31 Days to Better Practicing: Build Sight Reading Into Your Practice Session

Just over a year ago, I wrote an article on 10 ways of improving your sight-reading skills, which has since become one of the top-performing posts on this blog.

In this posting, I won't rehash the various ways of improving your sight-reading skills I already wrote about previously. I will, however, talk about why sight-reading is important and how you can incorporate it into your daily practice regimen.

What sight-reading can do for you

• Drastically cut down on the time spent on learning notes in a new work of music.
• Develop your pitch-reading skills in a moderate pressure-cooker situation.
• Develop your rhythmic skills in the same way.
• Develop your listening skills.
• Allow you to integrate rhythm and pitch reading, stylistic thought, and physicality in a way not always utilized in traditional note-learning.
• Allow you to play and enjoy large amounts of music you might not otherwise find.
  

How to develop your skills

You won't develop into a great sight-reader by only doing it at lessons and exams. Regular practice for only a few minutes a day is the best way to progress in a pain-free environment.

The publication I recommend above all others is the Four Star Sight Reading and Ear Tests series by Boris Berlin and Andrew Markow. Divided into levels corresponding to RCM/NMCP grade levels, the books are divided into weekly units (around 10 per book) with one daily sight-reading and rhythmic example, as well as daily ear-training examples for each week. The amount of work involved per day is actually quite minimal, since it is the cumulative effect of the reading practice that improves skills. With a 10-units per volume and daily practicing, it should take approximately 10 weeks to get through a book. The short length of time it takes to complete a book also ensures that a student not up to par on his or her reading skills can easily do two or even three levels a year before taking an exam. The trick is not to cram these books but to work at (savor!) them as part of a daily practice routine.

And then enjoy the results.

31 Days to Better Practicing: Getting New Repertoire on its Feet

Some of the most difficult practicing happens when you're learning a brand new work and trying to work it into your fingers. Some of the dangers include overexertion, boredom, frustration at lack of progress, giving up, as well as the ever-present possibility of learning things wrong that will need to be undone later.

For me, one of the most effective ways of getting to the heart of a new work is not through dividing it up into digestible chunks, but by reading through the work in its entirety right off the bat, problems and all. That way, I engage with the work's challenges right away, and after collapsing from exhaustion at the end of the reading session I can very quickly arrive at an order of battle when properly learning the work.

This approach parallels what happens in many readings of new works that I participate in through various companies and ensembles. The first rehearsal always starts with a full stumble-through, mistakes and all, so everyone has a clear idea of what to expect. Then the work of finely crafting and polishing the performance begins.

This approach presupposes a certain level of advancement of both playing and reading ability. Younger students might find this approach difficult. Yet, even at early levels, students can with a little goading and encouragement, read all the way through a new work. My older students do the initial read-through at home, and it definitely shows in a reduction of time needed to learn a work without spoonfeeding. Most of them are actually impressed at their own ability to bite the bullet and avoid note-learning procrastination.

Other thoughts on initial learning:

• Listen to recordings of the work before playing it. Not just one, but several performances are best to hear in order to not imitate styles and mannerisms of certain performers.
  
• Watch performances on YouTube. The performance levels of different performers will differ wildly on YouTube, but there are some wonderful gems that have only come to light since video sharing took off a few years ago.
• Singers should spend time on translating the text before they sing a new song or aria. See my previous posting on Some Ways on How to Learn a Song or Aria for more information.
• String players might want to have bowings and fingerings already copied into their part before learning the music. Many teachers have a fixed set of preferred bowings and fingerings in their own part that they lend to students. Some of these fingerings have been handed down from famous teachers such as Heifetz or Galamian.

31 Days to Better Practicing: Practice Links

Here is a selection of links to practice-related articles from around the web and blogosphere.

Josh Nemith writes about a study at Northwestern University measuring the positive effects on speech activated by practicing an instrument.

Ben Clapton looks at ways of cementing what you have correctly learned into a reliable performance. If you're interested in developing good practice habits you should also read Ben's Music Practice Tips blog cover-to-cover.

Rhona-Mae Arca examines why we should practice scales, chords, and arpeggios.

If you're still not convinced, read saxophonist Zac Johnson's comprehensive article on the importance of practicing scales.

Leo Babauta at Freelance Switch talks about how to continually sharpen your skills at anything.

Still working at the memorization? Dumb Little Man has a list of 5 quick and easy memory tricks.

Jon Ensminger's concise list of basic piano technique elements is a useful resource to check from time to time.

