Becoming a better musician isn’t just about talent. Regular practice is essential for development and improvement. You can be the most musically talented person in the world, but without regular practice, you will not improve. Here are some suggestions for daily practice.
Regular Practice is Best Practicing 20 minutes every day, is better than practicing for 3 hours once a week. Start with something simple like 5 minutes of scales first. Work on playing slowly and accurately first, with good technique. Speed can always be developed later. Then choose a passage of music you want to work on. You don’t need to play an entire piece every day. It is better to focus on a small section of music, and focus on improving just that section.
Create a Routine Find a time of day that works well for you, and stick to it. It could be right after homework or just before dinner. Making it a regular part of your day, will help you maintain a good rhythm of practice every day. It helps your mind and body know that it is practice time.
Quality First Whether you are working on a scale or a tricky part of a new piece, playing slowly with good technique, is most important. Don’t worry about speed at first. Help your mind and body learn how to play a section accurately and beautifully first, and then you can increase speed later. If you play sloppy early on, it is very difficult to correct later.
Mix It Up Repetition is important, but variety can help keep things fun. If progress for one section is slow, try playing another section or another piece entirely. Sometimes a little time away will actually help you improve. Try playing nice sounding simple pieces for fun, and work on making those sound as nice as possible. Playing music should be enjoyable, and a little variety can help.
Celebrate Progress
Improvement can happen in spurts. Keep track of your practice in a notebook, like “Improve playing the G major scale” and check it off when you succeed. Seeing your progress on paper helps you see that your effort adds up over time. Growth can be slow at times, but you will improve with regular daily practice.
