Practice Strategies
This page contains different practice strategies you will learn and use throughout the year, and your musical career.
Say, Sing, Play (5x)
This is the primary practice strategy to use while practicing all pieces. Watch the video for details on how to use this method.
Say: the rhythms on rhythm syllables (ta's or numbers)
Sing: the note names of the piece
Play (5x): the piece on your instrument - repetition is key to success
Eyes Opened / Eyes Closed
EOEC is a warmup exercise to work on using proper technique while playing your instrument. First, do the technique with your eyes open, to make sure everything is working correctly. Second, repeat the exercise again, with your eyes closed, to make sure your muscles are performing the technique correctly. Use your ears to check, and fix any mistakes through feel, rather than with your eyes.
Using the Interactive Practice Studio
Setting up the IPS App
Using the IPS App
Puzzle Method
The puzzle method is a secondary practice method that you use when Say, Sing, Play (5x) doesn't work, or you have a particular section of a piece that you are really struggling with.
The Music Pyramid
Practicing advanced pieces of music can be difficult. Similar to the puzzle method, your brain needs to break down skills to learn and build the piece to a full performance. To get a piece of music to being performance ready, start at the bottom of the pyramid. The bottom is the foundation and the most important part of the piece. Once you've successfully learned the Notes and Rhythms, start building upwards.