The Importance of Practice
Who Practices?
- Professionals, students, and amateurs; in short, everyone.
- Practice involves coming to a clearer understanding of the instrument and how we physically interact with it to most efficiently ensure the desired musical result.
- Practice involves coming to a clearer understanding of a composer’s style and the music we’re playing, on both a practical and expressive level.
- Practice involves frequent (and correct) repetition, commitment, planning, tenacity, curiosity, attentiveness, critical thinking and listening, the will to take risks, patience, and the element of delayed gratification.
- Practice involves accepting mistakes will be made and seizing the opportunity to learn from them.
- At a time of day when we are alert and have the needed time and energy to devote to our work.
- Five or six days per week is a good place to start; when seven is possible this is ideal, but having an occasional day off does not hurt the learning process either. The music needs time to settle in our bodies and minds. We come back with a fresh perspective and renewed energy. Our minds are working on the music even when we do not realize it.
- The physical end of playing benefits most from daily practice, therefore maybe a busy day or day off might include a shortened session focusing on technique, but giving the music a break, or a pared down session focussed on small, piece-specific goals.
- On a good instrument and in a quiet, comfortable environment where one can focus, listen, concentrate, experiment, and think.
- We practice to improve our physical approach to the instrument and to refine our technique.
- We practice to deepen our understanding of a piece, composer, or genre.
- We practice to develop our listening skills, intellectual approach to learning or memorizing music, and to mature musically.
- We practice to secure accuracy to the best of our ability regarding basic things such as fingering, notes, rhythms, articulations, dynamics, pedaling, and tempi, but also to clearly communicate the character or emotional content of a piece.
- We practice to learn theoretical or musical concepts.
- We practice to enjoy and improve our ability to make music beautifully.
- With a clear conception in mind of what the music we are trying to make should sound like so that the correct approach can be taken to achieve the desired result.
- Consciously and critically aware of the music we’re making relative to what is on the printed page.
- At first, slowly. Always, carefully, accurately, efficiently, intelligently, with physical awareness, correct technique, and astute eyes and ears.
- Sometimes, maybe silently and away from the instrument.
- Progressively adding details as each successive one becomes secure, and only increasing the tempo as everything falls into place.
- Analyzing why a spot may be difficult or not meeting our expectations and taking an approach to fix the specific cause of the problem, rather than simply expecting time and repetition alone to take care of everything.
- Using a run-through as tool for assessment or preparation for a performance. Playing through a piece or section, either repeatedly or once, is not practicing.