Complete Beginners Guide To Practice

Contents
1.
About this guide
2.
What is practice?
3.
Why should you practice?
4.
The problem with practice
5.
Basic thoughts on practice
6.
The process of practice
7.
Some common misconceptions
8.
Goals
9.
Tools for the job
10.
Other facilities
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11.
Self Assessment
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12.
Dos and Donts
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13.
Tips
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14.
Mental Aspects
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15.
Frequently Asked Questions
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16.
One page guide to practice
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17.
Practice Flow Chart
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18.
Planning Template
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19.
Journal
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20.
Sample practice sessions
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21.
Advice for Teachers and Parents
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22.
Further Help and Information
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complete beginners guide to practice

HOWTOPRACTICE
About this guide

It is true to say that whilst many people have lessons to learn
an instrument they are not taught how to practise effectively.
This leads to poor use of time, slow improvement and reduced
motivation. By explaining some basic principles of practice and
clearing up some misconceptions this guide will put you on the
road to making better use of your practice time. Practice is a
skill like any other and needs to be developed. You will find
links to further information and templates to help plan, track
and assess your practice.
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We very much hope you find this guide useful. This guide is
made available under a creative commons licence. Please feel
free to share, copy, distribute, print and add to. We only ask
that we are credited and that it is not used for commercial
purposes. If you have any feedback then please contact us via
the website at www.howtopractice.com. We look forward to
hearing about the improvement you are making.
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Enjoy your practice!
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If you can dream it, you can do it

- Walt Disney
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HOWTOPRACTICE
What is practice?
If you open a dictionary it will say something like:
repeated performance as a means of acquiring skill.

Put more simply, practice is the thing you do to get better
at something.
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The more practice you do the better you will get.
Remember that without regular practice you are VERY
unlikely to improve.
You should also remember that not all practice is good
practice, you can practise the wrong things and actually get
worse!
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Why should you practise?

There are almost as many reasons for practising as there are
people. Some of the more common reasons are:
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To meet the goals you have set for yourself.
To ensure your lessons are effective and useful.
To gain personal sense of satisfaction.
To make sure you don't let others down when playing in a
group.
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To enjoy yourself.
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It is important to be clear in your own mind why YOU are

practising.
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The problem with practice

We mentioned that many people are not taught practice and
do not know how to do it properly. An unfortunate side effect
of this is that practice is not discussed. If it is discussed it is
only when it hasn't been done. Even at this stage no solutions
are provided. You may be told to go away and do more - not
very useful!
The other major problem is that the vast majority of teachers
and educators still use time as a measure of practice. At How
To Practice we think this is entirely wrong. Time is irrelevant.
What you achieve each and every time you pick up your
instrument is far more important.
So what can you do?
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Aside from reading the rest of this guide, make sure you
discuss practice with your teacher, friends and colleagues on a
regular basis.
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Each time you pick up your instrument, even if it is only for a

few minutes make sure you are a little better than when you
started. Think What did I achieve during this practice?
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Remember, practice should be relaxed and fun. Not a battle.
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HOWTOPRACTICE
About practice
So what is this thing called practice that you have to do to get
better?
It would be very nice to give you a simple answer.
Unfortunately however, the real answer is - it depends. The
real key to successful practice is to work out what YOU need
to do. Practice will be different for every single person.
Things that will help decide what you need to practise are:
Your current ability.
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Your weaknesses.
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Your musical preferences.
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Your goals and ambitions.
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Combine these factors together, add a teacher, some books,

some listening and stir it all around and you begin to form a
recipe for your own practice.
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This recipe will consist of pieces and exercises that you do on

a regular basis to get better as a musician.
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More about practice

Once you have an idea what to practise you need to jump to
the next step, a jump which most people miss.
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What should be the result of practice?

Just by asking this question you are a step ahead. Effective
practice involves thinking about how much better you want to
be after each repeat, after each session, after each week,
lesson or concert.
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By now you should realise that practice does not just involve
opening the case, putting music on the stand and playing. You
MUST think about what you are going to do before you
practise.
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Remember there is a big difference between playing and

practising. Playing is unthinking, practice involves thought.
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No two people will practise the same way. If someone tells

you exactly how you should practise because that is how they
practise, kindly tell them they are wrong. Their practice plan is
not your practice plan.
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Every day you don't practice, you're one

day further from being good
- Ben Hogan
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HOWTOPRACTICE

Jump straight in without any thought and your practice will
not be as effective as it could be. Follow these steps to get
more out of your time:
Plan
Be clear what you want to achieve before you start. Know
what you want to do this week, month and year.
Prepare
Have your room, instrument, music and anything else you
need ready.
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Warm-up
Spend a few moments to settle into your practice.
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Focused practice
Work on the things you planned to. Don't play aimlessly.
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Know when to stop