Finally, everyone should read Martha Beth Lewis' linked-out article on ensuring successful practicing.

As we approach the halfway mark of the month, here is the next batch of useful practice links for the avid musician.

Martin Schuring at Arizona State University has written an essay on practicing from the oboist's perspective.

Charles Moss has written an article on required practice that examines some of the basics of the process.

Here is a useful article on taking piano exams from an anonymous Geocties retro-site.

Brent Hugh at Missouri State College has assembled a large pagh with piano practice principles and methods resources.

Looking for some interesting piano repertoire? Try the Pianopedia.

Those studying Baroque music might want to check out Dr. Brian Blood's useful page on ornamentation.

Finally, those wishing to maintain good physical health when practicing might want to check out the Musicians and Injuries page, with lots of useful prevention information and recommended books.

Here are some more great practice-related posts from the blogosphere.

Music Practice Tips' Ben Clapton shares 10 tips for memorizing music.

Kate Boyd at Notes From the Ivory Tower writes on How (and Why) To Keep a Practice Journal, with some easy steps on how to incorporate journaling into your practice session.

Valerie Kampmeier at Free2Create looks at the blessings of needing to rethink your creative priorities in Are you feeling disillusioned? Great!.

Rebecca Hass at The Resonant Life looks at failure as a way to eventual success in It's my party and I'll fail if I want to.

The Music Teacher's Helper Blog's Ed Pearlman asks us to re-examine our notion of a mistake.

Finally, Rhonda-Mae Arca, who writes the always illuminating Musings at Musespeak, blogged about a video by Alan Watts shown before a group meditation session, embedded below:

Here are some recent practice-related finds from around the blogosphere:

Graham English discusses how to turbocharge your practicing.

Ben Clapton helps you get over your fear of new pieces.

Jeff Mason shares his list of books on practicing and musical subjects.

Natalie lists some great websites for students on the Music Matters Blog.

Ed Pearlman talks about what's in a scale.

And Rhona-Mae Arca adds a new twist to ear training.

31 Days to Better Practicing: Goals Settings

Short Term Goals

One of the best ways to jump start a practice routine is by working toward something, and there is nothing like setting a deadline in order to get work done. Today we will be looking at short-term goals and how they can focus your practice.

Here are some examples of common short-term goals:

• Master the ornaments in a Baroque piece
• Sort out the left hand of a tricky piece
• Play a piece with solid rhythm at a slow tempo
• Increase the tempo of a piece by several metronome markings
• Master a difficult passage once and for all
• Learn that darned F minor formula pattern
• Memorize the first movement of a sonata
• Fit in regular practice times all week
  

Not life-changing goals, but goals nonetheless that move along your playing and take you to the next step. In Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity, author David Allen talks about the importance of immediately identifying next actions and completing them as a way to increased productivity. Setting a few short-term goals can very quickly put you on the road to getting out of a rut and improving steadily. Teacher's remarks in lesson notebooks are classic examples of this--students ignore their teacher's concise weekly assignments at their peril...

What are your short-term practice goals?

Next: Medium Term Goals

Yesterday we looked at ways of keeping your eyes on short-term goals in order to have your eyes on the next action on the road to performing excellence. Having your eyes on a prize that requires working over a slightly longer period of time can also can generate the desire to keep on practicing regularly.

What are some goals that you can work towards satisfying along a longer time line, say, three to six months?

• Exams. One of the best ways to measure progress is by taking standardized examinations for an accredited organization such RCM Examinations (known as the National Music Certificate Program in the US). Preparing for these types of examinations requires you to play several pieces from different styles, studies, and technical exercises, as well as take ear training and sight reading tests. The effort required to build the skills to pass each level can provide a very real challenge, and can provide benchmarks for beginning, intermediate, and advanced students.
• Festivals and competitions. Playing in classes specific to age and level at festivals sponsored by MTNA, NATS, Kiwanis, and Rotary clubs, can provide the challenge of competing against other musicians and receiving an adjudication from an authority in the field. This second opinion can often give you the reinforcement (or kick in the rump to keep you) moving along to the next level. And what can compare to the thrill of winning a class against stiff competition? Even if you don't win, the work you did in preparing for competing will have a lasting effect on your quality of playing.
  
