I used to practice drums with music only – playing along with different songs. Later on I got interested in practicing specific drum beat, groove exercises and snare drum rudiments. My friend Andy practiced guitar scales for hours at a time and later on got into learning his favorite tracks and guitar solos. Now, we are both pretty good at our instruments. In general, the important thing is that you practice, but in hindsight, both our practicing regiments could have been more effective.

Getting more into the details of practicing, newest research shows that the repetition of the same exercises does not bring the same good results as switching up the way you practice – in other words, not all practice is effective practice. For the guitar, for example, rehearsing scales one day, learning a song on the next and practicing new chords and transitions between chords on day three would be a more effective way of practicing in comparison to going over the same scales for a whole week, then repeating the same song for another week and so on.

It seems our brain and body like to stay engaged and enjoy challenges rather than repeating the same patterns and exercises. Similar findings are affecting the way that children are taught at schools. Mindless repetition of facts is taking a backseat to engaging critical thinking and finding solutions to problems.

 What Tickles Your Fancy?

Another thing that is important when practicing is to find material that engages the student. The most important thing to me is that the student stays engaged and excited by music. If scales, exercises and rudiments are exciting to a student, great. If they become a chore, then I would suggest practicing them a lot less and switching to areas of the instrument that are of interest.

This is where good private music lessons can come in and be of service. Gently guiding the music student through the material and remaining open and receptive to the individual private students interests can be very valuable and also make the difference between staying with music or dropping the instrument altogether. I have encountered many students, who have been turned off by following a predetermined teacher’s lesson plan, which does not reflect the individual student’s needs and likes. Effective private one-on-one music lessons are the best way to start and, more importantly, continue a meaningful and fun music education.

 Weekend Or Everyday Practice?

I have found for all students that everyday a little practice is way more valuable then practicing for hours on a Saturday and Sunday. As mentioned above, it is not necessary to practice the same thing over and over again, but rehearsing for 15-30 minutes everyday is better for the brain, for muscle memory and dexterity also. It also keeps the mind connected to music making and the brain active, which is valuable in its own right.