Once you have done what you set out to do then stop. Think
and only carry on if you are continuing to be effective.
Review
What did you do well? What could be better next time?
Each of these steps is covered in more detail later in this
guide.
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Common misconceptions
There are many, many misconceptions around practice. These
arise because people are not taught how to do it. People
listen to their peers, hearsay and internet discussion forums
(we all know how reliable they are!). The ideas they hear are
taken on board and spread further and eventually develop
into accepted 'truths'.
30 minutes per day
If you eavesdrop on conversations most people have around

practice they will usually discuss how much practice they
have done, how long they spent on a certain exercise, how
much their teacher has said they should do and
'oneupmanship' about how much they managed in a single
day.
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This is perhaps the single biggest myth around music practice

- the fact that anybody needs to do a set amount of minutes.
This is, to be blunt, complete nonsense. If your only measure
of practice is time the chances are that you are wasting it.
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Instead try to think of other measures. What speed can you

get to? How many bars can you complete? How much can
you memorise? How many new notes can you learn?
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Use one of these measures and you will achieve something

and more to the point you will know exactly what
improvement you made.
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More misconceptions
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Faster is better
In the race to be the next greatest player on their instrument
many players develop an unhealthy obsession with speed. To
some, being able to player faster than anyone else is the only
aim.
The more experienced players and teachers will know that
faster is not better. Faster is quite often, messy, out of tune
and unmusical.
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Instead strive to be as accurate as you can, speed will come

from accuracy.
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Practising sounds musical
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If done properly practising should sound disjointed, 'bitty',

repetitive and definitely not musical.
Think about it for a moment. Stopping to fix problems,
focusing on a few bars at a time, technical exercises and
repeats are all important things to work on when practising.
None however will sound close to a finished performance.
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Common misconceptions
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Playing through the pain barrier

Inexperienced players seem to derive a macho pride from playing
through the pain barrier. If you have been shredding on your guitar
for hours and your hands are starting to hurt, might it just be that
your body is trying to tell you something? Likewise, pianists are just
as guilty. Those finger independence exercises are not meant to
leave your hands begging for mercy. Wind players too are guilty of
playing through bruised and swollen lips.
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If you feel your muscles starting to get tired stop and take a break.
There are hundreds of things you can do to improve as a musician
without your instrument. You can make sure that you are completely
on top of the mental aspects of playing before returning to your
instrument with fresh muscles.
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Linear improvement
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Parents will believe that because they are paying for lessons the
student must improve. The teacher will think that because they are
teaching in a certain way the student will improve. The student, who
practises regularly will also believe that they should improve.
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The reality is somewhat different. Development goes in peaks and

troughs. Some weeks the student will seem to make amazing
progress while others they will get bogged down in the same few
bars. Don't worry. This happens to most musicians.
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Goals
You wouldn't start to build a house without knowing what
goes where or what the finished house will look like. You also
wouldn't bake a cake without a recipe.
Why then do most people begin practice with only a very

vague idea of what they will do and what it will be like at the
end?
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Goals are your way of knowing where you want to get to.
They also make sure all your practice has been worthwhile.
Goals come in different forms depending on what you want

to do and how long you have to do it.
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There are:
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Short/medium/long.
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Tasks & Targets.
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Goals without deadlines are not really goals, but daydreams

- Harvey Snitkin
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More on goals
The importance of goals CANNOT be underestimated.
If you are just beginning to learn then you may need to rely
on your teacher to decide these for you. However, as you
improve you should make your own decisions about where
you want your music making to take you.
More advanced players should definitely have their own
goals. All of your lessons and practice should be geared
towards achieving these.
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If you find that your lessons are geared towards what your
teacher wants to do rather than your goals then it is time for
a serious conversation with your teacher. They should be able
to explain clearly how what they are teaching matches your
long term goals.
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Long term goals

If you could do anything in music what would it be? Most of us have mused on this and
have daydreams about what it might be like. Few however take it to the next stage and
actually make a plan to make their dreams happen.
Dream big
Don't be afraid when setting your long term goals to dream big. The world is your
oyster! If there were no obstacles what would you really like to do? Be a soloist? Play in
an orchestra? Get a record deal? Have a good think about this and note down your
ideas. Then pick the 2 or 3 ideas which you think you'd most like to achieve. Pick too
many ideas and the risk is that you'll spread your motivation too thinly and achieve none
of them.
Be realistic
Having thought about what your ideal role in music might be, you next need to temper
this with a degree of realism. Which of these dreams is right for you? Which could you
realistically achieve? Please don't confuse realism with pessimism. If you think you really
can achieve a goal and you have the desire you should go for it.
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Be specific
If you are too vague with your goal descriptions you will be less likely to achieve them.
You will also more likely lose focus and allow yourself to fail. You could pretend that you
achieved a slightly different but related goal - all too often used as a get out. So please
don't have a major goal which says "I want to play in an orchestra" or "I want a record
deal". Instead have something much more specific such as "I want to be principal flute in
the Chicago Symphony Orchestra" or "I want a 5 album deal with Island records".
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Visualise
Spend some time trying to visualise what it will be like to achieve these goals. What
would it look like? Feel like? Sound like? How will you feel having made your dreams
come true? Try to imagine every detail and make sure to spend time doing this regularly.
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Set a date
One sure way to miss a goal is to not set a date. Without a date you will pretend you
have more time and that you will achieve your goals in the future. Having a date written
down will keep you moving forward and keep you motivated.
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HOWTOPRACTICE
Medium term goals