• Recitals. If you don't like competitive playing, I highly recommend playing in recitals. These include formal recitals organized by schools, teachers, and organizations, in addition to impromptu occasions for family, friends, etc. If you're learning an instrument, why not share your love of playing with others?
• Auditions. If you're doing well, why not take it up a notch? Opportunities abound for honor bands, orchestras summer festivals, operas, and musicals. Prestigious programs such as the RCM's Young Artists Performance Academy or Juilliard's Pre-College Division are tough to get into, but offer a rewarding education for those able to pass the tough audition.
• Personal milestones. Learning all the Grade 10-level technique, playing your first Beethoven Sonata, getting through your graduate recital from memory a month before the concert, hitting that high C with a solid vibrato, or playing through the concerto in public are all goals that depend not on other's acclamation, but on beating your own personal demons. Claude Debussy once said that "In art, one has more often to fight against oneself, and the victories one wins are perhaps the most beautiful."

Above all, create the challenge and chances are you just might find the way to fulfill it.


Tomorrow I'll be looking at long-term goals.

Next: Long Term Goals

In the last two days we've looked at ways to set viable practice goals for the short and medium term. What are some goals that we can set for the long term, ie. one year or more in the future? This is an important stage of the goal-setting process, but one that is fraught with danger, as one has to walk a fine line between valid outcomes and self-delusion.

Generally, the more ambitious the goal (performing at the Met, Carnegie Hall, signing a DG contract), the more it needs to be broken down into many, many more smaller, digestible goals in order for the final outcome to come to pass.

Let's take an entirely manageable ambition for many students--getting accepted into a university music program. Here are some ways that you could break a big goal into a bunch of smaller ones:

• Research universities on the internet
• Send away for information
• Figure out the application process
• Fill out application forms
• Get letters of reference
• Write cheques for application fees
• Fill out financial aid forms
• Learn correct repertoire for each audition
  
• Make pre-screening audition tape (more and more common these days)
  
• Send out applications well before the deadline process
• Schedule audition once called by university
• Get cheapest flights to college destinations
• Book hotels at college destinations
• Do auditions
• Once accepted, send in acceptance letter with deposit
• Look for more financial aid
• Go to college program

I'm tired already after writing that list and glad that I'm finished with my college education. But looking at that large list, you discover that one big dream can be easily managed if it is broken up into a bunch of smaller, manageable tasks.

I can't emphasize how important it is to be realistic when setting long-term goals. Here are some examples that depend on individual initiative and can be realized with determination and hard work:

• Learn a concerto
• Learn the arias for a role that is a bit too large for one's voice, but which one will grow into in the future
• Learn how to make kick-ass oboe reeds
• Learn the whole Well-Tempered Clavier (Angela Hewitt did it and is in the midst of her Bach World Tour this fall)
• Play the violin with deadly accurate intonation
• Develop into a professional-level singer
• Develop a stylistic breadth of experience in multiple percussion instruments from many cultures

However, when our goals depend on the actions of others, it is much easier to experience serious disappointments. Here are some goals that have the possibility of setting oneself up for disappointment:

• Getting into that world-famous school of music
• Getting that elusive tenure-track college position
• Getting a high-paid position in an orchestra
• Having a concert career
• Getting a top agent

Nevertheless, if we never have goals like these, we will never have the drive to succeed that jump-starts our practice routine in the first place.

I am noticing that this post is quickly turning into an article on life goals in music in general rather than just getting something out of practicing. But I feel that the urge to improve your playing through practicing often parallels the urge to develop oneself, to make a mark, experience satisfaction, and live a fully realized life. Therefore, I'm going to end this post with another long-term goal, one which I feel has no higher calling:

• To be able to play one's instrument at a high level, giving pleasure to oneself and others, and with a healthy technique that will last into old age.

At its core, the art of playing an instrument depends on the level of enjoyment one has in playing both great music and the process of playing the instrument itself. At this level, the degree of professional success one has is immaterial. From Rueckert's "Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen":

Ich bin gestorben dem Weltgetümmel,
Und ruh' in einem stillen Gebiet!
Ich leb' allein in meinem Himmel,
In meinem Lieben, in meinem Lied!

I am dead to the world's commotion, And I rest in a quiet place. I live alone in my heaven, In my love, in my song.

Tomorrow I'll be posting some cool practice links from around the internet.

31 Days to Better Practicing: Warming Up

Just as an athlete needs to warm up properly before more serious exertion, a musician needs to warm up before playing or singing all-out. Players of different instruments utilize different types of warm-ups and can learn a great deal from the way they are structured. For example:

• String players tend to play scales at the beginning of a practice session not only to build technique, but to build intonation and the process of deep listening that will improve quality of sound.
• Unlike instrumentalists, singers need to build their own instrument inside their own body, and their warmups tend to emphasize breath management and tone production, which help to guide the breath mechanism and its component parts into a workable whole over time.
• Pianists need to develop a great deal of fluency and play more notes per work than any other instrument. For this reason, traditional piano technique consists of scales, chords, and arpeggios played in all keys in a variety of ways, not to mention finger dexterity exercises in order to build finger strength and independence.

