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Practicing As A Practice


Randy Stein

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Recently a new student related to me their difficulty with practicing. In their case it had primarily to do with time management and focus. This person said more than once of "trying to get through practicing." After  some discussion we agreed to focus on learning and practicing arpeggios for fingering and working on only one or two pieces of music at a time. 

 

The very first chapter of the book Best Practice  by my friend Judy Minot is her  discussion of "Practicing" is a practice." Playing and practicing any musical instrument, in spite of frustrations, should always be  a joyful experience. To quote Judy in her book, "Practicing is not something you need to " get through" to get to the good part. Instead, begin thinking of practicing as a practice, an activity you engage for it's own sake."

 

Edited by Randy Stein
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If you want to improve, you need to practise, even as an experienced player.

 

I have semi-structured practice sessions.  I typically start with a few tunes I know well, then one I'm learning, then I sometimes work on a couple of tricky passages from tunes I'm improving, or I might do some octave scales, then I finish on a high with some tunes I know well.

 

A few minutes' practice at a time every day is better than a long slog once a week.

 

Using this method, I find myself incorporating new "tricks" into old tunes: different fingerings, different harmonic choices.

 

The better your instrument, the easier it is to practise.  You must "have to remember to put it down rather than "getting round to picking it up."

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I find it helpful to experiment with different fingerings, harmonies etc. and when you achieve something interesting work it over a few times and then stop there without moving on or at least come back to it at the end of your practice.  Makes it easier for (my) brain to retain.

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Practicing should be a process of guiding the mind into a world of familiarity; starting in a new skill can seem daunting in itself, but with a good teacher, and positive encouragement .. then it is a wonderful collaboration, and indeed it can be just as satisfying for a teacher to see student actually begin to understand a new skill, in any learning process, as it is the student. 

I started years ago in concertina with basic books, and began with tricky excersise quite soon after, like octave jumps, and sharp scales, up and down, then the rest began to seem easier, compared! Sometimes it is also good to let go and freely improvise, between academic study, and let the fingers find their way about instrument.

I am now learning another instrument completely, and so am back to basics on that ( a wooden Chalumeau)..and I am also practicing tricky chromatic things already, in hope that it will make everything else seem easier!🌝

Edited by SIMON GABRIELOW
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Here are two big things that have helped make practice more consistent and enjoyable for me:

 

The first is practicing at the same time every day as part of a larger routine. Getting started is the hardest part, and if that's just what you do at that part of the day, it's a lot easier. For me, it's been the lunch hour at work. I bring my concertina to the office and grab a conference room to practice. Before covid, I was so consistent that one of my coworkers told me he had developed a pavlovian response to hearing the concertina - it was time to eat!

 

The second is keeping the future in focus. Especially when I started out, I knew what I wanted to be able to play, and I knew that it would be a long time before I would be able to. "I wish I'd started 10 years ago!" Well, 10 years from now I'll be glad that I put in the work today. And that's been true.

 

My practice generally hasn't been super structured. I usually spend some time playing comfortable favorites but also work on a few newer/rougher tunes, focusing on the tricky parts. I'd probably benefit from a little more planning or formality, but I'm still making progress. The most important things are to 1) show up and 2) spend time doing the things you want to get better at.

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Never having had formal music lessons on any instrument I don't really know what "practice" should involve. I have Judy Minot's book, but I didn't find it as helpful as I thought I would because although it is intended for self-taught musicians she still assumes some familiarity with the concept of "practice".  For example, she suggests developing your own exercises for your particular instrument, but as I don't know what "exercises" should look like or what purpose they are intended for I don't know how to go about this. Playing scales when I only need to play in a few keys seems pointless.

 

I just play.  I play to add to my repertoire or remind myself of material I already know. Sometimes I just play tunes I feel like playing.  I'll work on sections I find difficult and perhaps try to find alternative ways to play them, or ways to add more interesting harmonies. Unless I have a gig to prepare for I don't usually have any goals in mind or even know what I'm going to play before I sit down, I just play whatever comes to mind.  I don't believe this playing is not useful or productive, but it doesn't feel like "practice" in the sense that (I imagine) a trained musician thinks of it.

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I also just play. I’ve had formal music training but I still just play tunes. I’ll play a few scales to warm up my fingers and then play the the last few tunes I was working on or a new one if I’ve heard something I like. I’ll go over bits that are tricky and then try out different grace notes and decorations. Scales and studies are useful I’m sure but I tend to just play tunes. 

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On my mother's side of the family, one Great Aunt could not read music, but made up for it by playing ( piano) by ear, having to hear a tune only once, then being able to play it through perfectly ( I was told).

So you can if you want just play music without ever having to  actually be able to read it on the page.🌝

 

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There's also a book The Practice of Practice by Jonathon Harnum which I looked at 4-5 years ago. I tried to find a 'neutral' review but couldn't. I did find this (linked to from the site referenced above). I haven't had a chance to have a look yet, but it looks as if it might be a follow-up to the book?

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Well call me an old cynic, but I reckon reading books on practicing is a very good way of putting off practicing.

It's 3-and-a-half years since I bought my first EC and I've played EVERY day since. Sometimes I'm so tired or depressed or distracted I permit myself to play just one repetition of one tune I know. Sometimes I do stop then, but usually I think, oh that reminds me of this other tune, I'll just play that too....

The best days are when I've heard a tune I really want to learn, then practicing can go on for hours!

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1 hour ago, Jolly Hamster said:

Well call me an old cynic, but I reckon reading books on practicing is a very good way of putting off practicing.

It's 3-and-a-half years since I bought my first EC and I've played EVERY day since. Sometimes I'm so tired or depressed or distracted I permit myself to play just one repetition of one tune I know. Sometimes I do stop then, but usually I think, oh that reminds me of this other tune, I'll just play that too....

The best days are when I've heard a tune I really want to learn, then practicing can go on for hours!

Hi JH,

 

I am not too impressed by what I saw in the sample chapters of Judy's book, but I would strongly advise you to be more open towards input from experienced players regarding structured and efficient practicing strategies.

 

During the +-30 years I tried myself (rather unsuccessfully) as a guitarist, I followed a similar attitude as you, but it did not only get me nowhere but, worse, chiseled counter productive habits into my playing which took a long time to iron out. The most important thing to understand is that you get the most benefit in music from listening - not only listening in the literal meaning (listening to music), but also listening to how others who went the same road as you got lost and got out.

 

As for a case in point, "practicing can go on for hours"  may be a satisfying and productive thing to do, but a) current research suggests that a brain "digests" anything musical much better with breaks in between repetitions, and b) if you do not pay attention to getting everything - notes, harmonies, rhythm, groove etc - right, chances are that you are milling errenuous playing into your fingers and your brain (btdt).
 

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Hi RAc

 

You're absolutely right about listening, and indeed I appreciate all that's been said about the techniques of practicing. I've studied in workshops, Youtube videos and online lessons and incorporated what I've learned into the process of practicing.

 

What I was trying to say is that some people (especially me) are accomplished at thinking up excuses not to practice at all when what they should do is just open the box, take out the instrument and start.

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