Practice is an important part of learning any new skill and learning and instrument is no exception. Without it, we forget what we've learned in our lessons and can struggle to progress.
Practicing can be hard, and sometimes people can be unsure if they're doing it right. So, here are our top tips for practicing your instrument.
Tip 1: Slow and steady wins the race!
Although going fast can be more exciting, practicing things slowly means that we get all the elements of a piece exactly right. Even if we know something really well, it's always useful to practice it slowly so we can be confident everything is correct.
Tip 2: Start with the tricky bits
It's always a good idea to start your practice by going through the tricky bits. Often, we avoid these harder sections because struggling with something doesn't feel comfortable. However, if we start with these bits and practice them slowly, soon they'll be as easy as 1, 2, 3!
Tip 3: 3rd times the charm
For some reason, playing something three times through correctly seems to make it stick in our heads. When practicing a piece, or even just the tricky bits of one; play it three times through. But be careful! Playing it wrong even once can mean you learn it wrong, so make sure each time you play it absolutely right. If you've palyed it twice through right and once wrong - it's back to the start!
Tip 4: Make it a routine
Sometimes, the trickiest part of practice is getting started. If you turn it into a routine, like brushing your teeth or watching your favourite TV program, you might find that you've finished your practice before you realise you've started. Before you leave for school or as soon as you get home are great times to slot practice into your routine.
Tip 5: Little and often
Playing little and often is the best way to get the most our of your practice. Practicing for 5-10 minutes 3 times a week means you're training your brain and muscles to remember the movements, sounds and connections they need to make to play the instrument. This will also build up your stamina, so eventually you'll be able to play for longer - and better!
We hope our top 5 tips help you practice better - and more often! For more information on practice - check out our
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