How To Practice Music

Fiddling with life and learning with the occasional dad joke thrown in...  

 

Learning A New Song Routine

Do you ever begin a practice session wondering, “What should I play today?” Do you find that you tend to wander from one thing to the next without making progress? If you said “Yes” then give this “practice journey” a try. It’s a simple routine that can be adapted to any song you learn. 1. … Continued

Play Slowly

Go Ridicu-Slow 🐢 If you can’t play something, chances are you’re going too fast. Speeding leads to anxious hands and a cluttered mind. 🤯 Slow down to overcome almost any obstacle. 🧗🏾‍♂️ Ridicu-Slow Chunks 🕰️ Pick a challenging Chunk of a song or exercise. Play it once at a snail’s pace. Continue to play single … Continued

Wandering Mind

Last night, I was practicing and hit a rough patch. I kept stumbling over a section of a song called “Climbing and Falling.” Then it hit me: my mind wasn’t in the game. I was distracted, stewing over something annoying my mother-in-law had said. 🤯 So, I switched gears and practiced a different song that … Continued

What’s helped you the most on your fiddle journey?

When I was college orchestra I sat in the last row of the viola section. I met with a student teacher who patiently helped me fumble through difficult music that I usually wasn’t excited about. This patient graduate student taught me the principle of Chunking. It was something I’d probably done unconsciously here and there. … Continued

The Three S’s of Violin Practice: Song, Scale, Skill

Think of this 25-minute practice journey as your daily bread and butter. Utilize the Practice Pipeline to pinpoint areas for improvement and systematically elevate both your songs and skills with the following steps: 1. Scale Time | ⏱️5m: Start with the scale related to the song you’ll focus on. This primes your ears and fingers. … Continued

Going From Low Second to Third Finger

FiddleHed Sue recently asked “It’s challenging to go from low second to third finger on the G string. What can I do? That stretch is challenging for a lot of violin students. First off, practice low second to third finger on the E string. It’s easier there. EL2-3 Then practice it on progressively harder strings. … Continued

10 Common Beginner Violin Mistakes

Do you want to successfully learn the violin? You’re bound to struggle and make mistakes along the way. That’s part of the learning process. And in a way this is what makes learning fun. But by being aware of common pitfalls, you’ll waste less time and energy. Let me help you continue the violin journey … Continued

Learn Violin With Familiar Songs

Overview An easy, familiar song like Twinkle Little Star is not only good for beginner violinists, but it’s also a good practice tool for more advanced players. In this lesson, I’ll give you some ideas for taking these timeworn songs an re-inventing them.   Beginner Practice With Familiar Songs Familiar songs are a great way … Continued

Six Secrets To Violin Success

Overview In order to succeed at learning violin or any instrument, you need to establish a good mindset. There are some simple things you can do to establish a good mindset and avoid feeling overwhelmed. These mindset hacks are not just for beginners, but for musicians working at any level. After 40+ years of learning … Continued