-Practice Slowly-

Welcome to your Digital Content! Here you will find helpful tips on how to practice and hopefully to answer questions you may have in between lessons.

10 Successful Practice Habits

1) Distraction Free Space

Make sure that you have a quiet space and silence your notifications!

2) Use a Practice Journal

Use the practice journal that I have given you. Think of it as a map to guide your practicing. Mark down what you did and watch your skills improve.

3) Record Yourself

This is the best way to get immediate feedback. Take control of the sounds you are creating with the convenience of immediate feedback with an honest representation of your craft.

4) Take Breaks

Rest is important! Treat yourself like an athlete, stretch before and during your practicing and make sure you warm up. Resist the urge to just jump right into the hardest or most intense passage in your piece.

5) Use A Metronome

Don’t just turn it on. Pretend that it is another person and that you are playing a duet with them.

6) Set A Daily Goal

In your practice journal set a reachable goal for your practice day.

7) Take Care Of Your Violin And Bow

Change your strings at least 3 times a year. Beginning of each school semester and the beginning of the summer. Get a bow rehair every 4-6 months.

8) Don’t Just Play Through Your Music

Doing run throughs of your assigned pieces is important to see where things are at but that is NOT practicing. Slow it down, isolate a shift or a string crossing. Play with intention.

9) Play For And In Front Of Others

Come to Studio Class! Performing is a muscle and it won’t get better by just wishing it to be so. If requires getting up, facing your fears and doing it. You will become stronger and better!

10) Time Management

Use a timer in your practicing. Whatever your timeline is, divide your practicing into equal chunks. For example if you have an hour, create equal 15 minute blocks with a tiny break in between. Then break those 4 blocks of 15 minutes into 3 blocks of 5 minutes. Set a timer and don’t let the time get away from you!