Exactly How Do You Use Your Practice Time, Bo's suggestion Options

[Tess]

Bohemian made a good suggestion, i.e., to start a new thread on HOW you use your practice time. Her point is, it's what you do during practice that matters, not for how long you practise. Hmm, she doesn't need my practice schedule now but I can normally hear her in the large kitchen where my son and I do/struggle with battles. Just guessing but I think it probably goes like this now:

-Tuning the violin
-Silence (prayer, body-stretching plus finger-relaxation exercises) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)
-Scales (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dry.gif)
-Vibrato exercise (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif)
-1 or 2 easy favourite piece/s (for warm up?) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)
-Silence again (pencil-bowhold exercise) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ph34r.gif)
-Sevcik Etudes (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ohmy.gif)
-Sight-reading, clapping and then practise playing Concerto/Festival piece?


Erm, ... think that just about wraps it up. Over to you, folks!

[Car Expert]

For my guitar:

-Check my guitar is tuned
-Practice pieces/scales given for the week

Car Expert

[Tess]

For my guitar:

-Check my guitar is tuned
-Practice pieces/scales given for the week

Car Expert

Humph! Lovely, nice and straightforward, CE. Told her she should have learnt the recorder/piano/guitar. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) Violin is too complex. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ph34r.gif) But beautiful sound, though. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif)

Goodnight, CE.

[Tess]

CE, what happened to your signature? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif) It has gone right! I mean, to the right from the left. To/in the wrong place?

Tess (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[anakrron]

Um, I really don't have much of a structure when I practice... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ph34r.gif) Play pieces, repeat bits that are dodgy, do some scales and maybe some sight reading if I feel like it...

[AmandaL]

I know of string players who struggle with formal warm-ups. If you are someone who really can't cope with a proper warm-up, just begin by 'jamming'. Play anything, improvise (anyone can do this who has some musical background). It doesn't have to sound like a professional session, just do things with your hands and fingers that helps them stretch out. With no formal structure in the warm-up, it sometimes has the effect of relaxing and focusing the mind, helping you prepare for a full and proper practice session.

Whenever you want to practice, try to remember quality over quantity. Twenty minutes of intensive and concentrated practice on a particular area, is far better than spending twenty minutes rushing through a host of scales three pieces and a study. What will have you achieved by doing the latter?? Nothing, because you would have barely been listening to yourself, let alone thinking about technique or overcoming any technical problems.

[Storini]

More in this thread.

[bohemian]

Well here's my violin schedule:

Tune
Stretch (up to 1 hour per day, I have a bad back)
Scales (up to 45 minutes per day)
Technical Exercises (up to 40 minutes per day)
Unaccompanied piece, usually Bach or Paganini stuff (up to 45 minutes per day)
Other pieces (could be 4 other pieces, depending on time of year, up to 35 minutes each)
Concerto/Sonata (up to 45 minutes per day)
Orchestral Stuff (up to 20 minutes per day because it's really boring!)
Warm-down (5 minutes per practice)

But I only play 3 pieces per practice, and the times are split up because I do 3 or 4 practices per day. So I might do 15 minutes scales, 15 minutes technical exercises, 15 minutes of another piece, 35 minutes concerto and then finish for the session. And I try to get every piece played within 3 days maximum.

I do up to 3 hours a day, usually nearer 2.5 hours.

Oh and I do aural tests too for about 30 minutes before bed..they send me to sleep quite literally!

[fiddly diddly]

I usually play scales and this helps me to make sure my fiddle is in tune and also to check I 'm ok with finger placing. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif) Then I play a few easy pieces that I can play by ear just to inspire me, (IMG:style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif) then I usually get into playing what ever tune I'm trying to learn. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dry.gif) Things I've been trying to get to grips with recently is vibrato and bowing technique. So I've been practicing Air on a G string and I like this because it encourages me to use all my bow.Also I've been trying to speed up on some Irish jigs, again I think its alot to do with my bowing technique rather than getting my fingers to work faster and the other thing Ive been practicing is a couple of Jazz pieces Chattanooga Choo Choo and In the Mood which I think is encouraging both fingers and bow and also quick crossing from say G to E string with a little more clarity and so it doesnt sounds like a donkey. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/unsure.gif)

I want to learn how to change position so I'm going to cash in on the Mackay book, as recommended by some of the forum members and I've recently won a Sevcik book on ebay so I'm waiting for that to arrive as this will help me with some bowing exercises. What I really need is a music teacher so I can get some lessons but I am looking to do that about May time when I've finished my degree and then it would be really good to get involved with an orchestra

