Practice Tips

PRACTICE TIPS

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Read through these helpful practice tips to help make practicing more efficient, beneficial, and fun!

Remember, learning to play an instrument is like learning any new skill—it takes patience, persistence, and lots of encouragement.

"Practice only on days you eat!" -Anonymous 🎶

1. Schedule a short specific amount of time to practice every day. Try practicing right before or after you do your homework!

2. Always try to practice a little bit every day. Shorter, more frequent practice sessions (10-15 minutes daily) are much better than long ones only a couple of times a week.

3. Practice the tricky spots first. The more you play them, the easier they will become. If there’s a part of the song that’s hard, don’t start over from the beginning every time. Just practice that small part a few times until it feels easier. Then try playing the whole song again.

4. Don't always start at the beginning of a song. Try starting the song in the middle or at the very end to mix it up!

5. Perform for your family, friends, or pets! This will help you feel more comfortable when playing in class with large or small groups.

6. Slow and steady wins the race! Practice SLOWLY until you have the notes and rhythms right. Once it feels easy, you can start playing it faster. 

7. Practice with goals in mind. Starting at the beginning of the piece and playing through to the end each time you practice is NOT an effective use of your time. You are merely practicing mistakes. 

8. Get inspired! Watch videos of professional musicians playing the same instrument as you or attend a concert (Middle School, High School, professional) to see the musician you can potentially grow into!

9. Use a "Metronome/Tuner" App or purchase one at the music store to help you play at a steady beat and stay in-tune during your practicing. Please see the tuning section for recommendations for tuners.

   Metronome: https://www.metronomeonline.com/

🎶 Have fun practicing! 🎶