Tag: practice
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11 Ways to Feel Better
As musicians (and humans in general) we have a lot of stress and anxiety; this is inevitable. Perhaps we dream of a “stress-free” environment where we can relax and unwind… yet when we actually arrive there, we are just as keyed-up as ever. This is because we…
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Music Production Story Time
In The Not-So-Distant Future (la la la) (In this play, Randy will be crustily portraying the role of Grandpa) Kids: “Grandpa, tell us again about the days before Auto-Tune!” Grandpa: “Well, I know it’s hard to imagine, but there were these people called singers who could stand in front of an audience or a microphone…
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The Myth of Difficulty
When confronting a task, it is common for people to describe it as “difficult,” or “hard.” While superficially valid, these labels do little to move us toward completion. In fact, they may lead us in the wrong direction. Let’s re-examine our concept of “difficulty.”
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How to Have a Good Rehearsal
Over the years, I have gathered some ideas about rehearsal etiquette. I know I have messed some of these up, especially as a young, excitable musician. These ideas apply to every style of music, from orchestra to rock bands. (I have done both) Some of these…
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Bad Digital Keyboard Actions (Why does it hurt when I play?)
Ever wonder why some keyboards are harder to play than others, or why your hands hurt after a gig on certain keyboards? In this article, we are going to look at certain design elements that make some keyboards hard to play. I tested a selection of keyboards available to me as a cross-section. Many musicians…
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The Three Elements of Practice Loose Ends
It may seem odd to have a part four in a three part series, but there are a few things to add that we can think of as the “filling” for our triangle. These have more to do with the planning and organization that goes into musicianship, as well as the emotional issues that come…
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The Three Elements of Practice Part III
So far, we have examined the concepts of repetition and reinforcement, which make learning possible by imprinting the knowledge and making it “stick.” The third element of this triangle involves testing and experimenting with the things we have practiced. Learning the limits of our preparation is how we make our learning stronger and more useful.…
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The Three Elements of Practice Part II
Reinforcement Last time we discussed repetition, the act of playing the same passage over and over in a short time-span. In this article, we will discuss the second element in successful practice. As we learned in part 1, repetition is effective for a limited time; after this short period, continuing to repeat can waste time…
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The Three Elements of Practice Part I
Practicing is a personal activity; no two people are the same, and this also goes for practice. However, there are some fundamental forces that are part of the learning experience for all of us. Learning to use and balance these processes will lead to successful and efficient use of our precious time. In this series, we…