Hopefully you now have some great long term musical goals that will inspire you and
motivate you. If not go back and create some now - you will need them before you can
break them into medium term goals.
It should be obvious at this stage that you can't progress directly to your major goals.
What you need is a series of stepping stones that will guide you forwards and help you
track your progress.
Think again about your long term goals and about some of the people who are already in
that position. What were some of the things they had to do along the way? What
experiences did they have and what actions did they complete? You will usually find that
there are some large steps they took in getting to where you want to go.
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Long Term Goals
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Medium
Medium
Medium
Goals can be thought of as a pyramid. Your medium term goals will help support your
long term goals. For example if you want to play in a symphony orchestra it is likely that
you will be an accomplished solo performer and attended a major music school.
Attaining these could form your mid term goals. Or if you want to play in a successful
rock band your major goal might be to get a long term record deal, in which case
medium term goals could be the production of a high quality demo and performance in
a venue containing at least 5000 people.
If your long term goals are somewhere between five and ten years then your medium
term ones will usually be from one to three years.
In the same way that we spoke about your major goals being specific, visualised and
dated, so should your medium term ones be.
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HOWTOPRACTICE
Short term goals

At some stage you need to start getting more focused and have some plans that you can
begin. Short term goals are those plans - you can begin to work on these now, today.
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In the same way that your medium term goals feed into and are stepping stones for your
long term goals, so your short term goals feed into the medium term ones. Spend some
time thinking about the steps you need to take to meet the medium term goals you have
set for yourself.
Tangible near term events

At this level of planning you will find that many of the goals you will set for yourself are
events that will occur in the next few months. These are real events in the calendar that
have dates and deadlines against them. Examples of this type of event are exams,
performances and concerts. If you have a medium term goal to gain entry to a music
school then you will want to pass certain exams to reach the required standard. These
would form some of your short term goals. If you want to play in a venue that holds
5000 people you'd better start with one that holds 500.
Knowledge needed
Another common short term goal for musicians is to acquire knowledge in a certain
area. Having decided a long/medium term goal you may well find that you are lacking
the knowledge needed to achieve it, therefore a goal of increased knowledge is needed something ideally suited to the short term.
Technical improvements
As you consider your short term goals your thoughts will also most likely turn to your
technique and the improvements you would like to make in this area. A word of warning
here. Don't fall into the trap of trying to improve technique for technique's sake - relate
your technical development back to your other goals. These goals are the reason you
want to improve your technique.
At this level it is even more important to get specific with your goals. Start to use note
names and metronome marks to set targets for yourself and of course set dates, share
your goals with family, friends and teachers. Visualise what it will feel like to be able to
play in that way.
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Targets and Tasks

If you have followed the previous pages on goals you should be very well placed to
speed up your musical improvement. Even if you have not followed the suggestions, the
very fact that you have spent time thinking about your musical future will be a help in
improving your practice.
In order to take this improvement to the highest level you will need to work on a daily
basis towards the goals you have set yourself. The short term goals mentioned on the
previous page will be very useful but specific targets and tasks for each day and week
will really speed your progress.
Tasks
work with your teacher to set specific daily tasks that input to your short term goals - get
a metronome out and work towards that tempo you have set yourself.
Targets
This is one of the most often missing parts of practice routines. Many people have
detailed routines and goals but on a day to day basis they have no idea if they are
making progress towards their goals.
Having targets also ensures that time is not the major driver of your practice. With
targets you will always know where you are in your practice for that day. You can set
yourself any number of things to achieve in a single practice session. For example:
learn 5 bars of music.
learn a scale hands separately.
learn that lick you've always meant to but at half speed.
memorise the first line.
The beauty of having targets is that not only will you know that you have achieved
something worthwhile in every practice session but you will also know exactly when you
have finished for the day. If it only takes you 10 minutes to reach your targets for that
session then great, go and do something else (though next time you might want to set
the bar a little higher!)
How?
What this guide is all about - how are you going to practise. Read the ideas here and
equip yourself with the tools you need to practise effectively. Don't start to practise until
you know HOW you will do it.
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Ask yourself, what have I done today to move me closer to my major goals?

HOWTOPRACTICE
Goal Setting Sheet

Name
Date
Long Term Goal (be as specific as you can)
Date to achieve
Medium Term Goal
Medium Term Goal
Medium Term Goal
Medium Term Goal
Date to achieve
Date to achieve
Date to achieve
Date to achieve
Short Term Goals
Short Term Goals
Short Term Goals
Short Term Goals
. . . better music practice
Tools for the job

Music practice is a trade like many others in that you need
specialised tools to do it properly.
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Fresh, able body
Well maintained instrument
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Music
Music Stand
Pencil
Metronome
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Notebook/journal
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c
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The perfect practice space

