Could daily practice be as easy as brushing your teeth?
Eliminate Decision Fatigue, Save Time, Improve!
The journey of learning, playing or performing music requires practicing new skills and forming new habits. It takes dedication and experimentation (and a dedication to experimentation!) Though it may be hard, (it might even involve some tears), we learn a lot about ourselves and our tendencies along the way. And in general, hard work and determination lead us to feel more fulfilled, and able to achieve our dreams and expand our lives.
As with any skill, learning an instrument is so much about the consistency of practice. For as long as I can remember, practicing consistently has been challenging; for me, for my colleagues, and of course for my students. It’s hard! Learning an instrument is hard work, people! Sharing the deepest part of your soul through a melody that emerges out of a wooden box by way of a stick with the hair of a horse attached to it requires hours (+hours) of practice. ANYWAY.
Instead of subscribing to a daily battle of deciding when to practice, where to practice, or how we feel about practicing- what if we treat our practice like we treat other daily habits? Rather than choosing to practice, let’s just say we practice like we brush our teeth. Same time, same place, every day, no matter if we are happy, sad, or just really don’t wanna. We just do it. (Maybe even in our PJs in the bathroom?)
If we treat our practice as a true habit, we can cultivate an environment conducive to success.
1. When?
Same time every day.
Don’t spend precious mental energy deciding when to practice every single day. You brush our teeth when you wake up and when you go to sleep! We don’t have to contemplate how and when to schedule our teeth brushing around 25 other activities because we know it happens at those times. We can also decide to try practicing at the same time every day.
Try this: Spend 1 week practicing at a specific time every day. If you find that time isn’t working (maybe you chose 4:00 PM and it turns out that is hungry/hangry/tired o’clock aka a hard time to focus) try a different time for another week! Keep experimenting until you find a consistent time that works at least 5 days a week.
This might be hard if you have a variable schedule! If you can’t nail down an exact time, try pairing practice with a meal or another daily activity- maybe right before or right after breakfast/dinner/dance class. Even if your meal times vary, you know that they happen daily, so your practice will too.
I pair my practice with my morning coffee. My whole day feels better if I have the accomplishment of having done my morning practice. #practicedaysarethebestdays
2. Where?
Same place every day.
Keep your instrument, sheet music, and stand, in the same place every day. You brush our teeth in the bathroom and you keep your toothbrush and toothpaste there too! You don’t need to spend time running around the apartment or house searching for your violin and music bag. You don’t need to waste time digging through a pile or a car looking for your music and books. Designate a space and let everyone you live with know that your instrument will live in that spot in your home.
Make sure to pick a spot away from foot traffic and avoid anywhere with too much temperature variation- stay away from windows, heaters, air vents, etc.
3. How Long?
Decide the duration of your practice ahead of time.
Set a timer. The dentist says 2 minutes will do the trick! Maybe a bit longer for practicing the violin, please! Decide ahead of time how long you are going to practice and commit to it. Set a timer and stop once the alarm goes off.
Experiment! The first week you might try 45 minutes and then the second week you might try practicing in chunks, each for 25 minutes. Decide ahead, put it in the calendar and commit to your plan.
Just like we know the end goals of brushing our teeth daily are clean white teeth (crucial after all the coffee I pair with my practicing! #nocoffeestainsplease), a pretty smile, good breath, preventing cavities, fewer trips to the dentist...longer life? We can always keep in mind the end goals for daily practicing: love our sound, learn more pieces, play beautifully, feel confident in a performance, win an audition, feel good playing for others, express ourselves, tap into our creativity….
What are your goals? Where, when and for how long do you practice?