to play the whole piece. Play it once all the way through at the end. But before that, focus on the bits that need smoothing out, or speeding up, or just some extra work. Ask your teacher to help you find these spots. Usually you'll know where most of them are already, but you may not notice if you're missing a rhythm or slowing a tempo- that's where a teacher's guidance comes in. My #3 recommendation is chunking. I gave a presentation about this at Flute Boot Camp, and then we all tried it out in practice sessions. It involves spending just a couple of focused minutes on one small and specific thing, then moving onto the next one. Think of it like a circuit or HIIT workout for music practice. Once you are finished practicing several small things, you start with the first thing again, and the switching keeps your mind engaged and not fatigued or distracted- and thus, your practice is more efficient. Do this again a half a day or a full day later and your brain makes connections and remembers the correct and improved way you practiced. And one more recommendation- if you study with me you've heard it way too many times. Change something up. This ties in with the last tip. If you change something your brain is more likely to stay focused and not wander on to what is for dinner or what homework you need to do afterward. Things you can change: articulation, touch, dynamics, body position, audience, tempo, backing beats. Be creative! I hope that sparked a desire to make your next practice session more efficient by using the principle of intelligent work. Happy practicing!
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AuthorHi! My name is Mariya, and I teach flute and piano lessons in Redmond, WA and online. Here I share thoughts about learning music and helping others learn how to play an instrument. Archives
December 2023
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