Do you have the perfect space for your music practice? No?
You're not alone. The fact is that you will probably never have
the 'perfect' space. What is right for some instruments will not
suit others and what enhances one style of music will be awful
for another.
So whilst there may not be a 'one size fits all' here are some
things everyone can do to ensure they have the best practice
space possible.
Comfort
The single most important element in creating that ideal space

for your music practice is comfort. If you are not comfortable
your mind will be thinking about the thing that is making you
uncomfortable and not about the practice you are trying to
do.
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Ensure that you have enough space for you and your
instrument. If you need to move around while playing make
sure you have room for that too. If you sit down during
practice make sure you have a comfortable chair, one that
supports you correctly in all the right places.
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The room you use should be the right temperature. Too hot or
too cold and your body will not function as well as it could.
You'll also be distracted by wanting to either remove clothes
or put some more on.
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The perfect practice space 2

Distractions
Your practice space should as much as possible be free from
distractions. Distractions can take many forms, not all of them
obvious.
Keep people out. You don't want people wandering in and
out when you are trying to concentrate. If you practice in a
shared room in your house (which a lot of piano students do)
then make it clear to everybody that you are practising and
shouldn't be disturbed. There may be times when you
actually want people in the room to listen for instance when
you are preparing for a performance and you want a 'dummy'
audience. This is fine. Just as long as you draw a clear
distinction.
Make sure you have other music playing only when you
actually need it. Don't leave your iPod or Hi-Fi on when you
practice. You need to be able to hear yourself accurately and
clearly.
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Don't leave the TV on in the background!!!!
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If you have something in your eye-line that can also be a

distraction. That picture of your last holiday might be nice to
have on the wall but if it is behind the music stand and in
your eye-line when you play it will distract you.
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Facilities
Do you know someone who practises like this: Get

instrument out. Play few notes. Go and find a music stand.
Play a few more notes. Go and find sheet music. Start playing
that. Forgot what to work on. Goes to find notebook. Works
on a few things. Needs to mark the music. Goes to find a
pencil . . . .and so on.
The message is clear - have everything you need to practice
with you before you start. Make sure all the music, stands,
chairs, mirrors, oils, strings, tuners, metronomes, pencils and
everything else are in the room ready. An ideal music practice
space will have all these items present all the time.
These three things - comfort, no distractions and the right
facilities are the key to any rehearsal space. There are
however several more elements which, combined with the
above, really could give you the perfect space.
Leave instruments and equipment out - if you can leave your
instrument set up and ready to play you will do more
practice. Each time you walk past it you can play a few more
notes. This adds up to a lot of extra practice over the course
of a week.
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Permanent
A permanent, dedicated space is ideal. Not having to move

equipment to get to bed or unplug an amp because you need
the kettle is ideal.
Acoustically good
Given a choice of spaces you would choose one with a good

practice acoustic - not to be confused with a good acoustic. A
good room for practice where you can hear all the finer
details of what you play is preferable to a boomy, echoing
space where your sound gets lost and muddled. Consider a
church and a radio studio. The church would be much better
for a performance whereas the radio studio would be much
better for practice.
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Posters or pictures to inspire
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We mentioned distractions above. This does not mean that

your practice space will be boring! Decorate it with pictures
and posters of your favourite artists or images that inspire
you.
. .the most crucial ingredient by far for success in
music is . . .what happens in the practice room.
- William Westney
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Other facilities
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Chair
Don't just pick any old chair you happen to come across. You're
going to be spending a lot of time sat in this chair (aren't you?!?). It
needs to be comfortable and support you in the right way.
I'm not going to tell you which chair to get or which is best because
it will depend on which instrument you play. Guitarists sit in a
completely different position to violinists. What I will say is make
sure it supports you in the right position for YOUR instrument.
When you have got your chair don't be tempted into thinking that
because you have the right chair you can slouch - you can't!! Posture
is very important to playing a musical instrument well. Get it right
and you might save yourself some back pain later.
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Other facilities 1
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Mirror
Until you have trained your muscles in the right way you will
need to rely on how things look to get them right. Are you
holding the instrument in the right way? Is the mouthpiece in
the right place? Is your posture correct? It's very difficult to
see these things without a mirror.
As with a chair you should choose a mirror that suits you. A
full length mirror can suit a lot of musicians, however a small
mirror placed on a music stand can be invaluable for wind
and brass players wanting to check their embouchure.
Once you've got your mirror you have my permission to strut
and pose as much as you want in front of it - let your
imagination run wild and pretend you are the next Menhuin,
Marsalis or Slash!
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Piano/keyboard
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If you are learning the piano I sincerely hope you have one of
these in the practice room!!
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For players of other instruments I would strongly suggest you

try to get access to one. Checking notes, aural work, harmony
and general musicianship will all benefit very strongly from
having a keyboard at hand. I'm not sure I know anybody that
makes a living from music that doesn't have at least some
ability on the keyboard.
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Other facilities 2
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Recorder
How do you sound to other people?
This is a really difficult question to answer when you are

