Practicing: The Bane of the Musician's Existence

Imagine this: You wake up one morning and think to yourself, "Gee, I would love to be a talented football player, able to play in the big leagues and run 100 yards in 30 seconds," and then, suddenly, you could do it.

Smaller scale (and perhaps more related to what we're focused on here), a baby is born and is instantly able to speak and write perfect sentences, with appropriate phrasing and cadence, and be understood and perhaps even celebrated over his or her eloquence.

Unfortunately, this isn't the case. If it were, the world would be a very different place. NFL players would come a dime a dozen and every English teacher would lose their job if babies could just come out of the womb writing Shakespeare-level sonnets. NFL players start out with an oversized helmet, tripping over shoes laces on the field way before they even get onto the Varsity High School team, and even then it's a pretty tough journey of hard word and practice to even get on the practice squad of a college team. Babies speak a bunch of nonsense for the first year of their life, forming basic words they learn from their caregivers. By the time they enter kindergarten at five children are almost ready to start writing their name, maybe they're reading basic words. For the first 18 years of their life (and beyond, if they continue into university) they're taking language arts courses, practicing their skills, learning how to master the language.

Mastery of anything is achieved by practice. No third grader walks into their first day of violin lessons and can play a Mozart concerto.

Feeling lonely while you're practicing? Grab a friend! (via Nathan Pyle, Strange Planet)

Why Practice?

Practicing is an important to get into for any musician, novice or pro, regardless of how often you meet with your class or instructor. In class and lessons players learn new concepts and techniques and it's really important to build muscle memory. In order to do that you've got to (say it with me) practice.

Learning An Instrument Is Tough

There is no denying the difficulty that is learning an instrument. Your arms are doing different things, your brain is reading a new language, your fingers are moving one speed and in one direction while your other arm maneuvers a stick strung with horsehair. The moving fingers have to be in the right spots and the arm directing the stick has to be so well controlled in order to make the instrument sound beautiful, to tell the story, to give the music life. That's HARD. It can be frustrating to sit in class or rehearsal and not be able to get it down. It's easy to say to yourself, "Man I'm really bad at this instrument, maybe I should stop," or "Everyone else is so much better at this than me, I should just quit." But you shouldn't quit; in fact, you should do the very opposite: practice. Even with a few minutes of concentrated work a day, you'll improve lightyears beyond where you would have been without picking up your instrument.

Trying to practice in a small space? Practice mutes are a great way to keep the volume down

Practice Tips:

1. Practice with a friend. This way you can hear another part with yours, spot check each other, and you get to hang out with a friend!

2. Schedule a time to practice routinely. If you normally eat dinner around 7PM, for example, plan to practice for 20 minutes beforehand. Setting a routine for yourself will make it seem like less of a chore, and more of just a thing that's a part of your evening schedule.

3. Get an instrument stand (for violin/viola, or cello/bass) to set on the floor or hang on your stand. Getting the instrument out of the case is half the battle - just leave it out! (Safely, please!)

4. Is sound an issue? Maybe there's a baby or you live in a multifamily home or apartment complex. Check out these practice mutes! They dampen the sound so you can play without disturbing those around you.

5. Feeling unmotivated? Set a timer for ten minutes. Even if it's just a couple of scales. Maybe you'll find your motivation after a few minutes, maybe you won't, but practicing for ten minutes is better than nothing!

6. You don't have to practice exactly what we're doing in class. The internet is a glorious resource (with parent permission and guidance)! Google search for your favorite TV show theme song, new pop music hits, anything! You can also hit up your local music store (Music and Arts is right over in Newton Centre) to pick up song books. Maybe it's not exactly what we're doing in class, but you're still practicing various techniques and ideas that we've learned. Plus, you're getting to learn something you already like playing, and you can give a little concert for your family and friends.

It can be pretty tough to get started with routine practicing when you don't love the sounds you hear when you play by yourself, but the truth of it all is that you've got to start somewhere, and the sooner you start the faster the results will come.