Set Up for Success: How to Get into a Practice Routine & Keep It Going!
The tale is as old as time....
The opportunity to start learning a musical instrument presents itself. The idea of playing music, being a musician is exciting and new! Yes! I want to do it! And obviously, playing an instrument is exciting! But then the realization hits that we have to practice. The playing is fun! The practicing… not always so much. But why? Why does this mindset take hold of so many young musicians, and if you were like me, continue to plague them throughout their experience as a musician? What if we could set ourselves and the young budding musicians in our lives up for success simply by priming our practice environment?
I believe there are many different factors in building healthy practice habits, and the mindset aspect is a blog post for another day, but what if we could start by simply planning a practice routine that guarantees progress?
Try out the following tips and let me know how it goes!
Set Up a Designated Practice Space
A special room or corner of a room designated for practice only
Set up music stand (and keep it set up)
Leave instrument out & ready to play (Wall mounts for instruments are fun & decorative!)
Have fun with it, decorate your practice space with pictures and/or motivational posters
Same Time, Same Place
Set a timer to practice at the same time each practice day
Practicing in the same place and at the same time fosters habit & discipline
Find a Healthy Balance
Don’t practice every day but try to practice the same days each week
If you can’t practice the same days each week, plan your practice days ahead of time
Take days off to rest!
Take breaks while practicing!
Take Notes During Lessons
Practice for as long as it takes to get through what your teacher said to practice! (Take breaks when necessary!)
Write down notes during lessons, check out my Practice Journal specifically designed for practice success!
We already know that one of the many benefits of learning a musical instrument is learning discipline. But this doesn’t always come easy. We can however set ourselves and our young musicians up for success by having a solid plan, place, and routine for practicing! We also learn that a little extra effort upfront results in continuing benefits later!