Practice Tips
Practice Challenges for my students ... suggestions welcome!
10 things to do ...
1. Play your scales and arpeggios starting on the highest note
2. Practice for 5 days in a row, then see how long you can keep your unbroken streak going
3. Try playing a section of your piece backwards
4. Get out one (or more) of your old pieces and play it for fun
5. Video yourself playing something (and send it to a friend)
6. Try composing your own piece (You could write this down or record it)
7. Work on just 4 bars (or one section) of your piece, to create a “Michelin Star” top quality performance
8. Listen to some music (either recordings of the pieces you’re playing or listen to some other classical music)
9. Go and see some live music
10. Play a piece which makes you happy
Some extra things to do ...
11. Try playing along with your favourite pop song
12. Sing in the shower (or bath, or car) at least twice
13. Play a duet with a friend (or record yourself and play along on the other part!)
14. Write out the most difficult rhythm in your piece. Clap it.
15. Choose one of your pieces. Work out what ALL the words and descriptive marks mean. (Not that we won't have been through them already, mind you!)
16. Try playing a bit of your fastest piece superslow, and your slowest piece really fast.
17. Choose one tricky shift or leap. Do it slowly and perfectly (as well as you can) 10 times. (Again this is standard practice technique but worth a reminder!)
18. Record (audio or video) yourself. Pretend you are your biggest fan and find 3 nice things to say about it.
19. Play a very easy scale, perfectly and beautifully, in strict time, with every note 100% amazing.
20. Take 5 minutes to admire your instrument. Can you name all the parts?
10 things to do ...
1. Play your scales and arpeggios starting on the highest note
2. Practice for 5 days in a row, then see how long you can keep your unbroken streak going
3. Try playing a section of your piece backwards
4. Get out one (or more) of your old pieces and play it for fun
5. Video yourself playing something (and send it to a friend)
6. Try composing your own piece (You could write this down or record it)
7. Work on just 4 bars (or one section) of your piece, to create a “Michelin Star” top quality performance
8. Listen to some music (either recordings of the pieces you’re playing or listen to some other classical music)
9. Go and see some live music
10. Play a piece which makes you happy
Some extra things to do ...
11. Try playing along with your favourite pop song
12. Sing in the shower (or bath, or car) at least twice
13. Play a duet with a friend (or record yourself and play along on the other part!)
14. Write out the most difficult rhythm in your piece. Clap it.
15. Choose one of your pieces. Work out what ALL the words and descriptive marks mean. (Not that we won't have been through them already, mind you!)
16. Try playing a bit of your fastest piece superslow, and your slowest piece really fast.
17. Choose one tricky shift or leap. Do it slowly and perfectly (as well as you can) 10 times. (Again this is standard practice technique but worth a reminder!)
18. Record (audio or video) yourself. Pretend you are your biggest fan and find 3 nice things to say about it.
19. Play a very easy scale, perfectly and beautifully, in strict time, with every note 100% amazing.
20. Take 5 minutes to admire your instrument. Can you name all the parts?