Practice can sometimes have negative associations which is why I often describe practice as ‘playing in between lessons’ to my students.
But what actually is practice and why do we do it?
In lessons your teacher uses their skills and knowledge to show you how to do something.
This could be a new playing technique to make a particular sound or learn a new note that will give you the musical range to play new pieces.
When you practice or play in between lessons following the instructions your teacher has given you, the new things you have learned become smoother, quicker and more automatic.
These new aspects then start to join with the previous aspects of playing you have learned to make your overall playing more varied, richer and give you great new pieces to play.
Learning to play an instrument is a bit like construction. Each week of practice adds an extra brick or piece that joins together to make an amazing building.
