Practice Techniques

Practice Techniques

There are many different ways to practice instruments:

 Practice Techniques

There are many different focusses one can take when practicing:
• Technique • Working on Diction, articulation
• Scales • Focussing on dynamics
• Arpeggios • Focussing on performance and stage presence
• Patterns • Practicing in pairs
• Intervals • Ear Training
• Breathing • Playing from memory
• Visualising • Stamina excercises
• Transcribing • Researching music
• Listening • Researching musicians
• Slowing down passages • Adapting techniques to new contexts
• Working with metronome • Sight reading
• Memorising patterns
• Working on tone production
General Tips and Tricks

• Note the difference between ‘playing’ and ‘practicing’

• Plan your practice sessions – set mini goals within the session
• A lot of time can be wasted just playing the whole piece all the way
through and skipping the problem areas
• Break larger pieces into small chunks
• It is best to structure you practice sessions with proper breaks
• Even if you can only devote 15mins on a particular day, you can be very
productive within that time
• Try to structure your practice routine to cover different areas of
development – For example a vocalist might focus on breathing / tone
production for 15 mins, then focus on pitch / rhythm.
Structure
The Toolbox

• Instead of mastering entire pieces – try to look deeper to master the

elements that create that piece
• Your mastery of these elements then can become tools to add to your
toolbox, meaning when you perform other repertoire you can adapt your
mastered tools to any piece
• A good musician knows their tools and knows how to adapt them to
different situations and contexts
• Part of your technical work can be focussing on these tools (it may be an
interval, a scale, arpeggio, improvised phrase, tone production)
• Having a solid toolbox will make it quicker to learn new repertoire
• Strong music theory will help you break down the piece into elements
Technique

• Working on your technique builds your ability to tackle complex

passages
• Analyse what is challenging in your repertoire, and arrange your
technical exercises to focus on those weaknesses
Mental Practice

"Practice with your fingers and you need all day. Practice with your
mind and you will do as much in 1 1/2 hours.“ Leopold Auer

• Before you even get to your instrument, a lot can be gained from
sight singing, listening, visualising the piece on your instrument
• Try and mentally plan what you are going to tackle before
launching into your instrument
Rubinstein
Metronome

• Timing is very, very important for all musicians, not just drummers!
• Use a metronome to keep your time solid
• You should aim to be playing naturally in time with the metronome
• There is no value in playing fast if it doesn’t stay in time, or feels
unnatural
• Work on phrases at a slow pace and gradually work up tempo until it
feels natural
• You can also play with the feel of the metronome by setting it to the off
beats, or 2 and 4 – You can also use drum backing tracks if you want to
feel more groove
• Don’t have one? Download an app or use:
https://www.metronomeonline.com/
Keeping Track

• A practice diary can be a helpful resource

• Track what tempo you are at so you can work towards speed
• Track any discoveries you make
Transcribing

• For contemporary music, transcribing is one of the strongest

things you can do for your ear and breaking out of your comfort
zone
• Listen to a solo and learn a phrase note for note – analyse the
context the phrase exists in
• Then take your new learnt phrase and adapt it to different songs,
different keys, different tempos
Practice with a buddy

• It can be helpful to have some sessions with a like-minded muso.

You can work on music simultaneously whilst focussing on shared
or different goals.
Practice Performance

• Leading up to performances it is possible to practice your stage

presence
• Use a mirror, practice how you talk between songs, plan
everything from when you walk on stage to walk off
Recording

• Record yourself, listen back, critique