Practice makes perfect. Unless you’re doing it all wrong.
As musicians we understand that repeated study of your instrument and its various techniques is a necessity if we wish to master it. That being said, we are often told to “practice”, and yet no one really tells us exactly how to do that.
For me, I have finally realized that if I am not in my music room, my practice will consist of playing songs that I really don’t have to learn and that don’t challenge me at all. I call it “mindless noodling”.  I find that if I do enough of it, it actually sabotages any kind of real progress I’ve made in the recent past. Focused practice sessions will make you a better musician if you do it right. If you spend hours noodling around, without a plan and no goal in sight, you may just be developing bad habits. So how does one structure their practice in a way that will result in the greatest results? Read on.

Make A Plan

Yes, it may not seem very rock’n’roll, but planning what you’re going to practice, for how long, and where, is going to be the first step in getting results. There is an absolutely wonderful book titled First, Learn To Practice by Tom Heany. While he gives guitar-specific examples, any musician can use the strategies he gives in the planning section of the book. Heany tells the reader to divide their practice session into various types of playing:

Use a Metronome

You can admit that you knew this one was coming. Yes, it’s boring. Yes, it’s unforgiving. No, it won’t instantly turn you into a guitar God. But, using a metronome will make you a better player. Even if it does nothing else, it will teach you how to follow the beat, and if you ever join a band you will thank me for this alone. It always shocks me how many guitarists that are self-professed shredders and can play circles around me have such a poor sense of timing when they play with other musicians. I was once told that it’s better to play the wrong note at the right time than it is to play the right note at the wrong time. Anyone who has ever made the mistake of entering into a guitar solo a bar early or finishing that same solo a bar late will most certainlyknow exactly what I’m talking about. It’s not fun or glamorous, but using a metronome will improve your sense of timing, and from a musician’s standpoint, that’s a good thing.

Set Aside a Time For Practice

This one may be the most difficult idea to implement. Families, work, events, vacations, and just about any combination of the aforementioned things can throw a monkey wrench into our practice plans. The secret here is to expect that nothing will ever run smoothly, and plan around that fact. No one ever said you had to practice for one hour and all in one sitting. Perhaps you can only commit to 3 different 20 minute sessions on a particular day. That’s fine, just make sure that you put that into your plans for the day.

Set Aside a Place For Practice

You don’t practice your hockey power skating exercises at the baseball diamond, just like you don’t practice cooking in the car during a rush hour commute. Having a “place” that you use for practice does two things. First, it allows you to set up your things so that you can be surrounded by the tools you need during your practice session. Second, it allows you to associate the physical space you have chosen with getting better at your instrument. This second item is an important one. Psychologically, your practice space should bring you focus, calm, and perhaps even happiness. Trying to learn a new solo in front of the TV while feeding your toddler is probably not going to bring anyone much serenity.

Take Breaks During Your Session

If you are practicing for an hour or so, try taking a break every 15 to 20 minutes and don’t forget to stretch! It’s incredible how uptight and stressed your muscles can become if you are busy being hunched over for an hour in succession! Stand up, walk around, stretch your hands, arms, and shoulders, and have some water. This will also help you keep your muscles loose, which is a definite help to be able to play certain pieces as well as prevent long term injury that can result from playing your guitar or bass.

Keep a Practice Journal

I can’t stress how important this last step is. In his book, Tom Heany spends an entire chapter telling the reader how to use their journal and what to write in it. Keep a copy of your long term goals at the front of the journal where you will see them every time you sit down to practice. For each day that you are practicing, write down what you’re practicing, for how long, and any notes you wish to remind yourself about, be it notes from the previous days’ session or reminders. For example, I always forget to stretch during my break, so I write down “STRETCH!” next to my break entry in my journal. Once you are done your practice session, make notes on the various sections of whatever you practiced. Then, right then and there, write down the plan for the following day/next session. Include any notes and reminders from the current session, and include all of the goals for the new session.

Record Yourself

Ah, yes. There is nothing more sobering than hearing yourself being played back through a set of loud speakers in your room. That solo you thought sounded perfect sounds somewhat tense and boring.  You realize that you’re lagging behind the beat more often than not. Or worse yet, the tone you’ve spent years to achieve sounds muddy and generic. The horror! But don’t despair. Hearing yourself play will give you the ability to know what you need to fix in order to be better, and that is a good thing. Record yourself every now and then and you’ll be able to see your progress as a musician while holding yourself accountable, and there are few things as rewarding as that.

It is not uncommon for musicians to spend most of their practice time playing things that they already know how to play. That’s great, it help keeps your chops, but if you don’t include learning things that are beyond your current ability, you will never get better than you currently are. Arming yourself with a plan, using a journal, and keeping yourself accountable (and honest!) are key in taking your playing to the next level.
Another thing to keep in mind is that everyone is unique. What works for you may not work for someone else. I can’t practice when anyone is within earshot. Others can’t practice if they don’t have their lucky guitar pick or they aren’t wearing their rehearsal shoes. Those are the quirks that fuel the plethora of musician jokes out there, but they are also the things that give us the comfort and ability to become better at what we do.

What types of practice tips, rituals, or routines do you have? Share them in the comments below!