Practice Tips

Below are some ideas and advice that you should consider when practising. If you have anything that you'd like to share please let Mr Cameron-Smith know so it can be included here.

Practice Tips developed by Mr Barrett and Year 9 SIM Students (inspired by Chick Corea - see video below)

• Slow it right down – then speed it up
• Organise your fingerings
• Practise small fragments
• Loop the difficult passages
• Practise difficult transitions
• Be efficient – focus on the bits that need work
• Sing while playing to internalise parts
• Analyse the music
• Maintain good posture at all times
• Feel free to talk to yourself (out loud) while working
• Enjoy practising – make it fun!
• Use lots and lots of repetition – try to play the music more times right than you have wrong
• Persevere – don’t give up!
• “Feel” is important – “That felt better”, “That doesn’t feel right”
• “I’m having trouble with this at the moment” (notice the growth mindset - optimism)
• Use a pencil and mark the score – you will take more notice of your markings than your teacher’s
• Use a 2B pencil (or softer - higher number B) so that it doesn't leave marks when you need to erase it
• Practise one hand and a time, just the bowing/picking, just the fingering, just the articulation, one voice at a time – simplify, break it down
• Be your own teacher when you practise

Audition Cheat Sheet by Dr Noa Kageyama: A checklist to help you prepare effectively for an audition.