You've bought your dream instrument. You've signed up for lessons. You've found a teacher that you connect with and is very skilled in their craft...
... But yet, despite all of this. You just aren't getting anywhere.
"What am I doing wrong?" you wonder.
While it's true that a good teacher can teach you the theory and other techniques to help you advance quickly, none of that will do you any good if you don't have a good practice routine. More importantly, none of it will work if you don't practice properly.
So how do you get the most out of your practice sessions?
Here are 5 ways you can do so:
1. Set a reasonable time and schedule. Most students erroneously think that a lengthy 2 hour session crammed into their weekend is an effective way to practice. In actual truth, it's extremely detrimental and frustrating.
Rather set brief, daily sessions (usually anywhere between 10 - 20 minutes) within your busy schedule. Make the time! What's 10 minutes out of a 24 hour day?
2. Spend time having fun on your musical instrument. Yes, practice your work that your teacher gives you, but set aside time to do stuff you love as well.
Remember the main reason why you wanted to learn how to play music. I'm pretty sure your primary reason was to have fun, not get a fancy degree in music (not that there's anything wrong with that either). Keep it fun and take some time to play your favorite songs!
By keeping it fun, you avoid wasting valuable time when practicing the work your teacher gives you. If you have a separate time to have fun and another time to practice and learn, your practice sessions will be more balanced.
3. Avoid overpracticing. Yes. You read that correctly. OVERPRACTICING. If you thought not practicing was bad, overpracticing can be just as bad, if not worse.
We're not robots. Practicing too much will drain you mentally, meaning you won't be as focused on your playing. That in turn means you will make more mistakes, which means you will think you're not practicing enough. That in turn will make you want to practice even harder and so the vicious cycle continues.
Give yourself a break from music now and then. You will notice a significant difference in the quality of your playing during practice if you do so.
4. Speak to your teacher for some advice on how to make your practice sessions effective. Ask them how they practice. Your teacher has had to develop the art of practicing properly themselves, so they, or any other experienced musician that you're friends with, are in a perfect position to guide you.
5. Finally, if you find you're not progressing because you don't understand something, ask your teacher to explain the work to you a little more clearly. A clear explanation might be the much needed cure to taking your playing to the next level!
Practicing sessions don't have to be a headache. With a little effort, they can be a refreshing highlight of your day.
