This New Year, set an intention to take your musicianship to the next level! Remember, practicing is a science and with the help of an expert teacher, you can focus on the exact areas you need to be spending your time working on, even if you only have 20 minutes a day! We’ve put together some tips to get you into a routine that will keep you in the groove. Plus, we’ve made it even more affordable to learn from the master musicians here at ArtistsWorks!

Create a Proper Warm-Up

We’re all guilty of ditching our warm-up routine from time to time (or most of the time). However, warming up before practicing or performing can make your routine more productive, build up strength, and improve your overall skill and fluency. This year add a 10 – 15-minute warm-up that you never skip! If you don’t want to do the exact same thing every day, research a few variations, and stick to them! 

Establish a Practice Routine

It’s not as easy as it sounds to get into a practice routine. Often, we try, but life gets in the way and practice falls on the back burner. Below are four tips to create a more musical, productive environment.

-Find a window of time that you can dedicate to practice. Put it on your calendar and add a reminder.
 

-Find a practice space with limited distractions where you feel inspired and creative.

-Organize your practice. Your main focus can be a new song, or piece that practices your weakness. If you struggle playing 16th notes, make sure you work on a piece or scale with lots of 16th notes. Slow it down, get it right, then gradually speed it back up. 
 

-Whatever you choose, take a break after 20 minutes and come back to it in 5 or 10 minutes. Your brain needs time to process and retain new information.

-Use the last quarter of your practice to play music that makes you feel good and absolutely love. It’s important to end every practice smiling.

Take Lessons
 

There are so many benefits to having a music teacher. If you’re not happy with your progress or have encountered dead ends with online resources, maybe this year is the year to get an instructor! Your music teacher will:

-Hold you accountable

-Give you an individualized approach to your practice

-Answer specific questions

-Troubleshoot problems

-Open new doors to musical ideas

-Help you stay committed

ArtistWorks also offers a unique Video Exchange® platform that will enable you to get feedback from world-renowned instructors in the comfort of their own home. Give yourself or a loved one the gift of online music lessons this holiday season and enjoy it all year long! Try out some free online music lessons to see why ArtistWorks is the best platform for learning music online.

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