Here are just a few tips and tricks to make practicing easier.
As more ideas come to mind, I will add them here!
Learning Steps - Use these steps when learning a new piece for the very first time.
Start Small (only play one or two measures at a time to make sure you are playing them correctly)
Point & Sing (Point to the notes and sing the note names)
Air Fingers & Sing (Hold up the finger numbers and sing the note names)
Pizzicato & Sing (pluck the notes)
Arco (bow the notes)
"Chunk it!" - Break down the tricky parts of the music into tiny chunks. Then, combine those tiny chunks...until you have the full piece! :)
"Move it!" - If you know that the notes sound wrong...don't sit back and accept your fate!! Try moving your left hand fingers either towards the scroll or the bridge.
Moving your finger towards the bridge makes the pitch higher.
Moving your finger towards the scroll makes the pitch lower.
Slow and Steady - Practice slowly! Give your brain a chance to process the information from the music in front of you, and give it time to tell your body to make the necessary physical movements. Once you can play it slowly, you can start gradually bumping up the tempo.
Sing - Sing the piece you are learning. Reminding yourself of what the piece should sound like will help you learn it faster!
Listen - Listen to recordings of the piece you are learning. Knowing what the piece should sound like will help you learn it faster!
Patience and Perseverance - If you get frustrated, take a break and come back to it later with a fresh mindset. Sometimes our own frustration can get in our own way.
Try to practice on the same day as your lesson - Reviewing what we covered in your lesson right away will help your brain retain that knowledge! The sooner, the better :)