Some great "notes" of practice (See what I did there?!)
During the early stages of learning your instrument, there is a big focus on knowledge acquisition. Learning music is like learning a language... and the first book of the series is primarily interested in teaching them the "vocabulary" of that language. What that means for home practice is that the time working on new songs won't have to be significant in the beginning. Even ten minutes per day might be sufficient for the first book in the series. As I mentioned when we first met... my goal is for students to learn most or all of their music with me. I do this for several reasons:
Here's what those things translate to in the real world:
When practice feels like exploration and play, internal motivation increases... and that translates into love for music, self-confidence, and increasing skill with their instrument.
Students should try to get some practice in between 4-6 days per week, even if those sessions are short. If you have questions or comments... just shoot me a text! We look forward to continuing to assist with their music success!
- Home practice feels easier
- Prevents wrong notes and rhythms from being learned week after week
- Promotes strong sight reading and rhythm reading skills I realize that list seems kind of "boring"...
Here's what those things translate to in the real world:
- I've virtually eliminated counting problems by the end of the first year of study
- By instilling good habits early, my students aren't bogged down by all the "fixes" that most students hate (excessive counting drills or focus on exercises)
- The overall effect of this is that learning music feels more like a game than homework
When practice feels like exploration and play, internal motivation increases... and that translates into love for music, self-confidence, and increasing skill with their instrument.
Students should try to get some practice in between 4-6 days per week, even if those sessions are short. If you have questions or comments... just shoot me a text! We look forward to continuing to assist with their music success!
We created the video below as a great resource for the student to maintain consistency in practice. It's called habit stacking. Consistent practice time helps the student to get into the groove quickly and builds great habits.
*So I make a few references in the two videos below to piano, but these same principles apply to ANY instrument that you are learning so don't let that throw you off!
*So I make a few references in the two videos below to piano, but these same principles apply to ANY instrument that you are learning so don't let that throw you off!