playing. How you sound behind the instrument can be very
different from what the audience hears. Having a recorder on
hand can give you a fresh perspective.
A recorder can also help focus your listening. The brain has a
lot to cope with when you are playing - co-ordinating fingers,
reading notes, keeping time as well as listening. Being able to
listen back to yourself presents a chance to listen free from
distraction.
I know what you're thinking, what type of recorder should I
get?
Twenty years ago it was simple. Get a cassette recorder, a mic
and record. With modern technology there are many, many
ways you could record yourself:
DAT Tape
Mini Disc
8 track
Mic to PC
Mic to desk to PC
mp3 recorder
mobile phone
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HOWTOPRACTICE
Self Assessment
In order to know what to practice you need to know what exactly you can do
now.
There's no point practising the fingering for 'G' if you already know that,
equally there is no point practising F# major at crochet equals 160 if you can
already do that.
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What you need to do is to perform a musical self assessment so that you know
exactly how you play now.
As well as showing up your weaker areas it will also be useful 6 months from
now. Do the assessment again and you will see how much you have improved!
The key to making this assessment really useful is to make it measurable. For
many areas of playing a metronome is excellent for doing this. In other areas
such as fingering and range you can be specific about what you know and
what you don't.
For those areas that are a little more tricky to measure Use a range of one to
five to determine how good you are. One equals no ability and five means you
are exceptional.
You will end up with a matrix which you can fill in to show how good you are.
When you perform your self assessment it is important to be honest with
yourself. Do not put down a speed faster than you can play you are only
fooling yourself. Likewise don't underscore in one area. If you do this you will
then focus more un-needed practice on these areas.
Included overleaf is a sample matrix you can use as the basis for your own
assessment. It does not have all the specifics needed for your instrument but
it does show you the approach and will serve as a template you can develop
for your own needs.
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HOWTOPRACTICE
Self Assessment Form

1. No skill
2. Beginning
3. Average
4. Good
5. Excellent
Finger Technique
Internal Rhythm & Pulse
Transposition
Tone
Key Signatures
Articulation
Ornamentation
Range
Sight Reading
Endurance
Scales
Playng By Ear
Improvisation
Theory
Aural
Performing Skills
Musicality
Enjoyment

HOWTOPRACTICE
Dos and Donts
Do: Take responsibility for your own progress
Do: Think before you start playing
Do: Try to improve every time you play
Do: Be honest about the mistakes you make
Do: Have fun
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Don't: Let others tell you what you should be practising
Don't: Measure your practice by time
Don't: Get frustrated
Don't: Focus only on technique
Don't: Give up
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There will never come a time when

you don't have to practice.
- J J Johnson
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HOWTOPRACTICE
Tips
1. If you are tense, frustrated, angry, in a bad mood, tired etc
you will not get the most out of your practise session. Try
to leave these issues at the practise room door.
2. Having a regular practise routine is far more beneficial
than practicing for a few hours once a week. Regular
sessions will build your muscular memory and give you the
confidence to know that you can play well all the time.
3. If you practise things wrong you will emphasize bad habits
and improve slowly. If you know you are doing something
wrong then make sure you do it right everytime from now
on! If you practise wrong you perform wrong.
4. The start of a piece is often the strongest with a weak
middle and a small recovery towards the end. Avoid this
by starting to learn your pieces/studies from the end first.
5. When starting a new piece or study spend some time
finding out everything you can about it. This should
include: composer, key, period, dynamics, patterns, form,
rhythm, technique, time, markings, etc. If you know all of
these things before you pick up your instrument you will
save yourself lots of time.
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HOWTOPRACTICE
More Tips
6. Instead of spending 90% of your practice time playing and 10%
thinking, try spending 50% of your time thinking and 50% playing.
7. There are many, many ways we can be wrong as musicians
(wrong notes, wrong pitch, wrong time, wrong rhythm, wrong
finger, wrong posture etc) so spend some time thinking of all the
things you do right.
8. Nine times wrong and one time right does not mean a problem is
solved.
9. Not all mistakes are the same. Some are very useful and will give
you the information you need to improve. Careless mistakes
however are made when you are not paying attention. Make sure
you recognise these mistakes as careless and ensure you correct
them properly. Do not be careless in putting them right!
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10. Before you start your next practice session ask yourself what is
the most important thing you need to practise? Start your
practice with this. You are often at your most focused at the
beginning of the session and for the remainder you will have a
feel good factor, knowing you have already achieved something.
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11. Practice should be a fun and creative time. Even the best
practicers can fall into the trap of losing focus by doing the same
routine day after day, week after week. Make sure you don't fall
into this trap by varying your routine. Practise the same things in
different ways and in a different order. Make things up and have
fun.
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HOWTOPRACTICE
Mental aspects
Much of the practice you actually need to do is inside your
head. If you can get yourself thinking in the right way at the
right time then you are a long way towards improving.
Preparation
As with ordinary practice, practising without your instrument
and using your mind requires some preparation. You should
be:
Awake.
Refreshed.
Full of Energy.
Relaxed.
It's also important to note that you shouldn't practise
because you think you have to or because your parents or
teacher say so. You should be practising because you want to.
This is especially important when doing exercises without
your instrument. Full commitment and focus are needed.
You might be sceptical about practising without your

instrument. You should be aware however that several
academic studies have shown one very important thing:
The mind does not distinguish between real and

imagined events.
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HOWTOPRACTICE
Memorisation
Even if you never ever perform from memory you should still
develop some memorisation skills.
There are many reasons for doing this:
In depth knowledge of your music.
Feeling more secure in performance.
Freedom to concentrate on communication and musicality.
Personal satisfaction.
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Memorisation is a skill like any other and needs to be

practised. Everyone can play something from memory, even if
its only the first two notes from a piece of music. It's then just
a case of learning 3 notes, then 4 . . . .
When starting with memorisation use a piece you know well.
Learn small sections at a time and then join those small
sections together.
Being able to memorise will make you a more able and
confident performer.
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HOWTOPRACTICE
Visualisation
Nearly every major sports star in the world uses visualisation to make
them a better performer. Why then do so few musicians employ it?
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Especially as it is easy to do.
Simply spend some time imagining in detail a perfect performance.

