From helping students win their youth orchestra auditions to helping musicians win positions in multi-Grammy Award winning groups, practice habits have always been a huge factor. Now there are tons of good practice guides already so I will try to avoid as much repeated material as possible. Some are strategies that will last a lifetime, others will challenge the way you practice.
Success Percentage
For any technical, artistic, or performance goal, you must aim for a 99% success rate.Aim for excellence, not perfection.
Analytical Mode vs Performance Mode
If you’re in high school or above, you’re probably using your analytical side to identify what needs to be practiced. This is great as it will help you improve. However, do not neglect the performance side. We all know that performing is a different experience so let’s prepare for that.
Practice performing
Speaking of getting into performance mode…practice performing. Get your piece to the public in the early stages so you condition your mind that this is a performance piece, not a practice piece. Also, test your practice progress under some pressure to identify what needs to be practiced next.
Don’t take mistakes personally
If you are productive in a more positive state, then don’t take mistakes personally. See all the aspects you need to practice as data and as a to do list. Remember, if you make mistakes, it shouldn’t affect your self-worth.
Constantly adjust your practice strategy
We actually have a ton of time to practice especially for the big and targeted auditions. However, don’t waste your time on something you have already developed. Identify if the task should be in maintenance mode (sustaining a level) or improvement mode (raising a level). In order to put a technical obstacle in maintenance mode, test it under pressure.
Build in Safety Spots
Similar to memory techniques, be able to perform your piece starting at different sections. This way if you make a mistake, you can easily get back on track.
10,000 hour rule
Most importantly is how you spend your time, not so much about the amount of time spent.
Interval Practice
Schedule breaks for peak focus. Make sure to sleep to solidify what you have learned.
Over practice for safety (at tempo)
Reach automaticity- the point where you can be distracted or not feel great but still deliver a good performance.
Stop procrastinating
If you have a target audition or performance that is crucial, you need to set up your practice plan immediately. Now the plan doesn’t necessarily require you to practice at this moment, but it does have to get you organized.