[pogo]

During the week I get maybe half an hour or so in the evening to practise. At weekends I get one good hour/hour-and-a-half session in, possibly two. The format's usually the same though:

- tune up
- noodle about for a few minutes to warm up (usually scale/arpeggio-based stuff, whatever my fingers feel like doing (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif))
- 5 minutes of "Cortot" (from Bunting's "A Portfolio Of Cello Exercises") (ouch (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ohmy.gif))
- 5-10 minutes of Feuillard ("Daily Exercises" - set exercises depend on what we covered in the previous lesson)
- Popper study
- set pieces - Squire "Tarantella", Breval "Sonata in C", Tchaikovsky "Chanson Triste", Bach Solo Cello Suite 1 Menuetts 1&2 - usually just one or two of these, and often just the problem areas rather than a complete play through, unless it's a good long weekend sesh.

Having a full time job and a family makes it hard to find that much free time, but with a decent hour-and-a-half lesson every fortnight on top of regular short practises I seem to be making good progress. Winning the lottery and packing in the job would be handy, mind...

[tiger_vio]

Atm... violin=

I tune it
Warm up with a Bach piece I love
Scale appropriate for first piece
Do second piece
Scalr appropriate for 2nd piece
Practice second piece
Orchestral music

Just added rough times up and it comes to like over an hour!

Piano=
Scales
Current main piece
Other sight reading/old pieces

An hour altogether ^^

Gutiar.. well I always have my guitar by the side of me, so I practice it at the pc when i'm bored (which is a lot! Probably 30 mins each day. And singing, again 30 mins.

[Car Expert]

For my guitar:

-Check my guitar is tuned
-Practice pieces/scales given for the week

Car Expert

Humph! Lovely, nice and straightforward, CE. Told her she should have learnt the recorder/piano/guitar. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) Violin is too complex. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ph34r.gif) But beautiful sound, though. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif)

Goodnight, CE.

Yes, very straightforward. Do you mean VN when you said that she should have learnt recorder, etc.?

CE, what happened to your signature? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif) It has gone right! I mean, to the right from the left. To/in the wrong place?

Tess (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

**CONFUZZLED AGAIN** (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

Car Expert

[Tess]

Hi CE,
Yes I tried my best to persuade her to learn the recorder but she ducked out of the course at the very last minute after I registered her and literally, just before the first lesson! Well, it IS such a practical instrument and the wooden ones sound really nice as well. But VN is stubborn and wanted the violin.

By the way, I think your signature is CONFUZZLED? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

Hi AmandaL,
If you write a book on how to become TOTALLY RELAXED successfully in less than 5 minutes, it'd be a bestseller the world over. Seriously, I need it, too, after a stressful battle with my wordless son. He's giving me salt and pepper hair, he is... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

Bohemian, how on earth can you sing seriously / do aural tests just before you sleep? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif) What do you actually do? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/huh.gif) I wouldn't be able to sleep just after I do ANY test! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

Tiger vio, why may I ask do you time each task??? Isn't it good enough if you accomplish the tasks your teacher sets out for you satisfactorily or have just a rough idea of the total time you took for practice?

Why does the question "how long" matter so much? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/unsure.gif) I wonder. It's just that I find one thing that annoys me a little about VN's teacher (even though he's an excellent teacher) is, from time to time, he would ask how much time she spends on scales even though the answer is - I'm not sure? - every single time!

Tess (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Car Expert]

Yes I tried my best to persuade her to learn the recorder but she ducked out of the course at the very last minute after I registered her and literally, just before the first lesson! Well, it IS such a practical instrument and the wooden ones sound really nice as well. But VN is stubborn and wanted the violin.

I'm just like VN - not wanting to learn the recorder! My parents persuaded me to learn the guitar because my mum learnt it for a year and she enjoyed it.

By the way, I think your signature is CONFUZZLED? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

I tried to put the car (Fiat Croma (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) ) in the middle, but the roof was uneven with the rest of the car, so I just put it on the left!

Car Expert

[Tess]

I tried to put the car (Fiat Croma ) in the middle, but the roof was uneven with the rest of the car, so I just put it on the left!

Car Expert

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) Thought you had moved the words!

VN incidentally wants to learn the guitar second instead of the piano but her dad steadfastly said - no, no way. Poor girl! She does love strings. I'd love to learn the guitar myself when the kids are grown up.

Um, apologies for rambling off topic!

Tess (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)