Category Archives: Practice

Tips to Avoid Practice Burnout

Posted on July 28, 2011 by admin

We all get to a point in our practicing where we stagnate, feel burned out, or are just plain sick of it! This is normal. As musicians, we tend to have the attitude that we “must practice many hours a … Continue reading →

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Help! I don’t have time to practice!

Posted on July 25, 2011 by admin

This is on older post that accompanies Jason Heath’s post http://doublebassblog.org/2008/10/auditoning-a-young-persons-game.html about auditioing. But what if you ARE a young person (or not so young) and you still don’t have time to practice? What now? Well, first – MAKE TIME! I … Continue reading →

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Bowing Patterns for Practicing

Posted on February 16, 2011 by admin
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Attention Span

Posted on June 29, 2010 by admin

How do you deal with attention span issues when practicing? I started alternating solos and excerpts after my warmups. I used to a block of excerpts and then a block of solos but alternating gave me a fresh approach to … Continue reading →

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Pre-Practice Tips

Posted on February 26, 2010 by admin

Rather than focusing on recording practice time in a log, consider a pre-practice log. A sort of pre-flight checklist. What is the plan for the session? What spots will you work on? What is the outcome? How long will  you … Continue reading →

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Practice Record

Posted on February 21, 2010 by admin

Here’s a practice record you can download. Download the PDF HERE.

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Practice Record Thoughts Revisited

Posted on February 3, 2010 by admin

I’m a logger – I keep track of just about everything and have many journals, both paper and electronic. I was reviewing my notes on practice records and here are some of my current thoughts. For the public school setting … Continue reading →

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Non iPhone Practice Log

Posted on October 30, 2009 by admin

I’ve been searching for the perfect practice and workout logging tools. I’ve spent a  little too much at the iTunes app store only to realize how powerful the free Google Calendar is. I setup multiple calendars, each with different colors. … Continue reading →

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Practice Misconceptions

Posted on October 4, 2009 by admin

5 misconceptions about practicing from How To Pratice.com

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More Practice Logging Tools

Posted on October 2, 2009 by admin

Here’s an Excel file I made a while ago. Behance – Creative, organizing, and productivity notebooks Of course, don’t overlook the usefulness of a traditional composition notebook. Musicians Practice Planner Also check notebooks by Gold Fibre

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The Physical Practice Zone

Posted on October 1, 2009 by admin

My practice zone or ‘cockpit’:

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Healthy Practicing by William Westney

Posted on September 30, 2009 by admin

Healthy Practicing by William Westney, from The Perfect Wrong Note.

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More Practice Tips

Posted on September 22, 2009 by admin

Practice Page

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Practice Logging Programs

Posted on September 21, 2009 by admin

What programs do you use to track your practicing? I currently use myLogger on my iPhone. Some questions to ask: Do I want to record time and get info such as averages? Yes, then The Daily Tracker works well. Also … Continue reading →

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Practice Tips for Young Musicians

Posted on September 10, 2009 by admin

Check out some tips at my other blog, The Evolving Educator.

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Practice Stagnation

Posted on July 2, 2009 by admin

So lately my practicing has been in a state of stagnation. I’m still practicing but it’s a bit of a chore. But one must press on so I decided to change some things. I firmly believe in a practice area … Continue reading →

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Different Practice

Posted on June 12, 2009 by admin

I know it’s summer and none of us want to practice. Me neither! But how about a different ‘practice’? Get your instrument out but leave your music – you won’t need it. Don’t worry about scales or anything else. Just … Continue reading →

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Anxiety Solutions

Posted on March 26, 2009 by admin

Here are some solutions to anxiety and nerves. This is from Men’s Health, April 2009, Page 40.

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iPhone Practice Log

Posted on March 21, 2009 by admin

I love to log and track things. I monitor my practice, my exercising, moods, etc. but finding least obtrusive method can be difficult. I recently setup several calendars in iCal – one for practicing and one for exericising. The great … Continue reading →

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Sharpening the Practice Saw

Posted on January 3, 2009 by admin

“Sharpening the Saw” is one of Dr. Stephen Covey’s ‘habits’ in is 7 Steps for Highly Effective People. It came to mind yesterday when I was practicing. I’m getting back into ‘shape’ and practicing after traveling for the holidays – … Continue reading →

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