We all have busy lives nowadays. Work all day, come home to family, going out on the weekends, chores and keeping up the house duties… When do we possibly have time to practice?!
Practicing is a huge part of growing as a musician. If we don’t have consistent practice then our skills plateau and we find ourselves losing momentum. The last thing we should do is give up! If you miss a practice day it’s not the end of the world, start right now! Find a time of day that works best for you and try your best to practice 3/4 times a week. Here are some suggested practice times:
- Right after you wake up before everyone else is getting their day started
- Right after dinner
- If you’re in school, the easiest time to practice is right after you finish your homework
- If the work week is a no go, then make time on your weekends
How long do we need to practice for? Each instrument is different, the universal rule is always 30 minutes. But it’s understandable that not every schedule looks the same and sometimes 30 minutes is not practical. I love to tell my students that have a hard time practicing that if they get started with 5 minutes every night right before bed then you’re on your way to building great habits! Consistency is always key. Build your way up to what works best for you, but 15 minutes at a minimum is what will give you the most value for your time, 30 minutes will give you a lot of time to work and grow, 5 minutes gets you time to stay familiar with your instrument so you don’t forget what you learned that week in lessons.
No matter what, you’re doing something amazing for yourself by learning an instrument. Never give up, and don’t get discouraged by missing a day or even a week of practice. You can do this, just keep going!