Learning an Instrument: Practise Tips

Practice for shorter periods, more frequently during a week.  Aim for 5-10 minutes a day, possibly doing a 5-minute session in the morning, then again at night.  At the end of the week this will add up to 50 minutes of practice [10 minutes a day], which may not sound like much, but is far more beneficial than the same amount done only once a week.  In my experience, shorter periods of practice, done more frequently, yield better and faster results than a single weekly session for the same amount of time.  Music is learned better through practice done consistently [in terms of daily/weekly regularity] over a long period of time [in terms of years].  It would seem intuitive to think that practicing for 2 hours on one day should make you improve, but more important than the amount of time spent practicing is the frequency with which you do so.  The habit of regular practice is what brings the real results.  Returning to your instrument every day makes it more familiar, and practiced patterns, scales, songs, concepts, etc., take hold in your mind and body.  Everyone has busy lives – work, school, sports, friends, family, etc. – and it can be hard to find time to practice.  However like staying in shape, music is a skill best developed slowly through consistent effort.  Getting to the gym 2-3 times a week is better than wishing you had the time to get there and never actually going.  Similarly, music practice can be done in small, manageable sessions: while you watch TV, you can play your guitar, do a warm up, play the song you are working on, or improvise with the scale you are learning.  If you play only during the commercials of one show, you’ll have practiced for 10-15 minutes.  Likewise, if you play while you watch a movie [even if it’s mindless, aimless playing] you’ll have been with your instrument for an hour or two.  While you wait for pasta to cook, play your major chords in 12 keys; while you make tea or coffee, play your C major scale twice up and down.  Be creative and persistent and you will find ways and time to practice.  Remember that it’s the consistency that matters: start small, keep your sessions short, and be regular.

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