Times have changed since I was a child and so has the idea of music practice. So what does it really mean to “practice well?” Students have so many things on their plates these days. How can you utilize your time well? Here are a few thoughts and suggestions from my own personal experience as well as from other teachers…

The quality of your practice time is more valuable than the quantity. Use whatever time you have well. Focus on what needs the most work and what your goals are. Your time is precious: guard your work time and avoid distractions.

For those that need a time frame: *suggested daily practice times: 10-15min for beginners, 30-45 min for intermediate and advanced students. Again, see above^ Also, practice time/amount will change greatly if you’re preparing for a festival/competition/evaluation/recital.

For beginners/early intermediate: perhaps singing the piece(s) a certain number of times (vs. singing for an amount of time) is sufficient. For everyone: focusing on the parts that need the most work would be enough for your practice time - highlight harder passages, sections, what are you struggling with the most? When you’ve mastered it, move on.

“Practice makes permanent” …and it’s really the only way to get better at something.

“It’s ok to make a mistake as long as you know how to fix it.”

In performance… sing your mistakes beautifully! Most of the time the audience won’t even know!

1) Know your GOALS and your WHY for choosing to study music. Think of both the short and long term. Most students won’t end up majoring in Music, but having a musical foundation can be beneficial in many ways.

2) Know what you are learning and what your goals for the next lesson are. The day after the lesson is one of the most important practice days of the week. You may be learning new notes in one piece, memorizing another or polishing others.

3) Schedule a regular practice time for yourself. It doesn’t have to be the same time every day, but there should be a designated “singing practice” slot in your daily routine. Join the “Breakfast Club” and practice before you go to school! Most importantly, COMMIT to showing up.

4) Singing in the shower and car may be slightly helpful, but these should not be considered designated practice times :) It’s fun and shouldn’t be neglected, BUT you should make sure you’re practicing with the appropriate posture and perhaps in front of a mirror.

5) Order of practice

  • Stretch - loosen up! Areas of focus: face, neck and shoulders

  • Breathe - choose some breathing exercises

  • Vocal warm-ups - breathe well, support your sound and think of what you are focusing on

  • Sight singing exercises

  • Repertoire

    • breathing and support

    • correct notes

    • tall jaw position; round vowels

    • diction and natural breathing points in the song; phrases

    • character of the song: can facial expressions and gestures help?

  • Theory

  • Listen and watch GREAT singers and learn from them!

6) Start with a slow “tempo de learno” then work your way up to the written tempo for the piece (if it’s faster than you can sing at the start).

7) Break your music down into sections - you don’t always have to start from the beginning!

8) Use a metronome to help you keep the beat.

9) Count out loud or speak the words to the rhythm!

10) Record yourself playing and evaluate.

11) What is the story you are trying to tell? What colors/mood can you convey with your voice, face and body language?

12) Take criticism, evaluations and feedback to heart without taking them personally. Grow and change! Take heart, forgive yourself for your mistakes, and try again another day.