Practive Makes Perfect

By Randy Torno.

As a Videoconference music instructor with students worldwide, the common theme I find myself discussing with beginners is PRACTICE. We all know that you need to practice to learn or improve any kind of physical skill such as playing a musical instrument. But how and what you practice can have a major impact on what you accomplish.

Let’s examine what’s going on when we practice. Although we talk of building muscle memory, muscles really don’t have any memory of their own. What we are doing is establishing neural pathways in our brain that associate a sound with a sequence of muscle spasms that move our fingers to produce those notes on our instrument. First comes the mechanical skill to move our fingers, and then comes the musical skill to choose the right note.  Since the motions we go through in playing an instrument rarely translate into something we do during our daily life there is a certain amount of flexibility and strengthening of our fingers that we need to go through before we can even play the thing. And because we are not “reading” the music, as a classical musician would, we also have to memorize these physical movements in a particular sequence in order to create the sounds we want. The downside to this is that it is very easy to create an incorrect neural pathway if you repeat the wrong physical movement, and very difficult to correct once created. This is one of the main reasons for taking weekly lessons from a qualified instructor - they should catch and correct the bad technique before it becomes too ingrained.  Practice only makes perfect if it’s perfect practice and a good instructor should ensure that you are working on the correct biomechanical skills.

Since everyone that learns to play an instrument actually teaches themselves during their practice sessions it might be a good idea to try and structure them so you are spending your time efficiently. Trust me, nobody likes to practice, but if you want to play an instrument, there is no secret method, magic book or DVD that will get you there - only practice.

Here are a few tips that you might try and incorporate into your own practice routines.
1) Try and set aside the same time each day to practice and make the decision that these will be practice sessions, as opposed to times when you just pick up the instrument and play for fun (however even playing for fun avoid repeating mistakes – see #6).  
2) Try and practice every day.... even 10 minutes daily is better than 2 hours once a week 3) If you inhabit a child or dog-free environment don’t keep your instrument in its case. Buy an instrument stand or prop it in a corner where you are likely to see it and stop and play it for a few minutes.
4) Concentrate each session on just one mechanical problem at a time. Right hand today, left hand tomorrow, memorize a tune the next day etc.
5) Be critical of your own playing and don’t just accept the fact that it sounds bad because you are a beginner. That’s why you are practicing. If a note keeps buzzing, stop and figure out why, and what you need to do to correct it. It is always a mechanical problem.
6) NEVER continue playing something incorrectly in hopes that some day you will get better and then you will be able to play it perfectly. This will only reinforce the bad playing and you will continue to stumble over it for the rest of your playing days. That’s why it is so important to get a good instructor and to practice correct technique right from the start.
7) If a phrase or passage is giving you trouble, isolate it, and break it down to its smallest components - one finger at a time if necessary. After you master the small components, start to build longer sequences.
8) Play slowly, stay in tempo and work on linking the sequences together so they flow musically. Music is not a speed contest. Use a metronome if you have one.
9) When it is time for you to finish your practice session make sure that the last thing you play before putting the instrument away is played perfectly. Never put it away in frustration or anger at not being able to play the way you want.
10) Don’t set unrealistic goals for yourself...you are learning a mechanical skill...it will take as long as it takes. Enjoy the journey. And remember, unless you have a physical problem, you can learn these mechanical skills if you repeat them correctly and often enough.

Randy Torno
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