Mark Carvalho Top 5 Tips to Practice

How to Maximize Your Practice Time

Nearly everyone has heard the expression that “practice makes perfect”. This is especially true when it comes to developing our skills as musicians as we reach for that next level and ultimate mastery of our instruments. Remember, music should be fun and can be extremely rewarding, delivering a great feeling of accomplishment.

Here’s my Top 5 Tips to help you achieve your musical goals and dreams…faster!

1. Set aside “ME” time Practice time is really “Me” time. (aka Music Excellence) You have musical hopes and dreams and this is your time to work toward them. Find a time for practice each day that works best for you and ask your family to respect it. Any practice is worthwhile, but time specially reserved for interruption-free practice is golden! Remember its better to practice daily for 20 minutes than to practice for an hour one day and then not practice for the next two or three days. Daily and consistent practice is key to making progress on your instrument.
2. Quiet space It’s a noisy, distracting world we live in, but finding that sanctuary for practice time will multiply productivity and help you focus.
3. Warm Up To begin practicing correctly you should always try to warm up first. It may be by practicing scales or by playing a favorite piece of music or song. This helps limber up fingers and joints. Vocal warm ups protect your voice and help you extend your range.
4. Practice slowly and in sections If you climb a mountain, do you run? No way! You tackle a section at a time. Music is the same. Try practicing your music line by line or phrase by phrase. It’s easier to process and produce when there is less music being processed at a slower rate of speed. This way it’s easier to hear mistakes and correct them.
5. Don’t Quit, Reboot! Struggling with a particular piece of music or section of a song? Sometimes you just need to take a break and start fresh. Don’t let frustration steal your dreams. Just reboot! Kids and teens might need a bit of motivation to practice music, so make sure to be supportive.

“Remember, above all, music is about having FUN— enjoyment that can last a lifetime! Lets play!”

About Mark Carvalho

Mark teaches guitar, bass and ukulele and has been a highly dedicated teacher at Rick’s Music World since the opening of the Raynham music store in 2001. He plays professionally in a number of local and Boston bands and has opened for such groups as The Byrds, The Ides of March, Rick Derringer and Edgar Winter.