I have always felt that changing up the types of warmups you use when beginning your practice time can greatly improve your approach to the rest of the practice session, since it is after all the mind that is being warmed up in addition to the playing mechanism. Here are some suggestions for interesting warm-up routines:

• Play standard technique before playing repertoire. This is by far the most common warm-up. Play a wide variety of scales, chords, and arpeggios appropriate to your instrument and level, repeating them not mechanically, but really listening for accuracy, quality of sound, intonation (if you're playing an intonation-sensitive instrument). The goal of technical exercises is awareness as much as dexterity.
• Play various technical exercises or studies before playing repertoire. I've always been a fan of Hanon exercises (especially the first 20) and there are a limitless number of ways you can practice them, such as with various articulations, in all 12 keys, or with rhythms. I like the sense of contact with the instrument that I discover when warming up with Hanon exercises, as well as the fact that they exercise my fifth fingers, unlike traditional piano technique where the fifth finger hits rarely, if at all.
• Do a physical warm-up such as yoga or tai chi. Many have talked about the benefits of stretching exercises before practice and if you can incorporate it into your routine, you can drastically cut down on the chance of physical injury from playing.
• Problem solving time. Jump to the most problematic areas of your current repertoire and fix the spots that are giving you the most grief. Take them apart and practice them in new and interesting ways.
• Play something entirely enjoyable with the most beautiful sound you are capable of. Then launch into your regular work.
• Sight read as a warm-up. Done over the course of weeks or months, you can improve your reading skills to an incredible extent by setting aside time to sight read every day. And what better time to do it than at the beginning of your session.
• Slow practice. Just as athletes take is slow at the beginning of a training session, so should we. Work on a short section of a piece, whether problematic or not. Practicing slowly can allow you to be in total command of your instrument and develop greater awareness of what there is in the music and your approach to it.
• Change things from time to time. There are some pianists who brag that they have a set warm-up that they have been following for years. What a dull way to start your practice day. The more interesting you can make your first minutes at the instrument, the better off you will be for the rest of it.
• No warm-up. If none of the above resonate with you, it may be worthwhile to reconsider the validity of warming up at all. Why be burdened by the need to do a fixed activity at the beginning of a practice session when it feels better to jump right in and get work done.
  

What's your method of warming up?

31 Days to Better Practicing: Build a Regular Practice Schedule

If you're learning an instrument and you want to improve your playing, learn music, or get more enjoyment out of playing, the one thing you need to do above all else is practice. This means setting aside some time nearly every day for quality work on honing your craft. Many of the things I would like to impart this month deal with fun ways to make your time spent in the practice room more enjoyable.

However, the one thing that must already be in place before any nifty practice techniques will actually work is a regular practice schedule. In fact, today's theme is probably more important than anything else I'll be talking about this month, and if you get nothing else out of this series, this is the concept that will yield the most growth in your playing:

The most important element of practice is that it be a regular, fulfilling, and disciplined time spent with your instrument on as regular a schedule as possible.

Showing up is half the battle.

Here are some ways that people of different ages and schedules can fit practice time into a regular schedule.

Students 12 and Under

One of the most valuable things that parents can impat to their children in musical study is a sense of schedule and structure in day-to-day musical life, and that time be rewarding and fun. I see too many young students fall by the wayside simply because their parents didn't want to have any kind of engagement in their kids' musical activities.

Here are some optimal practice times in a young student's daily routine:

• First thing in the morning before school. They'll need to get up earlier to do this, but work it into their schedule and you'll have kids bursting with mental energy as they head off to school.
• First thing after school. As soon as they come home in the afternoon, getting them into the habit of practicing will also fit nicely into a regular schedule without taking significant time away from homework or other activities.
• Right before dinner. An okay time, but not optimal because of obvious hunger issues.
• Right after dinner. Also a good time.
  
• Mid-evening. Another very good time, and takes planning fitting in homework. Beware of the seduction of television and computer games at this time.
• Right before bed. A possible time, but not optimal unless there is no other time to fit in the practice session because of other activities. Some kids that have a lot of energy at this time of day might actually benefit from practice before bed.

