Three different ways to tackle tricky technical passages and supplement slow practice
Having trouble with a technical passage in your practice? Here are three of my favourite ways to tackle them that can use to supplement everyone’s favourite practice method - slow-practice.
Practice Tips: Trills versus Counting - who will win? (spoiler alert: it’s you!)
You’re playing in band, on a really long trill, but suddenly you’ve completely lost count as to where you are in the long high note wiggle - oh no. OH NO.
Keep reading to get some helpful tips to combat this!
Thoughts from a recovering perfectionist: self-recording
Recording my own playing…just the thought gave me the heebie jeebies for a long time. Everyone says we should do it for a whole host of reasons, but sometimes the thought of it gives the eugh.
Well…I hate to say it, but they’re right.
“But I don’t like the way I sound on a recording, the minute I hit record all my skill goes out the window, it makes me nervous, what if someone else hears it, what if someone else hears it and gives unsolicited advice, but I know it’s for practice and improving but I just can’t stop doing takes until it’s perfect.”
Does that sound familiar? I see you (unless you don’t wish to be perceived, I totally get it.)
I too was once very put off by recording my own playing and listening back. Sometimes I still am…but I feel the eugh an do it anyway.
Here’s why…
Practice tips: Late off of ties or rests? Try these.
Late coming off of a tie or a rest and playing the rhythm incorrectly or rushing to get back on beat? Add these to your practice toolbox to help you with these kinds of habits.
Sight-Reading Tips for Musicians
I’ve grown to love sight-reading, so here are some of my favourite tips!
Thoughts from a recovering perfectionist: mistakes
The music lesson is one of the prime places to make the mistake.
Why?
If we don’t hear/witness/become aware of a problem, we can’t diagnose and find solutions that work for you.
Memorization tips for musicians
My memorization tricks!
These are three tools for memorization that I use that can help with reinforcing memory-work in music, and starting the challenge of memorizing music.
Interleaved Practice: be more effective in the practice room
I’ve got a problem with block-practice.
How I stumbled into changing my practice routine to the interleaved method, and how you can benefit from this style of practicing.
The Musician’s Mind-Palace
Creating performance mind-palaces where you feel most powerful.
Practice journal reflection ideas for musicians - part 2
More practice reflection prompts to consider before or during your practice to remind you of your motivation, your presence, notice any stress or tension, and bringing joy or at least neutrality and calmness into your practice session with your instrument.
Practice journal reflection ideas for musicians
Did someone say journaling?
Okay so maybe it’s journaling-lite.
Here are some reflection questions I like to use for myself, and the people I work with to think about how we practice.
No deadlines? Want to play but stuck? Here’s how I set practice goals without external motivation
Do you ever find yourself at a loss of what to practice when you don’t have any outside deadlines but still really want to play?
Be kind, rewind: how to come back to your instrument after a break
If you’re taking a break from playing either intentionally or unintentionally, this one is for you.
Four steps to work on rhythm
✨COUNT IT
🟣SING IT
🟦MOVE IT
🎶PLAY IT
3 ways to use colours to help you learn music
Let’s talk about 3 different ways you can use colours to help you learn music.
How to build a new habit: the buddy system for accountability
It’s the final week of my tips on habit-(re)building series!
What is it?✨
Having an accountability person (or group), or “the buddy system”!
How to build a new habit: be kind to yourself
Another suggestion for forming a new habit here for consideration🌸
Be gentle with yourself, especially if you’re like me and have perfectionist tendencies.
How to build a new habit: make it fun
Next habit building step coming in 🎶🦐🎶
Now that we’ve agreed we’re starting small, and attaching the new habit on top of something that’s already routine, we’re going to make our small task enjoyable.
How to build a new habit: habit stacking
Last week, we started small - this week I’m going to talk about another one of my favourite techniques for (re)building a habit or music-related habit like practicing.
Habit stacking.
How to build a new habit: start small
Trying to (re)build a practice/some kind of music-related habit? Start small! (okay maybe not small instrument, but you get it)