. . . is getting out your instrument! For most people, once they have their instrument out, practicing is easy. It's getting that instrument out. So set aside a time that works for you, that you will play every day. Maybe it's before or after dinner, immediately after you get home from school, first thing in the morning. If you have chores you have to do daily, maybe play after you're done with your chores. But this is a great daily habit to build!
Once you get your instrument out, reward yourself for it. Play something fun, that you enjoy playing, before working on the hard stuff. Not only is it a good warm up for you, but it will make it easier to get your instrument out the next day. Then, buckle down to the hard stuff. Scales, etudes, shifting and double stop exercises, and sight reading are often the hardest to get done because they challenge our brain and our patience. Next, pick apart the hard parts of your current solo and orchestra pieces.
Finally, reward yourself for getting all the hard stuff done by having fun! Play through your solo or orchestra parts, review old pieces that are easy and fun to play, and most importantly, play music you enjoy. That's why we all play music - for fun. All the hard stuff we work on makes us better players, which in turn makes music more enjoyable for us, but in the end, it's about enjoying your music. So whatever kind of music you like best, make sure to play some of that on a regular basis.
Happy Practicing!
No comments:
Post a Comment