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​Welcome to
Contreras Music Blog Articles

May 2020

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The 5 ideas to liven up your boring music lessons or practice!

6/20/2016

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                                                                                                                                         by Cristian Contreras

​We all know that practicing music can often fall into a boring routine similar to washing the car, mowing the lawn or cleaning the house. However Music is a unique art form which is meant to be enjoyed at all times. This includes the practice of music. So the next time you or your student is feeling bored about practicing, try the following 5 ideas for improved engagement.


1. Be Positive

Positive reinforcement all the way! Music is about making mistakes and learning from them, so encourage your students or yourself regularly by acknowledging the positives rather than focusing on the negatives. Look back at what you have accomplished thus far and how far you have come since that first lesson. Take pride in the repertoire you are working on and above all remember that not everyone has the dedication and discipline to learn the art of music, so value your special talent an gifts instead of giving up on them!

2. Self-Assess

I enjoy the traffic light system with my students. Green – Easy, yellow – medium, red – hard. Ask your students how they are finding their exercises or pieces in terms of easy, medium or hard. If they always answer easy green, then it is time to add more of a challenge to your practice so that it doesn’t get boring. Medium is a good place to be since it is not easy but still offers a level of comfort below difficult. When students constantly report back with hard red, then it may be time to differentiate the lesson and either slow it down, or work on a smaller section until confidence is achieved. The optimum level should be between medium and hard, however we all learn differently, so self-assess with the 3 levels and make adjustments to your practice. Don’t forget to reassure the student that they are improving and if they persevere, they will go on to achieve great things.

3. Songs Songs Songs

Focusing only on technique and exercises will eventually put anyone to sleep, myself included. It is important to apply that strong technique to actual repertoire. Hence, pick a song that you or your students enjoy then show them how to play it. Don’t be worried if your current level does not permit for you to play the song in its full glory, just differentiate to suit the purpose. For example, complete beginners can learn the bass notes to a chord progression in the chorus of their favorite song. As they advance, they can then learn the bass notes to the introduction and verse. Practice it at least 5-10 times before trying to play along with the recording. Intermediate musicians may learn some basic chords (easy non bar and triad versions) then perhaps combine a simple chord with a bass line or brief lick. Finally, advanced students should strum or pick away freely and play in time with the entire song. Pianists may learn melody in the right hand and chords in the left, whilst percussionists could learn all the fills within their piece.

4. Monkey see, Monkey do

Kids and adults alike love to copy. It’s much easier to copy someone else than to have to come up with everything on your own. So teachers, throw on a 12 bar blues track, then improvise using basic guide tones (b7, 1, b3) and start a simple call and response blues improvisation session where they listen then copy you. This is very easy and you can even accompany your students with your own instrument if you do not have tracks. Jamming along is one of the best experiences a teacher and pupil will ever have, so make the most of it. Play for them, start simple and ask them to copy some lines. Then up the ante if their abilities allow for it. If not, then just play and encourage them to follow along. Afterwards, commend them for their work and encourage them to improve.

5. Make goals relevant. Why should they care?!?!

Set relevant and meaningful goals then explicitly link them to set practice needs. Ensure that these goals mean something to the student, and for even better results, get the student to come up with their own goals for themselves. Here’s an example; Want to rock that sweet guitar solo from your favorite song? Then you need to master your pentatonic and major scales within the next 2 weeks. Here are 3 for you to try this week, remember to practice them each day for at least 5 days and use a metronome every time. Next week I will listen to you play, and if you have improved I will put on the track and you can play along to the first few bars. Keep this up and in 2 weeks time you will be able to play the entire solo! Now that’s a goal even I would want to achieve. Adjust the genre, level and practice requirements to suit you or your student’s individual needs.
 
These are my 5 tips for  Contreras Music article. I would love to hear yours, so please leave a comment below then share this with everyone you know!
 

 © 2016 Cristian Contreras.
www.ContrerasMusic.Com
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3 Easy tips to maximise your music practice

6/5/2016

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Now that you are aware of what effective practice actually is, it’s time to move onto the finer details. Remember, practice is a continual habit and over a lifetime you may waste countless hours and even days of your life if your routine is under par. Here are 3 tips to ensure that your practice is effective and time efficient.

Tip #1 – Be Time Conscious

Time is the most precious commodity we possess. Hence, it is a good idea to waste as little of it as possible, especially during practice sessions. So before you commence your next session, start by placing a clock within eyesight of your instrument. The reason for this is that you should segment your session to target specific areas which need strengthening. A good start would be 1/3 of your practice on technique, 1/3 on theory and sight reading, and the final 3rd on Repertoire. You are free to mic this up if you wish, however set a regular time goal per session and stick to the 1/3 rule. This will ensure you devote enough time to each of the essentials: theory, sight reading, technique and repertoire. Without a reference for time, you may find yourself straying into other areas, or spending too much time on a specific area. Maintaining a constant and organised routine will maximise your results over a considerable amount of time.

Tip #2 – Avoid Distractions
Life is always full of distractions, and this is especially true when you are trying to accomplish something important such as music practice. Murphy ’s Law will always kick in and ensure that your phone goes off, your holiday photo gets commented on; or the family interrupts with an urgent situation right when you are getting ready to start. To avoid this you should put aside all distractions and make your mind up to devote the following time to yourself, because you are seeking self-improvement and this important moment is for you alone. So turn off your mobile phone, stop checking social media, ignore all emails, calls; and close your door so that exterior noise will not cause you to lose focus. If your mind is concentrated on the task at hand, so will your other senses, and this is especially important for music which activated both hemispheres of the brain and demands high levels of dexterity as well as fine motor skills. Pick a time of the day that is relaxing for you and free from distractions or other responsibilities.
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Tip #2 – Keep Track
Music practice is a never ending journey of enjoyment and personal growth. However how can you accurately measure your growth or progress without any tangible parameters? Just like when you were little, you used to constantly check in the mirror waiting to see some new hair, or measuring yourself against the door post and comparing to last year’s growth measurements; your growth as a musician should be regularly measured. The best way to do this is to keep accurate track of where you are and where you are heading towards. As a general rule of thumb, buy yourself a quality notebook and start by putting the date, time and length of each practice session. Write some brief notes on what you practices, how hard you found it and what you were able to achieve in that session. Include names of songs, specific technical exercises and bar references so you know exactly what you are talking about. If this record is kept accurately and constantly, you will then be able to look back and see where you were 6 weeks ago, 6 months ago, and even 6 years ago. Countless milestones will be surpassed within these time frames and keeping an account of when these achievements were reached is of the upmost importance. You can also utilise this data to streamline and modify your practice, correct issues, and even identify useful habits.
 
Above all, never despair, give up or abandon your practice. Spending time to develop yourself as a person for intrinsic purposes is one of the very few things in life you will ever truly give yourself. Sure money, clothes, food, technology, holidays and possessions are memorable, however they do not last and are eventually forgotten, sold or even lost. However knowledge, skill and ability is something which is part of you, and as long as you continue your practice it can never be forgotten, sold or lost!
 
 © 2016 Cristian Contreras.
www.ContrerasMusic.Com
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    Meet The Author


    ​Crtistian Contreras

    An international music educator, performer, composer, and producer with over 2 decades of experience in the arts and education sector.

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