“The magic you are looking for is found in the work you’re avoiding.”
Your practice time is sacred. It’s the time you spend discovering yourself; your missteps and next steps. It’s when you step away from the world to face your own inhibitions and ultimately conquer them. For the musician, this time is comparable to meditation or prayer.
For this, and other reasons, it’s extremely important to approach this time consciously and with purpose, so you don’t meander, flail, muddle, or struggle your way through an hour of practice with no tangible results. Having a plan and process streamlines your practice sessions to continue garnering results, even when you are away from your teacher for the week–or teaching yourself.
So how do we do that? Here’s the tried and true method. There are other tips and tricks out there, of course, but these 5 steps have helped my students time and time again.
1.) Calm down
Your state of mind as you enter practice defines how the practice goes, so make that decision ahead of time. There are many ways to get into “practice mode”. Ultimately, you have to find what works for you, whether that’s breathing exercises, meditating, screaming at a wall, or a strong cup of coffee. It can also help to have a warm-up routine to begin each practice session, so it triggers the mental state you’re looking for.
The idea is to be at ease to help you focus; if your mind is distracted with the worries and questions of the day, it will be difficult to find your flow. Find your method for tuning in, and you’ll be set up for success.
2.) Slow it down
About 80% of teaching drum lessons is saying, and I quote, “Why don’t you try slowing it down?”. It’s a sure shot. It’s a vital part of the practicing process, but it’s often neglected; the same way we don’t drink enough water, even though it’s a basic need.
We often feel we have to play things up to speed correctly the first time, but this isn’t true. Remember, it’s just you and the instrument; nobody’s watching. You need a chance to learn whatever skill you’re working on. So, give yourself that chance! Slow it down to half-tempo, then gradually increase the tempo as you master the skill. It may feel counterintuitive in the moment, but this will accelerate your progress exponentially in the long run.
3.) Break it down
When playing drums, there are usually multiple patterns being played simultaneously. If you’re struggling to process all of the parts together, break it down! Try playing each part individually, then start piecing it together. If it’s 4 way coordination, try playing 2 parts at a time to start. This will help you narrow down precisely what combination is confusing you so you can work it out. Next, try putting 3 parts together at a time, and then all four. This is a process I use all the time with students when they are breaking into 3 or 4 way coordination on drum set.
You can also break it down horizontally by trying short parts at a time. Try playing one measure of your exercise or piece at a time, then putting it back together. If one measure is still too much, you can break it down to one beat, or even a single note at a time. This is a great way to process complicated passages and make them comprehensible.
4.) One down…
Pick one thing at a time to improve. Much like the pressure to play things at tempo, we often pressure ourselves to fix all our mistakes at once. Usually, this causes us to play it the exact same way again, and actually practice playing what we don’t want to play!
Pick one thing to fix, and let go of the rest. If you miss a rhythm, only focus on playing that rhythm correctly and let go of the accent patterns. If you missed the dynamic change, focus on getting that and let go of the buzz roll technique. We can only focus on one thing at a time, so let your practice time reflect that truth.
5.) Get it down
Practice makes permanent. Once you can play the groove or part, it’s important to reinforce it. You can take advantage of your brain’s ability to hardwire itself (literally) through repetition, so it becomes “muscle memory”. You should repeat it until you don’t have to think about it anymore. It may take several practice sessions to accomplish, so keep at it until you get it. This is a great way to build your discipline, which is something you need in huge supply when you’re building any skill set.
6.) Pin it down
Procrastinating doesn’t work. It is far more effective to practice a short time each day than to practice for a long time one day a week; so make time every day, even if it’s only 10 minutes. You’ll find there’s more time available than you originally thought once you start looking for it.
As important as finding when to practice is what to practice. Take conscious control of this by deciding what you’ll work on ahead of time. If you schedule a practice, also write down what skills or books you’ll be working on.
Decide what you want. Then, do it.
I’ve seen this process work many times, and it’s always so satisfying to see it work again. If you can master the skill of practicing effectively, you will put yourself on an accelerated path to musical growth. I hope you found this helpful!
Post a comment about your favorite practice method or routine! Thanks for reading!
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