Practicing a musical instrument calls for long hours is a given. How much time you need to practice depends on your age, the number of years you have been playing, and your instrument. For that, you need to consult your instructor.
However, some routines or ideas are universal, such as taking small breaks between practicing hours.
Here are some thoughts to consider while practicing your instrument:
Take a five-minute break within your hour to refresh. If you need more time, take that time for yourself.
Establish a routine for your practice every day.
First, have your sheet music and instrument ready in a designated area or room in your house so you only have to fetch things occasionally. Place them in the same part of your house so you can find things quickly.
Do a warm-up before you work on your repertoire.
Remembering the pointers your instructor gave you during the previous lesson and practicing those instructions accurately will help you become more prepared for the following lesson.
Again, remember to take breaks.
This is especially important when you experience muscular pain or discomfort while playing. It is crucial to stop, examine the cause, and continue when you feel better.
Also, it is crucial to note that it is one thing to experience the aches of practicing from previous days and another when the muscle hurts because of wrong motions, which gives you the signal that something is wrong. The latter calls for the instrumentalist to take a break until the pain disappears. Usually, you can feel the difference between the two.
Maintain your instrument correctly according to the instrument-specific instructions given by your teacher and place it back in its case. Accidents can happen when instruments are not protected; putting them where they belong will ensure your instrument stays safe. Be extra careful not to drop it or hit it against the table or any other hard surface.
These are enough reasons to take precautions during practice time. You must ensure you do not have pains in your hands or muscles during upcoming performances. It will be unbearable to try to perform when you are experiencing such difficulties.
How will you ensure you are ready to play your piece/s for your performance?
Is it enough to say that you have practiced and put in the right amount of time and effort?
Putting in the effort implies that you have applied concentrated efforts in the practice room and during rehearsals.
If your piece is accompanied by a piano part, you will need to do more than play and practice alone, as you must rehearse with the pianist to acquire the whole picture.
One way is to listen to the piece, understand the harmonies, and analyze it. After practicing the piece, the other way is to play with the pianist and figure out the pitfalls where you have issues. It sure feels different when you play on your own and when you play with the accompaniment.
After that first run-down rehearsal, return to your practice room and work on the piece, considering what you learned from your rehearsal with the pianist.
It is worth your time to practice the challenging parts thoroughly before going back to the rehearsal with the accompanist, as you will further discover the areas you need help with in the next rehearsal.
These are ways to determine what you need to work on in the future and where you should focus your energy.
After you have gone back and forth between the rehearsals with the pianist and on your own, you will notice how far you have come. And you will know when you are ready. That is something you can decide with your instructor.
You can also play for your family members at home. When there are family gatherings, this is an excellent way to gather courage and an audience at the same time. It is also highly advisable to play concerts in other locations before your actual performance. If your community church, for example, organizes musical events, you can join their concert series. And a week or two before your actual performance, you could play there.
Remember that the more you play, the more you can gain experience performing in front of an audience.
If you are a student, joining competitions is another way to gain more performance experience.
If you want to perform, one of the best ways to gain experience and deal with performance issues is to perform as much as possible to different audiences.
Performing consistently on stage is one of the best ways of conquering stage fright. That is being on stage. One has to perform every week in some capacity to learn to deal with the demands of performing.
And always remember to take your breaks.
How do you handle your practice routines? What about your preparations for your concerts?
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