Category: Practicing

Yes, I first need to start with an apology. I’ve been a bit silent. Between getting my studio filled and “fall” lessons started (It doesn’t feel like fall in Houston) and my wife and daughters starting school last week, time to work on content wasn’t quite there.

But I thought that routine would be a great topic for new blog post! It’s always interesting to look at the stereotypes of musicians. Musicians are disorganized, late, chaotic and more. While for some, that may be true, to become a musician of any level, it takes work and discipline. And a big part of that is….routine!

I’ve been sharing with my students that started school last week or may be starting this week, that practice needs to be a regular routine in the rhythm of their life. Every night growing up, my mom would always say, “Craig, why don’t you practice the piano while I do dishes?” We didn’t have a dishwasher. So I practiced. And practiced. And practiced. I finally asked her this summer if she decided to slowly take her time, double rinse the dishes and more, and she just laughed. Which I took as a yes. I hated that routine at the time….but now, I’m thankful for it.

We’re in routines in many other parts of our life. Exercise, sports, watching our favorite streaming show, checking social media and more. As a musician, practice has to be a part of that routine for growth and excelling to happen. No one likes practicing. It’s work. It’s frustrating at times. Yet it is so beneficial and necessary.

One thing that I was reminded of on Saturday is something that I need to be in a better routine of. Writing/arranging music and publicizing it. See, I try to write and arrange music and have it self-published. I don’t talk about it like I should, except for the times like Saturday morning when I get an email saying that I sold copies of an arrangement. Which triggered the thought that I need to be in a better writing routine. And then a better publicizing of my compositions routine. (Which, by the way, you can find them here) So I’ve started to think through my schedule and how I can make that a priority and invest the time to improve that skill.

Routines are essential to life. Routines are necessary and beneficial, even if at the time, we don’t think that it is. How are you going to improve or change your routines this week? Comment with what you’re going to do.

If you can suggest it, I’ve probably done it. I’ve been a musician for 39 years. I’ve tried lots of different ways to practice, sometimes out of creativity, out of boredom, even out of challenging myself.

The biggest thing is to go slowly! You’re building up your brain/finger connection. The slower you go, the easier it is to get things right as you begin. It doesn’t mean that you have to go slowly forever!

Separate your hands! If it’s challenging to put both hands together, then focus on one. More often than not, it’s our non-dominant hand that needs the focus. So make sure you don’t shy away from that hand!

“Chunking” music is a great way to put things together. Normally, our challenge comes in going from one measure to another or one line to another. So if you take it apart and focus on the smaller sections or chunks, the easier it will be!

Finding the hardest part, or the most challenge part, whether it’s rhythm or coordination, is counter to what we want to do. We want to focus on the easy parts, by nature, and avoid the hard parts. But if we attack the hard parts first, that makes everything much easier!

Finally, as I said before about splitting your hands, focus on your non-dominant hand. It’s non-dominant for a reason, and it’s the one the needs the most attention! It’s always going to feel awkward and weird, but the more time you spend with it, it feels less awkward and weird.

So what about you? If you’re a piano player, what’s your go-to practice tip? Comment with what works best for you! If you’re wanting to learn, I have times available this week in person or online. You can find out more at harmannymusiceducation.com/lesson-schedule

Practicing is important. I talked about it on the 2nd episode of The Harmanny Music Education Podcast. Check it out at http://harmannymusiceducation.com/podcast/