Although mixing and matching practice times will work, for younger students it is probably a better idea in the long run to stick with one or two regular times of day.

High School-Age Students

As students go through high school, their hold on a regular practice schedule can be tenuous, with competition from homework, sports and other activities, social time, internet time, and computer games.

Here are some optimal times, bearing in mind that more practice time will be needed for advanced students:

• Before school at home.
• Before school at school. Many schools have practice facilities, and teachers gladly let responsible students use them. This is a great time, because they are at school, can usually concentrate if they have privacy, and have a chance to get away from parental supervision (very important).
• During free periods at school. Again, it takes discipline, but these can be profitable time.
• Right after school upon arriving home. An excellent time of day to practice as long as there are no conflicting activities.
• Mid evening. Another useful time, but faces stiff competition from Nintendo and Facebook.
• Late evening. This starts to be an excellent practice time for teenagers once they get into the zone, especially for those who will eventually become nightowls. Warning: can distract siblings.

There are two things I notice with my students that get in the way of regular work:

1. Not enough parental engagement at an early age. I can't stress how important this is. Music teachers are not babysitters, and parents often don't realize how much of a positive model they can be through taking an active interest in their son or daughter's musical life.

2. Extreme overbooking. The opposite problem. I also see a great many students who are involved in way too many extra-curricular activities for their own good that never get to develop any sort of process in working at any activity because they are always being shuttled to the next one.

For the parent, it is good to develop a sense of balance, remaining engaged in getting their kids practicing and thinking about music, but with the ultimate goal of letting them do it by themselves without the prodding. Proud indeed is the parent whose son or daughter works hard at their instrument, has fun at it, and feels the satisfaction that they did it for themselves.


Tomorrow I'll be looking at how adult students can fit regular practice times into their schedules, given an entirely different set of life challenges.

Yesterday we looked at ways to build a regular practice routine into the day of a moderately busy young student anywhere from ages 5 to 18. Today we will be looking at possible practice schedules of college age students and adults.

University Music Majors

When a student enters a university, college, or conservatory as a music student, a certain amount of commitment is already expected given the amount of time and money needed to obtain a Bachelor's degree in music. Here are some optimal practice time allocations for the college-age student:

• Early morning before classes start. Let's face it--looking for practice time in a school of music sucks. Everyone wants a room, and not many are available at peak times of the day. A great strategy is to arrive at school first thing in the morning and start practicing before anyone else arrives and before classes start. That way, you can take advantage of optimal early-morning concentration and embark on going to classes with a fair amount of work already done.
• Between classes. If you go to a school that schedules regular practice room times, you can take advantage of holes in your schedule to book practice time at the beginning of the year and plan practice time just like you would any other academic commitment. This is a bit more difficult if you attend a school that has first-come-first-served unbooked practice rooms, which sometimes require the creation of secret practice room societies in order to actually acquire a room.
• Weekends. The weekly prime practice time, especially if you don't have to go to work. Show up in the morning and practice until you drop.
• Late nights. For college students, often the best practice work gets done in the evening, as students adjust to the night-owl schedule. Arrive at your room right after dinner and keep on practicing until you and your buddies decide to go to the pub. Works every time.

Adults

One of the largest groups of people learning how to play an instrument or sing these days consists of adults, some of whom come back to it after years of hiatus. What makes matters harder for many adults is how to fit in caring for kids with fitting in a practice schedule. This is a big issue with many of my semi-professional advanced students. Morning for parents and working adults can be sheer madness and practicing tends not to be an option unless you are retired. Here are some ways to make a grown-up practice routine happen:

• Practice for short durations when the kids are sleeping or involved in independent activities. For parents of babies and toddlers, the mid-afternoon nap is a great time to have some quality time to sit down and get some work done.
  
• Practice when the kids are at school.
• Practice in the evening. Early bedtimes are useful for this if you have younger kids.

Yesterday, I received a comment regarding how "super-busy" music teachers can schedule practice time. Here is my response:

• If you're a music teacher, one of the best times to schedule quality practice time is an hour or so before a block of students. Practicing beforehand will not only warm up your playing mechanism, but get your mind going as to how you can better impart ideas. Practicing after teaching is another okay time to get work done, although you might not want to think of anything music-related once your last student leaves. It's important to remember that every successful music teacher must still move forward artistically and regular practice is the place to do that.
  

Above all, learning to find practice times as an adult requires advance planning and a clever balancing act...


Tomorrow I'll talk about how to warm up at the beginning of a session.