A music teacher’s best friend is a student who practices regularly. There is no substitute or shortcut to mastery of an instrument than a consistent and focused approach to practice. But how much practice is enough? Parents and students are well aware of how much time they are spent running around to this activity, or that event… not to mention all of the distractions surrounding our modern lives with social media, 900+ T.V. channels and the like. But that’s one of the things I enjoy most about playing music. Unplug from all of the chaos and plug into a guitar amp or release some energy behind the drumset.
Back to the topic of how much should you practice. I recommend spending at least 2 to 3 times as long as your weekly scheduled lesson on practice. For instance, if you take a 30-minute lesson you should put in 60-90 minutes during the week to work on your lesson materials. DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT, try and squeeze in an hour right before your lesson! In many cases, time away from your instrument will let some of the concepts you have worked on settle in.
I find the most convenient and efficient system is short 20-30 minute practice sessions three to five times a week or more. But how do you find time to practice that much a week? The best time to practice is right when you wake up. Wake up 20 minutes early and get a quick session in. Then if you have time to practice later, it’s bonus time! Some people have better results practicing later in the evening. Try not to wake up the neighbors! Here’s another tip; noodling around is not practice! Start by warming up for 3-5 minutes with a simple exercise that you are confident with and play well. Then move on to new lesson material.
Using a metronome for both rhythm and lead practice, is the best way to improve timing and track your progress. Start out slow on the metronome (around 40-60 beats per minute [bpm]) then gradually increase the tempo by 5 to 10 bpm. Be patient! Don’t speed up too fast, or you’ll do more damage than good. Once you hit the wall and you cannot play the exercise correctly, knock the metronome down a notch and play through the piece a few times to commit it to memory. Mark down in a notebook your max bpm, then try and beat that number the next time. You can buy a metronome for around $20-$30 at any music store, or use an online metronome like this one. You have to be your own judge. If you make mistakes, slow down and correct them. But don’t be too hard on yourself. Finish out each session by playing through a piece or song that you enjoy as a little treat for yourself.
Remember that nobody picks up an instrument for the first time and makes jaws drop. It takes time, a lot of time. Learning an instrument is a lifelong process, and a journey that never ends. But with regular practice you will see consistent improvement and you’ll be helping to pick jaws up off the floor in no time. I am frequently reminded of an interview with a famous guitar player, Eddie Van Halen, and the interviewer asked the virtuoso how he felt about the millions of fans who wished they could play the guitar as well as him. Eddie replied “if they knew how much time I spent alone in my room practicing, they wouldn’t want to be me.” We don’t want you to spend all your time in the wood shed practicing. Hone your skills by playing with other musicians and push each other to new heights!
– Jared & the Rockdale Squad