How Much Should I Really Practice?
This is a question I get asked all the time, especially from people who are just beginning, and the answer is really up to you. Practice is how we train and hone our skills, whether you are working on repertoire or improving your technique, practice is an essential part of learning and developing your musical skills. So the amount of time you put into practice is really about what you want to achieve long-term, in other words your progress depends mostly on how much time and effort you can invest in yourself.
As a teacher my job is to guide and open up avenues of discovery and learning, but the real work and progress is made through your own practice. Regardless of what your goals are, any kind of music learning will benefit from time you spend discovering, reinforcing, and deepening your understanding.
Be fair and realistic about your schedule. I know as well as everyone that sometimes things get in the way, or finding time to practice can be difficult. Even if you fall off schedule, the best thing you can do is just start again when you have a moment to do so, and don’t beat yourself up over missing your scheduled time. Depending on what you are practicing, or what level you are learning, your practice needs will be different.
The best approach is consistency. Even if the time amounts fluctuate, getting in practice every day (maybe taking a day or two off if you need it), is going to allow you to slowly build and improve your skills. Music learning is unfortunately not something you can typically “cram.” It takes time, so if you practice over the course of days, you stand a much better chance of improving and understanding than just cramming an hour before your next lesson.
DISCLAIMER
I am not a medical doctor. These posts are all anecdotal, based on experiences through my own learning, understanding and teaching. My musical knowledge is based primarily in the Western classical tradition, which by no means defines the only perspective to learn and understand music.
