Practice Tips
Let’s talk about practice.
In layman's terms, practice is an activity that you repeat regularly, for the purpose of mastering or improving a skill.
Some practices are conscious; like practising singing 3 times a week, and some practices are subconscious; like eating 3 meals a day.
As humans, our brains are always absorbing new information. Engaging in conscious practice is a great way of keeping our brains active.
Whether you’re a beginner or an expert, practice is crucial to improving and maintaining a skill.
In music, practising an instrument is known to decrease stress, encourage patience and perseverance, cultivate creativity and develop our appreciation of music.
It’s also a great workout for our brains, as practising music induces neuroplastic changes in every area of the brain!
My friend Ben Sharp who was a guest on Backstage Pass Podcast, and who drums for the incredible Yungblud, talks about how practice can help you be in the moment, and have a similar effect to meditation.
As we know meditation can create a sense of calm and involve moments of mindfulness that can contribute towards a good state of mental health.
Although practising music can be a lot of fun, it can sometimes be frustrating. So here are some tips on how you can avoid frustration and practice effectively:
Acknowledge the challenge and expect mistakes. Mastering a skill doesn’t happen overnight - it takes work to get there and you will make mistakes along the way
Believe in your own capabilities - you can do it!
Get past the embarrassment of learning. Learning is one of the most natural things our brains and bodies can do, so take pride in it!
Limit the scope - don’t try and practice 10 things at once. Focus on getting to grips with one or two things before you move on to the next stage
Commit time weekly or daily to your practice. And understand that if you’re not in the right frame of mind to practice one day, then that’s okay!
Set goals before you practice - e.g. learning the first verse or nailing the key change - and reward yourself when you meet those goals - you deserve it!
Create a pleasant practice environment that has everything you need ready to go, so you can really get stuck into your practice without distractions
Identify any problems and learn from them. Recording yourself is a great way to do this!
Make notes - for example, if you’re reading sheet music or lyrics, don’t be afraid to scribble reminders on it
Use the resources available to you - books, video tutorials, practice rooms…
Always warm up before your practice. This will help you get the most out of our session and prevent you from straining
I hope you found these tips useful. You can get more from me (including music every month!) at: https://www.patreon.com/hannahtrigwell