Practice Like a Workout: How to Practice Music More Effectively
When a music teacher tells a student to “practice this week,” what does that actually mean?
Should you play the same song over and over? Start with the hardest music? Practice scales for 30 minutes? Play everything from beginning to end?
At Chris K Music, one of the skills I work to develop in my students is not only what to practice, but HOW to practice effectively.
I often compare a good music practice session to going to the gym.
You wouldn’t walk into a gym, immediately grab the heaviest weights, perform the same exercise for an hour, and expect the best results. You warm up, work different areas, complete repetitions, and gradually challenge yourself.
Music practice can work the same way.
1. Warm Up: Start With Technique
The first part of practice should prepare you to play.
What that looks like depends on the instrument and the student’s level. A warm-up might include:
- Five-note scales
- Full scales
- Brass buzzing exercises
- Finger exercises
- Percussion rudiments
- Long tones
- Chord exercises
- An easy piece of music that can be played correctly and comfortably
The goal isn’t necessarily to play something difficult.
Instead, we’re getting the fingers, hands, embouchure, breathing, coordination, ears, and brain ready to make music.
Think of it as stretching before the workout.
2. Warm Up With Music You Already Know
After technical exercises, I like students to play music they have already learned.
This isn’t wasted practice time just because the song is already completed.
Playing familiar music allows the student to take the technique from the warm-up and begin applying it in a musical setting without struggling to learn new notes at the same time.
It also reinforces muscle memory and musical memory.
The student gets an opportunity to settle in, become comfortable with the instrument, and experience successful playing before moving into material that requires more concentration.
3. Review: Do the Reps
Next comes music that has already been learned but still needs attention.
There’s an important difference between understanding something and being comfortable doing it.
A student may understand an entire song but still have:
- A difficult measure
- A few uncomfortable notes
- A troublesome transition
- An inconsistent rhythm
- A section that isn’t up to tempo
- A technique that was recently corrected
- A section that simply doesn’t feel natural yet
This is where we do the reps.
Just like exercising, improvement often comes from focused repetition.
Instead of playing the entire song ten more times, we can isolate the problem, work on it correctly, repeat it, place it back into the music, and continue building consistency.
Eventually, something that required intense concentration begins to feel natural.
That’s progress.
4. Something New: Build and Grow
Once we’ve warmed up, reinforced familiar material, and worked on areas needing attention, we’re ready to challenge ourselves.
That might mean:
- Starting a new song
- Learning a new scale
- Introducing a new rhythm
- Developing a new technique
- Trying a new chord
- Increasing difficulty
- Exploring a new musical concept
Not every student needs something new during every practice session. Sometimes the material they’re currently working on needs more time first.
New doesn’t automatically mean better.
I want students to be ready to move forward rather than constantly adding material before they’re comfortable with what they’ve already learned.
Good Practice Isn’t Always Longer Practice
A student can spend a long time with an instrument without accomplishing very much.
Effective practice needs purpose.
That’s why I encourage students to think about this simple sequence:
Warm up technically.
Play something you know.
Work on what needs attention.
Then build something new.
A focused practice session using this approach can often accomplish more than simply playing songs from beginning to end for a certain number of minutes.
Learning How to Practice Is Part of Learning Music
My goal as a music teacher isn’t for students to always need a teacher standing beside them telling them what to do next.
I want them to gradually develop the ability to recognize:
What am I doing well?
What needs work?
How can I fix it?
When am I ready to move forward?
Those skills can help students become more independent musicians and make their practice time more productive.
So the next time you sit down at the piano, pick up your guitar, assemble your clarinet, grab your drumsticks, or get out another instrument, think about your practice session like a workout.
Warm up. Play what you know. Do the reps. Then build something new.
Music Lessons at Chris K Music
Chris K Music provides individualized music instruction for students of different ages, experience levels, instruments, and musical goals.
Lessons are available in person in Mattoon, Illinois, and online, with instruction designed not only around learning music but developing the techniques and practice habits students can use to continue growing as musicians.
Chris K Music
Mattoon, Illinois + Online Music Lessons
ChrisKMusic.com