Ten Top Practice Ideas
- Practice difficult passages at a speed on your metronome where you can play every note in tune, on time. Work up gradually to the performance speed, using your metronome every time.
- Make sure that you can play each section of your piece at least 5-7 times in a row without a mistake. This moves the information from your short term memory to your long term memory.
- Try to find a consistent time in your schedule to practice. This way practice becomes a habit.
- Use your lesson notes every day to make sure that you understand and remember what your teacher asked you to do.
- Mark your practice chart. This is your record of what did and did not get done in your practice.
- Make sure that notes of equal value get equal time. I.E. Your metronome is your friend. Find ways to internalize the beat, like marching and playing.
- Slow practice makes fast progress. Avoid rushing through pieces. Slowing down will help to get clean playing at performance tempi.
- Recognize what is working and build from there. Take time to realize each day, what is better and how you got there.
- When you know all the notes of your piece, especially in long pieces, try playing the piece backward (the last section first, then the next to last and the last, etc.)
- Try to find interesting ways to do necessary repetitions. Use a counter, small treats, make a picture etc. Ask your teacher for more ideas.
Al's Practice Tips
Play for a toy, or a stuffed animal, or a pet.
Make the animal give instructions.
Everytime a child learns a song, make a card (a different color for each book) use these cards as review. For example you can say draw 2 book 1, 2 book 2, and 2 book 3 songs to play. After they play these songs put the cards into a “done” container. Eventually all the songs get played.
Have the child choose a goal on a review song.
When the child is working on a goal play a game where you ring a bell for the player to stop and check on themselves.
If a young player has a lot of things they are working on, make cards listing the issues. For example, “bent thumb”, “scroll up”, “straight bow”, “chin on chinrest”, and “mouse hole in violin hand”. When all the cards are made the student can draw a goal card for each review piece. Work on that goal only for that song. (Remember to keep quiet about the other goals, they may not be able to focus on more than one thing at a time).
Give a small treat for a good practice session. Be very consistent with what “good” means. “Good” in my house means being nice to Mommy and Violin. Child and parent are ideally mutually respectful.
Catch your child doing something right and compliment them. “Wow, that was a nice bent thumb.” “Nice c-sharp,” or “Wow, that looked so frustrating but you didn’t get mad and just kept trying.” Chances are good the habit or behavior will be repeated. This can really work if you can get good at it.
Limit yourself to a certain number of constructive (negative) comments a session. It might only be 2-3. All other comments will be positive.
Summer Practice Tips, compiled by Diane Worthey and Allison Willoughby
*Attend a Summer Institute if at all possible. This gives you inspiration and ideas that will feed your progress over the next year or more.
*If you can't attend an Institute, attend the WSU String Camp July 1-6. Call Meredith Arksey for info. (335-3961). This is open to string students entering grades 7-12. The deadline to sign up is June 15th.
*Take as many private lessons as you and your teacher's schedule allows. If you can't do many, consider lengthening the time of the lessons you do have.
*Make a practice calendar and have a goal. (ex: Practice 30 days in a row, perform a piece or a recital for family who are visiting) Reward yourself with an ice cream cone from Ferdinand's for a job well done.
*Listening can happen anywhere- at the very least bring along the CD on vacation and listen, listen, listen.
*Try practicing first thing in the morning as part of your summer routine. Then enjoy other activities knowing you put in the work and you have it done for the day.
*Tackle a piece as a "summer project" with the goal of performing it on the first Solo Day in the Fall.
*Go and visit Bishop Place, Good Samaritan, or other Care Centers and bring your gift of music to others.
*Practice in a different location such as outside or in a different part of the house.
*Bring your violin on vacation and put on a concert for family.
*If you have a brother or sister that plays, practice together once or twice a week the songs you both know. Learn some duets!
*Draw review pieces out of a hat!
*Dress up in a costume.
*Get together with PSS friends for a jam session.
*Make a calendar and decide ahead of time what days you are practicing so you don’t feel bad about missing a day for that swim party. Have a goal of a certain number of days a week.
*If you have several good practices in a week treat yourself to an easy practice (only do the fun stuff).