How would it feel? How would it sound? What feelings would there be
in your body? Try to use all your senses to explore this. Try to feel the
movements in your muscles. Make sure your mind is able to cope with
all thoughts then enter it.
You can also use visualisation to deal with performance nerves,
interruptions in performance, relaxation and many other areas.
It has been proven to be effective so make use of this simple practice
technique.
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FAQ
How much practice should I do?
There is no single correct answer for this question. It depends on each individual.
You sould do enough to achieve the goals you have set for yourself. How much
you do will affect how quickly you want to reach your goals.
I don't like scales.
Try not to think of them as scales. Regular groups of notes that go up and down
are in most types of music. Look through some pieces that you play and try to
find groups of notes that go up by step. Now look at music you don't know. You'll
still see these groups of notes moving up or down by step. Imagine if you could
play any group of notes that moved in this way. You would be able to play lots of
new music easily. That is why we practise these patterns.
I don't feel like I'm improving
First check that you are practising effectively. It cou ld be that you are 'playing'
rather than practising. Next do an assessment. Then do the same assessment in a
weeks time. You should see an improvement. If you are practising well then don't
worry it can happen some times. Just keep working towards your goals and the
improvement will come.
I don't have time to practice
Really? Is that true? Think about how you do spend your time. Watching TV?
Playing computer games? Socialising? Gardening? It is a question of priorities. If
you really want to improve as a musicians then you must find regular time to
practise. You can still achieve a lot even if you only have a short time in which to
practise.
I don't know what to practice
If you have a teacher then ask them what you should practice AND why. They
should be able to explain how what they have asked you to do meets your goals.
If you don't have a teacher then you should ask yourself some questions. What
sort of music would I like to play? Which techniques would I like to master? What
are my weaknesses? What knowledge am I lacking? The answers to these
questions will give you lots and lot of things to practice.
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FAQ
My hands/lips are feeling tired
Your body is telling you to rest. If you continue then you risk permanent injury to
yourself. Make sure that you settle into you practice properly. Stretch and warm-up as
needed. If you have tired muscles from the start then you may have a deeper l problem
with your posture or the way you are playing your instrument. In these cases expert 1 to
1 help is needed.
It sounded much better at home
How many times did it sound better at home? Just once or twice? Unless it sounded
better most of the times you played it you have left yourself open to it being not so
good in the lesson. There is an old adage that amateurs practice until they get it right
and professionals practice until they can't get it wrong.
I get so nervous during performances
Stage fright is something that many people suffer from. However you don't need to
accept that you will always have it. You CAN do things to ease your nerves.
Firstly make sure that you have really practised well. Some nerves come from not really
knowing the music well enough, fear that you might go wrong or fear that you might
forget soemthing. Practice well and you can remove these from your mind.
Secondly make sure that all the other preparations you can make for your performance
are made well. Eat well, get some sleep, try out the venue and your concert clothes
before the day all those little details. If you have prepared these properly you have
many fewer things to worry about.
Having done the above preparation you might still have a few butterflies, that's OK. This
is just your body telling you to be alert and ready for the performance. When you feel
the butterflies start just breathe gently and notice how they feel. What you'll also notice
is that they build to a certain level and then don't get any worse.
Enter the stage confident of your preparation, concious of your butterflies and you will
perform well.

HOWTOPRACTICE
1 page guide to practice

Have all your
practice things to
hand instrument,
music, pencil etc
Don't play things

you can already
play that's playing
not practice
Time is irrelevant.
It doesn't matter
how many minutes
you practice.
What is important is
what you achieve.
Know exactly
what you need to
practise before
you start
Decide what
you will achieve in
this session this
will tell you when
to finish
Listen very
carefully if you
can't hear mistakes
you can't correct
them.
Most of all - have fun!

