• Here are a few tips to help make practice time easier and more productive:
     
    - Look at the key signature.
    - Look at the time signature.
    - Look through the music for any difficult places - pitch or rhythmic.  Work out the tricky parts. 
    - Tap your foot to keep the steady beat.
    - Say the rhythm.
    - Say the note names in rhythm and finger along. 
    - Play through the entire piece of music.
    - Decide what was good - compliment yourself first!
    - Decide what needed improvement. 
    - Decide how you will fix the problem.
    - Once the difficult passage is fixed, play it with the easier music - put it all together.
     
    One way to fix a difficult passage: 
    - Play the section slowly.
    - Find the hardest part and play those two or three notes slowly several times, so that your mind, mouth, and/or hands know how it feels. 
    - Slowly increase the tempo (speed).  You must be able to play the music accurately at the tempo you choose.  If it is not accurate, slow it down again. 
    - When the difficult section is accurate and at the correct tempo, place it back into the music and play the entire section together.
    - Don't be discouraged if it is not perfect the first time - these steps can be used over again, each time you practice!
     
    *There are many other ways - don't be afraid to do something different, as long as it works, and you figure out how to play the music!
     
Last Modified on September 3, 2019