Practice Tips
Unfortunately, mastering a musical instrument requires more than reading books. Reading every book available on the subject won’t make you a better musician unless a commitment is made to adapt what you’ve learned to the actual instrument. There is no substitute for practice; however, there are ways to maximize the benefit from your practice time. Here are some tips which will help you to make the most out of your practice time.
Regiment Your Practice Sessions
Divide you practice sessions into specific areas and practice each area for specific lengths of time. They might be described this way:
1) Music Theory - This is the “brain work” that applies to all instruments. Studying music theory is like studying mathematics or English. The purpose is to understand music and help you to eliminate haphazard guesswork from your playing. Another benefit to studying music theory is that it will make it possible to discover new musical ideas.
2) Music Reading - Reading and playing from standard musical notation is a lost art among many musicians. It shouldn’t be. Yes, it requires a good deal of commitment. Yes, it is frustrating at first. But, for a musician not to read music is like being functionally illiterate. You might get by, but you’ll never reach your potential because you won’t be able to benefit from the discoveries of the endless parade of musicians who have broken ground for us. Learning to read music is something no musician regrets.
3) Single String Technique - This is the aspect of playing that involves endless repetition; preferably, with a metronome. Memorizing scale patterns isn’t enough. The scales must be played up and down, over and over until they are easy. Then, they must be practiced in intervals and sequences at various tempos so you will develop the motor skills necessary to execute any musical idea. Constant attention should be given to playing with perfect hand placement . If you are unsure if you are developing good hand technique, find a good instructor and take some lessons. It will be worth the expense.
4) Rhythm and Accompaniment - This is basically technique study which focuses on musicality. For bass players, this means walking bass and other bass lines. This is where you adapt your knowledge of music theory and your flawless technique to real world grooves and songs. All aspects of accompaniment including chord playing should be practiced until they are effortless and fluid.
Keep a Practice Log
Document everything you do during your practice sessions. Use it like a checklist so you will be sure to cover all the areas you are working on. The important thing is to chart your progress and take notes about any problems you may be having.
The ultimate goal of practice is to make that which is difficult become easy. Be aware of how your hands feel all the time. If you encounter any pain or numbness, STOP what you are doing! If the condition persists, see a doctor. Tendonitis and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome are far too common among musicians and the result can be tragic.
Find an Instructor
Before agreeing to study with any instructor, check their background. Be polite, but find out if the instructor is qualified. Too often, a local hero makes his living by taking students down a path toward destruction. Currently there is no established standard for private music instructors. PLAYMUSICFREE.COM is compiling a database of qualified guitar, bass and drum instructors nationwide. If you are an instructor or would like to refer one to this database, please email: joer@modernguitar.net