Get Practising
Read some top tips for successful practising and progress
Print off a practise chart
Can Do, Can't Do practice page
Taking care of your instrument
Read some top tips for successful practising and progress
Print off a practise chart
Can Do, Can't Do practice page
Taking care of your instrument
The
most important factor in becoming a successful musician is a good
practise routine. Try to get into the habit of playing every day, right
from your first week as a musician. Most people find that playing at
the same time every day helps them to remember to do it.
Are you an "early bird"? Try playing before school every morning.
Are you more energetic later in the day? Try practising when you get home from school.
A musician needs to build up what is known as "muscular memory". This is when your fingers can respond with lightning speed! You also need to train your brain and build up your "speed reading" of music. Your teacher cannot turn you into a musician in one lesson a week- they can only show you how to do that for yourself!
Print off the Practise record sheet so you can see how you're doing.
Once you have a regular practise routine music will become good fun very quickly.
Tips for a successful practise session
1. Read your practise book! What should you be practising this week? What do you want to achieve today? It's better to master 2 bars in one practise session than to play your piece through several times reinforcing mistakes.
2. Warm up. Look at the warm ups in your practise book or make up some of your own. Try playing a tune you know "by ear" (without any music). Try making up a tune, thinking about correct posture and technique and making a nice sound as you do.
3. Practise slowly, learn quickly. Many wise people have said this. Your brain is making pathways as you practise so it is better to play something slowly and correctly than make a pathway you don't want in your brain! You will find it easy to speed up your playing once you can play something slowly.
4. Small sections. Aim to get one small section right in one practise session, then join up the sections you can play. Remember; you are building up your muscular memory. Think about what you did in your lesson. What would your teacher say to help?
5. Avoid always starting from the beginning Your brain will only know what you have taught it! It is useful to be able to start from any point. Try starting from the last 2 bars and working backwards, adding bars and playing to the end. Go over any bits that can't keep going. Try playing with a Metronome to see if you're maintaining your Tempo (speed).
6. Once you can play your piece without mistakes / without stopping or hesitations / slowing down or speeding up Try making up a story to fit with your piece- if it were the music to go with a scene in a Film what would be happening on the screen? Listen to what you are doing- imagine you are your own audience.
7. Do a Grand Performance to an imaginary audience! Or ask people you live with to be your audience (remember to smile and take a bow at the end, even if your weren't happy with your performance). Or record yourself and listen to it.
HAPPY PRACTISING!
One Man's experience of the effort required to learn an instrument. Especially interesting when you consider he must have previously acheived around Grade 7 or 8 standard on bassoon. Click here
Are you an "early bird"? Try playing before school every morning.
Are you more energetic later in the day? Try practising when you get home from school.
A musician needs to build up what is known as "muscular memory". This is when your fingers can respond with lightning speed! You also need to train your brain and build up your "speed reading" of music. Your teacher cannot turn you into a musician in one lesson a week- they can only show you how to do that for yourself!
Print off the Practise record sheet so you can see how you're doing.
Once you have a regular practise routine music will become good fun very quickly.
Tips for a successful practise session
1. Read your practise book! What should you be practising this week? What do you want to achieve today? It's better to master 2 bars in one practise session than to play your piece through several times reinforcing mistakes.
2. Warm up. Look at the warm ups in your practise book or make up some of your own. Try playing a tune you know "by ear" (without any music). Try making up a tune, thinking about correct posture and technique and making a nice sound as you do.
3. Practise slowly, learn quickly. Many wise people have said this. Your brain is making pathways as you practise so it is better to play something slowly and correctly than make a pathway you don't want in your brain! You will find it easy to speed up your playing once you can play something slowly.
4. Small sections. Aim to get one small section right in one practise session, then join up the sections you can play. Remember; you are building up your muscular memory. Think about what you did in your lesson. What would your teacher say to help?
5. Avoid always starting from the beginning Your brain will only know what you have taught it! It is useful to be able to start from any point. Try starting from the last 2 bars and working backwards, adding bars and playing to the end. Go over any bits that can't keep going. Try playing with a Metronome to see if you're maintaining your Tempo (speed).
6. Once you can play your piece without mistakes / without stopping or hesitations / slowing down or speeding up Try making up a story to fit with your piece- if it were the music to go with a scene in a Film what would be happening on the screen? Listen to what you are doing- imagine you are your own audience.
7. Do a Grand Performance to an imaginary audience! Or ask people you live with to be your audience (remember to smile and take a bow at the end, even if your weren't happy with your performance). Or record yourself and listen to it.
HAPPY PRACTISING!
One Man's experience of the effort required to learn an instrument. Especially interesting when you consider he must have previously acheived around Grade 7 or 8 standard on bassoon. Click here