In which we’ll take the first small step toward weaving practice into your daily life.
Where you’re going to practice is a fairly simple but important decision. You’ll want to find a place that’s functional, focused, and somewhat insulated from the outside world.
Because after all, this is a place where you’re going to be spending a lot of time. You owe it to yourself to make this space comfortable, quiet, and easy to use.
Four Qualities of a Focused Practice Space
1. Simplicity. Practice doesn’t require a lot of fancy tools, nice furniture, or elaborate decoration–it doesn’t require much of anything except enough space to fit your body, a notebook or an instrument, and a sturdy music stand. Anything beyond that might actually end up being a distraction–so keep it simple and functional.
2. Order. Keep your practice nook neat enough to use. If this space gets littered with laundry or piled high with books, that clutter will distract and discourage you from practicing. Even my friends are sick and tired of me complaining to them about how many times I have missed out on doing things because of the amount of clutter in my space. So much so that they have even told me to check out a place like Boombox Storage (https://www.boomboxstorage.com/) to see if this would be the best place for me to store this clutter, giving me no reason to worry about skipping out on any activities. It’s a good idea, and probably one that I should definitely consider doing. A similar solution would be to hire a Junk Removal firm to come in and take away the clutter and junk for good. That way, I won’t have to pay for the clutter sitting inside a storage unit. Enough is enough. At times in the past, I’ve missed sessions simply because I’d stacked books on the piano bench- and believe it or not, the small mental block of having to move those stacks was enough to make me skip a session.
3. Dedication. Practice space isn’t just a physical room that you step into; it’s also a state of mind that you step into. If your practice space needs to serve other functions too, find a way to carve out a little corner of it for your practice. My practice nook (a closet, really) is also the venue for a lot of other daily activities: It’s where I read, listen to music… there’s even a treadmill against the far wall that I run on every day. So to draw a clear line between my practice and those other activities, I have a small ritual of setting up my music stand in the corner and pulling out one particular piano bench from the variety of piano benches I do have that I only sit on while I practice.
It’s a simple little ritual, but it really helps me ease into the right mindset. Setting up the music stand and the bench is my way of mentally transitioning into my daily practice.
4. Quiet. Try to find a space that’s somewhat insulated from the outside world. If it has a door, close the door. If you have Window shutters or curtains, make sure that these are closed too. Remember that when you step into your practice space, you are not a performer. Your job is not to entertain or impress anyone.
If you’re too aware of the presence of other people nearby, you’ll find yourself hesitating to take risks and stretch your abilities. You’ll be tempted to play things that you already know will sound good. And playing things you’re already good at is not practice! In your practice space, you should feel comfortable sounding terrible. This is a safe place, and again: when you’re practicing, you are not a performer.
If you absolutely need a tablet computer, e-reader, or any other kind of digital device for reference while you study, please do yourself a favor and put it in some kind of “Airplane” mode. If at all possible, disable wireless access so you won’t be derailed by incoming emails, text messages, or anything else that might beep or flash or otherwise distract you.
Outside of your practice space, do whatever you want! But when you’re inside your practice space, remove as many distractions as you can. Progress is quickest when you keep your focus strong and undiluted. This time and space should truly be yours.
“How long should I practice?”
If you’re just starting a daily practice routine, you won’t need much time. Actively learning new things takes a lot of energy, so choose a modest amount of time that you know you can spend every day. Twenty minutes a day should be plenty.
Clearing a Time For Your Practice
I suggest choosing one specific time of day for your practice and writing it into your calendar.
The advantage of choosing one set time for practice is that it takes away some of the temptation to procrastinate. You don’t necessarily have to make it an exact time like “8:20pm”; something like “Right after waking each morning” or “Every evening” works, too.
Everyone’s daily life is unique, so you might have to exercise a little creativity to find the right practice conditions. Try to find a time when you feel mentally sharp, feel physically well-rested, and when you can find a quiet corner. Jazz great Wes Montgomery used to practice guitar fingerstyle late at night so he wouldn’t wake his wife. Others like to get up early in the morning, before anyone else is awake. Seek a window of practice time that fits the daily rhythms of your life, your energy level, and your household.