Practicing is one of the most difficult aspects of musicianship. It takes a lot of time and hard work, day in and day out. I find that most of my students don’t have good practice skills when they first start singing. Practicing isn’t the same as sitting down, doing your exercises, and singing some songs. Practicing requires a particular attitude and approach.
My Thoughts on Practice
Practice is essential for progress. Any one of my students will tell you I never nag about practicing, but I will tell my students if I think they need to practice more to reach their goals. I believe that if my student is getting what they want out of their lessons, they’re practicing enough.
Nobody wants to spend more time practicing than necessary, so it’s important to allocate your practice time so you get the most out of it. You also need to be fully focused during the time you’re practicing. Practice isn’t only about making sounds come out of your mouth. It’s also about critiquing yourself, finding what you’re doing well and what you need to do differently, applying techniques you’ve learned in your lessons, using your creativity to solve problems you’re having. If you’re singing your exercises and songs without focusing intensely on how you’re singing them, then you’re only putting bad habits into your muscle memory.
There are lots of approaches you can take to make practice a part of your lifestyle and to learn how to practice efficiently and effectively. Different things work for different people. Below are a few books I recommend that deal with this topic.
TL;DR: Good luck becoming a musician if you don’t have the attention span to read a few paragraphs!
Books on Practice*
* Please order through the links my web site so I get the commission!