Make Your Practice Effective

1. Make Your Practice Effective Getting the most out of every practice session.

2. Get Over The Hump • Get the instrument out! • Some kids leave the instrument set up on weekends • Set a certain time to practice every day • Make it part of your homework

3. Set A Goal, Not the Clock • Write down the time you start • One Measure, 10 Measures, or a whole section • Make it attainable • Make it something you have difficulty with • Could be a change in tempo (today 80 bpm, tomorrow 90 bpm, next day 110 bpm…etc.) • Could be a focus on Articulations, or dynamics or rhythms. • Stick to your plan.Don’t let yourself be distracted.

4. If You Can Count it, You Can PLAY It • Don’t be afraid to write in the counting • Have a pencil with you at ALL times. • Check with your teacher on the rhythms • Start Slow, START SLOW…START SLOW!! • Use A Metronome.

5. Pound Your Fingers Down • This helps your fingers • SAY THE NOTES, as you pound your fingers • Say the counting and pound your fingers • Change the Articulations • Play it GROSS!! Don’t worry about tone • Start Slow, START SLOW, • START SLOW!!

6. Amatures Practice until they get it right. Professionals practice until they can’t get it wrong.

7. USE A METRONOME • Increase tempo slowly…no more than about 5 BPM with every change • 10 Times in a row, without making a mistake • Change Focus…if the fingers aren’t working, change something. Stop worrying about tone, worry only about the fingers • Every difficulty, is either a tone quality problem, or a finger problem.

8. Continuous Effort, not strength or intelligence is the key to unlocking your potential -LianeCordes

9. Make It Fun! Practicing Does NOT have to be boring… • Change your mind…change your growth • Practice with a Friend • Practice with a Pro (CD, or MP3) • Don’t be afraid to make mistakes • Experiment-Learn something new through trial and error.

10. Practice With A Pro • This is tough • Develops your ear • Figure out the melody, and try to play it • Try to figure out a solo (jazz) and try to play it • Write down what you think it might be. This is called “Transcribing” and is a highly developed skill.

11. Be Patient • Developing this skill takes time • 10,000 hours to be an expert. • Don’t be afraid to ask questions • Use Smart Music • Slow and Steady yields results

12. 10,000 Hours-Really??? • That’s saying you can practice all day and all night for 417 days without stopping and be the world’s best Clarinet player. • Or you can practice 6 hours per day every day for about four and a half years to be the world’s best percussionist. • Or you can practice 3 hours per day every day for just over ten years and be the world’s best trumpet player. • Or you can practice 2 hours per day for about fourteen years to be the world’s best Floutist. • If you only practice 30 minutes per day, it will take 80 years to be the world’s best trombonist. And let’s face it, by then you might be too old to hold an instrument. • So just think – if you are in the 4th grade and you start playing an instrument, practicing 2 hours every day, you can become an absolute master by the time you are out of college. • Or… • If you’re in the 4th grade and practice 3 hours a day, you can become a master by the time you are ready to start college.

13. 150 Minutes a Week, is about 200 Hours a year. That’s counting lessons and rehearsals in our school year. 130 hours on your own, 70 hours in rehearsals. (50 Years to be a world class expert). • Don’t throw in the towel. Achieve the best you can but just realize it takes TIME. • 5,000 hours is still above average. • Music is a whole lot more fun, when what you are performing is Performed WELL!

14. Just remember –You Only Get Out Of An Instrument (Or Anything Else) What You Put Into It!