OK, confession time. How many of you reading this used to play a musical instrument? Now, how many of you gave up that instrument because practising was too painful/difficult/not worth it? I will totally admit it myself, when it comes to giving up because of not wanting to practice, I have come close! There are days, actually lots of days, when practising seems to be an undefeatable task, when I don't even know how to approach it, when there is just so much of it that I need to do that I don't know where to start.
Well, I have faced the issue of practice my whole life. I can't remember a time EVER when there wasn't a voice in the back of my head telling me I needed to practice, nagging me constantly. Once, when I was a little girl, I so passionately didn't want to practice that I threw my violin on the floor in a rage and it cracked!
So, I have put a of thought into how practice can be more fun... or, at least, more do-able! Let's face it, practice will never win against going to the cinema or having fun with friends, but there are definitely ways that can halp to make it more interesting, so it's not quite such an awful concept. The main thing is, being able to play an instrument, whether professionally or for your own fun, is a WONDERFUL skill. When you play music you love and you get that thrill in your tummy, your heart beats a little quicker and you get this huge sense of joy, all those times that you swore about having to practice just fade away forgotten.
I would like to share with you what I have learnt in the last 20 years, about how to make practising just a little bit better. I hope it could inspire you to keep going if you are struggling, or to try again if your instrument is lying somewhere in the attic, collecting dust! And I can't kid myself, I shall definitely turn back to this post to read myself in the dark moments of doubt.
Play music that you love
It sounds so simple, but it's so true! If you just don't want to slog away at a piece of Mozart that you don't love, you will NEVER get around to practising it. Choose music that you really love, that you want to be able to play. It's amazing how this really does make you want to practice it!
Have a goal
I think this is important, even if music is just a hobby for your spare time. You could set a date to have your friends over to play your piece for them or perhaps you already have a concert date in the diary, maybe you want to learn a particular Christmas tune in time for Christmas, even to tell yourself that you want to be able to play something by the end of the month. More long-term goals are important too - maybe you want to be able to go to a festival next year, join a band/group, play in an orchestra. Having a deadline, however relaxed it is, will give you a little push to get practising.
Experiment
This one is more for those times when you don't feel like your practising is making much difference, or that you aren't progressing as you'd like. I always find in these cases that experimentation with the music helps. I come up with new ideas of how to play the music, different styles, different characters. For example, if I am used to playing a piece of Bach in a very slow, heavy and lethargic way, and I am feeling bored of this, maybe I will try to play lighter, simply sad. Changing things up definitely makes practising more interesting and is also a great way to understand the music that you're playing. There is always more than one way of hearing things. Even doing something as simple as changing up when you play loud and soft can make a huge difference!
Record yourself
This is such a useful form of practice! It really helps you to see with persepctive what is actually going on when you play, and you do see (and hear) a lot of things that you didn't know about - trust me. I would say video recordings are the best, even just on your phone, as they really show you what to work on next. Plus, making video recordings is fun, and nice to have anyway!
Here is an example of one of my practice recordings!
Imagine someone listening
This is one of my secrets! Sometimes when I practice, I imagine that someone particular is listening or that I am performing to them - maybe a certain teacher or colleague. It's amazing how much this helps me to focus! If I really imagine that they are there, I start to care about what they would think of how I'm playing, and then I pay better attention to what I am doing. This kind of practice also really helps when to comes to actual performance and that person is REALLY there, as you have already prepared for it!
Practice performing
This is hugely important, and in my opinion it doesn't get talked about enough. It is actually crazy to think that we can just simply go from our own little practice room where we are totally alone, straight to the stage and perform in front of lots of people. I have always found the the more I have performed the better at it I get, and performing is always interesting, no matter whether it's to a room of people, or just the dog! I regularly play to my boyfriend and friends, I make recordings of myself almost daily, just anything to add a bit of pressure make me feel like I am playing a proper concert - this is great practice.
Make up games
My last piece of advice is probably one that you have heard before from a teacher - it's a bit optimistic to think that it will make your practice fun (the teacher probably wanted you to believe that) but it does help. Making up little games is a great way to get through the really nasty sort of practice - the practice where you have to do a lot of repetition of passage work or work through tough sections. Here is one example of a game I have always played when working on a difficult passage of fast notes. I say to myself, 'OK, I am 25, so I have to repeat this passage 25 times perfectly', if I make a mistake I have to start again. But when I get to number 12 I take a 'double or nothing' - if the 12th time is perfect I can finish, but if I make a mistake I have to start again from number 1. I know it sounds a bit silly, but it get's the work done. I could do a whole other blog post on 'Practice Games' if it would be interesting!
Just remember this; practising is never as bad as you think it's going to be, the thought of it is always much more horrible than the actual event. What you get back from it means SO much more than what you give up to do it.
Labels: Music