HOWTOPRACTICE
Flow Chart
Make sure everything
you need for this whole
practice session is ready
Do you have all the

equipment you
need to practice?
Start
Write down your long term

musical ambitions
Make a list of the skills,

experience and knowledge
you will need
Produce a list of daily/

weekly tasks and targets
to meet your goals
Set some yearly and

monthly goals to acquire
skills, knowledge etc
Do you have a
practice plan?
Yes
Do you know
what work needs
to be done today?
Yes
No
Pick one or two methods

which will achieve your targets
for this practice session
Yes
No
Re-read your practice plan
and review from last
practice session
Review everything you did.

decide what could be better
next time and outline your next
session
Do you know
which practice
methods you will
use?
No
How will you

know you have
finished practising for
this session?
Make note of the things you

will learn and achieve by the
end of this session
Have you
reviewed this
session and
prepared for the
next?
Practice
Yes
End

HOWTOPRACTICE
Practice Plan
Describe in detail what you need to
practice.
Which specific
bars or notes?
Name
Which practice
methods?
How will you know

when youve finished?
Date
Time
What did you do well and what might

you do better next time?
Practice Review
Name
Date
Time
How did you feel physically and mentally before starting to practise?
What did you practise and did you complete everything you had planned to?
Was there anything that went particularly well? Why was that?
What could you have done better?
Thoughts for your next practice session.
Practice Journal
Everyone learns a little differently. You may be someone that likes a less structured approach to tracking
your practice. Keeping a practice journal is therefore an ideal way to do this. More like a personal diary
than form filling. It provides a way to record all your thoughts about practice in your own way.
Below is a simple template you could use:
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Date:
What did you do?
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Notes:
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HOWTOPRACTICE
The HTP Practice Journal

You can now purchase the HTP music practice journal to record your practice.
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Get your copy
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HOWTOPRACTICE
Sample practice sessions

If you've read this far you'll know that no two practice
sessions are the same and that we couldn't possibly provide a
'template' for your individual practice.
What appears below is an idea of what a practice session
might be like, some general principles and approaches.
You'll notice at each step that a combination of things are
present: what to practise, why to practise, how to practise
and when to finish.
One other VERY important point to notice is that there is no
mention made of time/minutes/hours in these sessions. It
simply isn't important.
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There's very little to be said for learning a piece note by note,

reading the rhythmic markings, practising the fingerings and
following your instructor's suggestions, if you haven't any idea how
the music will eventually sound and feel. If you learn a piece
mechanically, you may have to 'unlearn' it before you can play it
with expression and feeling.
- Barry Green
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HOWTOPRACTICE
Sample session - beginner

1. Warmup
Begin with some long open notes. This is because I need to develop my sound and make
it sound richer like my teachers. The method I use is to close my eyes and imagine that I
am in fact my teacher. I imagine exactly what they sound like then play my own
instrument. Sometimes I get it other times not. I'm trying to get 10 notes in a row that
sound like my teachers before moving on.
2. Fingering Technique
There's a piece that I would really like to play trouble is that it has some really tricky
fingering passages in it. So next I'm going to work at my fingering so one day I can play it.
I'm working on this exercise but only the first two lines. Yesterday I could play it at
crochet = 76. Today I am going to play it five times in a row at crochet =82. By the time I
get to my next lesson I want to be at crochet = 100. If I go just a little quicker each day I
should get there.
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3. New notes
My teacher taught me a new note in my last lesson. It's a note I will need if I want to
enter an exam next term. I've been practising the fingering for it all the time without my
instrument. I start by playing the note a few times to make sure I can remember it. Next I
play through an old piece that I can play really well. Instead of using B natural which is a
note I already know I'm going to use my new note, Bb instead. Everytime there is a B
natural I play Bb. When I've played the piece twice without mistakes I've finished.
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4. Pieces
I have a new piece to learn this week. It is two pages long and I might play it for the
festival in a few weeks. To start with I am learning the second page only which means it
will be at least as good if not better than the first page. I have been looking through the
music very carefully and am playing it very, very slowly so that I get every single note
perfect. I got the first 2 bars yesterday so I'm doing the next 2 today.
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5. Aural
Before I finish practice my teacher has said I can learn another new piece for next lesson.
Only problem is I've got to do it without any music at all!! It's quite fun really and I've
found a tune on the radio that I like so I'm trying to learn that. I can sing the notes to
myself but it's a bit tricky trying to work them out on my instrument. My friend is coming
round later so we're going to try and work it out together.
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HOWTOPRACTICE
Sample session - advanced

1. Warmup
The biggest weakness in playing that was highlighted in my recent
assessment was that difference in sound and tone quality between
short and smooth playing. In order that my legato playing is as good
as the detached, most of my warm-up is currently made up of
smooth/slurring exercises. I'm using a narrow technical focus
method to concentrate on the consistency of sound throughout
these exercises. I have 20 exercises which I will try to play as
perfectly as I can before moving on.
2. Scales
Whilst I am generally good at scales there are some remote keys and
modes that are not as good as the others. First I'll play them all
through slowly to make sure the notes are secure. I've written these
down on some old playing cards and I then turn them over one by
one and play them in semi-quavers at 108 bpm. If I make a single
mistake I turn all the cards back over and start again at the
beginning. My aim is to get through all 20 without going back. It's
important I can do this as I'm playing more and more pieces in these
keys.
3. Sight Reading
Moving on from the scales and in order to try and lock those keys
into my head and fingers I work on some sight-reading. The way I do
this is to spend lots of time looking through and understanding all
the details in a piece before playing. Most of the time I play at the
speed of no mistakes. My aim, however, is to play at 100% of the
marked tempo with no mistakes. I'm working on five pieces per day
in different keys to improve this.
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HOWTOPRACTICE
Advanced session cont.

