Set aside a specific time and place to practice.
Practice in a room without distractions such as TV, video games, etc.
Practice for short periods of time (10-30 minutes) rather than 90 minutes in one day.
Perform for family members on a regular basis.
Say - Finger - Play
This strategy can help a musician learn a difficult section of music.
First, say the name of the notes you are trying to play. Repeat until all hesitation is gone.
Next, finger the notes on the instrument while saying the name of the note . Repeat until all hesitation is gone.
Finally, play the instrument. You should be able to perform the section better! If not, repeat steps one and two.
This strategy breaks down the many steps a musician must go through to play an instrument.
Use a METRONOME to keep a steady tempo as you practice.
Flash Cards
On one side of an index card, write the name of a note you have learned.
On the other side of the card, draw the musical staff (5 lines), the clef for your instrument (treble, alto, or bass clef), and the note named on the opposite side of the card.
Repeat these steps until you have a stack of cards for every note you have learned on your instrument.
Try the following activities with the flash cards:
A family member can hold up the note side of a flash card and have the student call out the name of the note. Begin by giving a certain amount of seconds to answer. Decrease the amount of time as they get faster at answering.
A family member can hold up the letter side of a flash card and have the student play the note. Again, begin by giving a certain amount of seconds to answer. Decrease the amount of time as they get faster at answering.
The student can also do these activities without a family member by picking a card, answering the question, and turning over the card to see if their answer is correct.