Practice Tips

Helpful Suggestions

1. Set up a designated place to practice in your house.

A room with a door works well for practicing, both for sound-dampening reasons, and for getting rid of distractions while practicing. It’s best if a student has a music stand to use to insure proper posture and playing position. Folding music stands are available at local music stores.

2. Try to spread out your practice sessions.

Practice expectations vary between grades (you can find what's expected of you in your Orchestra Handbook). It’s up to you when you get your practicing done, but it’s more effective (and less painful) to spread out the time. You will learn more and be a better player if you practice for 20 minutes on different days each week, than if you cram in two hours on a single night.

3. Make sure you’re always using correct posture when practicing.

Sit or stand up tall, hold the instrument up correctly, and maintain a good bow hold ALWAYS! You’ve heard the phrase “Practice makes perfect,” right? Well, that's not quite true. The truth is that “Practice makes permanent.” If you always practice with bad posture, then you won’t be able to play with good posture, and your musical potential will suffer.

4. Don’t just play straight through the music.

It’s ok to play through each piece once or twice when you practice, but your main job is to break down the music into smaller parts. Think about which sections we’ve been working on in class, and work on being able to play those sections perfectly.

You should be practicing the challenging spots more than the easy spots. This is the only way to improve, and be a better orchestra team member. The best plan is to break down the music into smaller, more manageable ‘chunks’ to practice over and over, until they’re perfect.

Once you can play one chunk perfectly, work on another small chunk. Then, start to put the chunks together.

Keep in mind that faster isn’t always better. It’s best to start slowly, in order to make sure every single note is accurate and perfect. When you can play something perfectly at a slow tempo, then you can start to speed it up.

Using a metronome is a great way to keep a steady tempo (you can find a free, online metronome on the Useful Links page).

There are more ideas listed below.

5. Figure out ways to make your notes sound even better.

Are there any markings in the music you should be paying attention to? Be a good detective and find all of the dynamics, bow lifts, slurs, low or high fingerings, accidentals, tempo markings, etc. in your music. Also remind yourself about things that should be happening that aren’t written on the page such as vibrato, playing in tune, and keeping a steady tempo.

6. You can play other music, too!

If your school music is going well, feel free to spend some of your practice minutes playing other music. If you take private lessons, play in a youth orchestra, or play at church, you’ll want to make sure you keep practicing that music too. Practicing scales and etudes are also a great way to improve your technique.

If you’d like extra music to play, there are MANY books for violin/viola/cello/bass available online or at local music stores. Many students really enjoy having books that include movie themes, fiddle tunes, praise songs, Disney music, etc.

7. Have fun!

Find ways to make practicing more exciting and enjoyable for you! If there’s a recording available of your music, play along to the CD or online sound file. Get together with friends and play music with each other. When you’re ready, give informal “concerts” to your family and friends, to show off what you can do. Make sure you’re enjoying being a musician, since you’ve worked so hard to have these skills on your instrument! That’s what making music is all about!

MORE IDEAS

BEFORE You Practice:

1. Find an isolated, quiet place to practice (where you won’t be distracted).

2. Get all of your equipment and materials ready.

3. Remember, frequent short practice sessions are better than fewer long sessions.

4. The amount of time practiced isn’t as important as the quality of how you practice.

DURING Practice:

1. Slow the tempo down to give you more time to think and play accurately.

2. Sing, hum or clap through the music.

3. Don’t just play through the whole passage every time, break it down into smaller parts (e.g., 1-2 measures).

4. Repeat at least 3 times for consistency.

5. Finger, or bow in the air, your way through a passage.

6. Count the rhythm out loud (or write it under the notes).

7. Write in the correct fingerings, note names, or bowings.

8. Practice with a friend.

ADVANCED Ideas:

1. Isolate the pitches (make everything a quarter note and play the pitches as they come).

2. Isolate the rhythm (play just the rhythm on a single pitch).

3. Play one measure at a time, then play the measures together.

4. Add-A-Measure: Play one measure, then play two measures, then three and so forth.

5. Add-A-Note: For really hard passages, play one note, then play two notes, etc.

6. Reverse It: Start from the end of the passage and work your way forwards one measure at a time.

7. Play and master the scale(s) that go with the passage (you can also play a tough rhythm on each note of the scale to help with a problem rhythm).

8. Subdivide tough rhythms (break a rhythm down into its most basic rhythmic value).

9. Practice with a metronome to help steady the beat.

10. Practice with a tuner (e.g., if you are having trouble getting a specific note in tune, let the tuner play that note as you practice the whole passage).

11. Find a recording to listen to and follow your part (YouTube is a great resource).