4. Pieces
I do have a recital coming up at the end of year which is important
for my grades but not for my ultimate goals. More important is that I
can play pieces in a group really well as that is what I want to make a
living doing. Therefore I'm practising pieces for my group. I have
learnt the notes and am now trying to introduce some musicality. I'm
using a couple of methods to do this. Firstly I spend time visualising
what a perfect performance will sound like. I then try to replicate my
imagination in every detail. Secondly I use exaggeration to really
make the musical elements stand out. Louds are really loud and
crescendos really noticeable. I'll keep the ones I like it's good to
experiment.
5. Aural
I know that I won't always have music for gigs in future and am
therefore trying to develop my aural skills. I'm taking a couple of
tunes I know each day and playing them by ear. I'm them developing
each tune further by writing down a bass line and trying to decide
what the chords might be. First couple of times were slow but I'm
getting quicker.
6. History
There are many players of my instrument that I admire and I like to
spend some time each day learning about them. What did they do
that made them so great and how can I do those things. It's also very
inspiring to listen and read about them.

HOWTOPRACTICE
Advice for teachers

If you've never thought about how you teach practice before do not
worry. Simply talking about it regularly during lessons will be helpful.
Putting a positive spin on practice is also important. Strive to make
practice something your students will want to do. Create activities and
plans that are different and exciting.
As each child is different you need options, even with the ideas this
guide provides you still need lots of options. Give them all the same
practice tasks and you will be failing some of them. Our website at
howtopractice.com has lots of options for you to choose from.
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Here are a few specific things you should think about:
Treat every child as an individual.

Teach them how to use the time between lessons.
Be specific about what you expect them to achieve before the
next lesson.
Look for the expert in every student. They're all good at
something you just need to find it.
Give students a varied musical diet. It doesn't just have to be
playing. Listening, composing, research can all be useful practice
activities.
Have high expectations of students and they will have high
expectations of themselves.
Most of all make it fun.
Sending them home with a few notes in a dog-eared notebook is to be

avoided at all costs.
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HOWTOPRACTICE
Advice for Parents

As parents you can have a very positive impact on your child's
practice. You don't need to be able to play yourself but you will
need to make a personal effort to help them.
Below are some simple ways in which you can help:
Take an interest, always know what they have to practise

and what is expected for the next lesson.
Always encourage. A few kind words can go a long, long way.
Be mindful of your comments as negative words can stay
with your child for a long time.
Help provide a good practice environment. Even if you don't
have a separate room you can minimise noise and
distractions whilst you child is practising.
Don't get into battles over practice they are counterproductive.
Look for ways to vary and inspire practice for your children.
Perhaps do it somewhere new or maybe let them off chores
for good practice.
Incorporate music into everyday life.
Get them to explain it to you in detail. If your child can
explain what and how they are practising it shows they
really understand themselves what is needed.
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HOWTOPRACTICE
Further help and info

We have made the advice offered in this guide relevant to all
musicians. However, after reading this guide you may well
have further questions specific to you. There are several
places you can go to get extra help.
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Stay in touch by subscribing to our newsfeed.
Join our facebook group.
Follow us on twitter.
Submit your details to the practice clinic.
View our specific methods for aural, ensemble, scales,

memorisation, technique, motivation, performing,
repertoire or just general.
View our getting started guide.
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If you want to contact us about submitting your links, writing

an article or anything else music practice related then please
get in touch. We'd love to hear from you.
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HOWTOPRACTICE
Finally
We very much hope you have found this guide useful. If
nothing else we hope it will make you think a little more
about how you use your practice time.
If you would like to find out more about practice and join in
the discussion then visit:
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www.howtopractice.com
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We hope to see you there!
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HOWTOPRACTICE
Acknowledgements
This book is made available under a creative commons attribution, noncommercial, share alike licence.
Image attribution
Page 4 Stefan Baudy
Page 5 James Arboghast
Page 15 Vizzzual
Page 21 Josep Rosell
Page 26 Redjar
Page 35 Hamner Fotos
Page 50 dani Gama

HOWTOPRACTICE
Music Practice Diary
This is an exciting product designed to help instrumental music students get the most out
of their tuition at the same time as helping instrumental music teachers manage their
students progress and guide them through their practice time.
The diary includes:
Bright accessible design, colourful easy to use layout.
Two pages a day, 12 weeks per term, 3 terms a year
Clear advice on how to get the best from the diary
3 lines of manuscript for each lesson and an extensive note section at the back
Space for parent feedback for each lesson
27 pages of useful practice techniques
Practical advice on how on how to learn scales more efficiently
Fits in most instrument cases
For more information and to order visit:
http://www.howtopractice.com/content/Music-Practice-Diary

HOWTOPRACTICE
Enjoy your practice!

Complete Beginners Guide To Practice

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Complete Beginners Guide To Practice

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Contents

About this guide

Why should you practice?

The problem with practice

Basic thoughts on practice

The process of practice

Some common misconceptions

Tools for the job

Dos and Donts

Frequently Asked Questions

One page guide to practice

Practice Flow Chart

Sample practice sessions

Advice for Teachers and Parents

Further Help and Information