Music Lesson - How and What To Practice On Your Instrument

In this episode I discuss how and what to practice on your instrument. I break it down into categories.:

Technique:

Scales and Arpeggios in all interval combinations 3rds, 4ths, 5ths, 6ths, 7ths/ Odd groupings like triplets, 5, 7 note groupings. All Triads and Seventh chords of the Major, Melodic Minor and Harmonic Minor Scale followed by misc. scales like Tonic and Dominant Diminished, Whole Tone, Pentatonic and Chromatic Scales.

Repertoire:

Working on any new or old repertoire. Pieces for concerts or recitals or and music that you have performed in the past or are performing in the future.

Ear Training:

Intervals, Solfege, Dictation and Transcription. Check out some of my ear training videos on my channel.

Music Theory:

Work on what you don’t know fluently. Counterpoint, Melodic and Harmonic Linear studies for musical analysis. Harmonic movement like Secondary Dominants and Diminished 7th chords. Common and Unusual Resolutions and Cadences and forms like Sonata, Variation, Fugal Writing etc. Chord spelling and added note, suspended and any non chord tones.

Sight Reading:

Everyday!! You need to be able to read to be able to write!!!

Links To Follow:

Twitter - @rickbeato

[GeorgeSPAMTindle]

When I was a teenager (more than 40 years ago) I asked a musician how he made his playing look so easy. His reply of 'just practice until it is easy' is some of the best advice that I have ever had. I just wish that he's also told me to steer clear of crazy women.

[jingitbaby]

I would like to add that at the end of your practice session play something you enjoy, maybe one of your favourite songs. It's not really practice as you already know the piece but it help keeps the major element of why you play your instrument, because its fun :)

[sfd]

Disclaimer: Only practice polytonal arpeggios if you are willing to loose loved ones.

[lionofzion]

man, now I consider you my teacher, I'm writting while watching your videos, I feel like I'm in a classroom, thank you very much

[RyanJamesOfficial]

It’s a big part of our job as music teachers to teach people “how to practice”

It’s often overlooked. I’ve been teaching for 15 years but I’m always looking to improve my methods. You’ve helped me a ton Rick. I’m happy to say that you and I have a similar method and philosophy on “how to practice” and it’s given me more confidence as a teacher.

I respect you a ton and to see that I do this similarity to you, helps me feel like I’m doing it correctly. You know, as a teacher yourself, that you have days you doubt yourself. With so many students needs on the table, sometimes we can beat ourselves up and thjnk we aren’t serving our students needs, but this is often just imposter syndrome and not real.

Your videos help me either remember that I know what I’m doing…. Or give me new perspective and helps me improve.

Thank you so much.

[robinreidmusic]

Wow ! I have been a full time saxophonist for 40 years and I never had the chance to go to school because of life circumstances, but I always stole from my alto gods Phil Woods and Cannonball Adderley and my tenor gods of Stan Getz, John Coltrane, Sonny Stitt, (on both), and my all time favourite Dexter Gordon. I studied classical clarinet, but where I grew up, great knowledgeable jazz teachers didn't exist. I think of my playing as being able to speak a language without being able to read and write it. I play a lot of the things you explain, in my vocabulary, but didn't know the technical and theory part of it. I have learned more about theory in your videos in the last week then I have had in the last 40 years. Your enthusiasm and energy have me practicing like crazy, and I can't believe how you have inspired me. Keep up the great work Rick. I thank you from the bottom of my heart and soul. I teach privately to young people and have used a lot of your techniques of listening and transcribing because in the 60 and 70s that is all I had. Stealing ideas is not stealing, it is research and development and I tell all my students that if you want to play you must listen for 10 hours for every hour you play.
Cheers and keep them coming, you are an inspiration to thousands. We must keep this music going and developing new talent all the time.

[gabrielvalentep]

You Sir deserve a medal for this video!

[jimmyman]

Thank you so much Rick. I'm 56 years old and trying to take on a new instrument. I'm 4 months in on the piano. It's a struggle sometimes and this info really helps.

[slippe.physter]

this reminds me of the old joke, ''who's the guy that hangs out with with musicians? ...the drummer''

drumming for 38 years and still have so much to learn... thanx Rick

[ivorwm]

I wish that I had heard this when I was a clarinet major. I was so ignorant. No one ever explained to me how to practice and how to get the most out of practice time. You are such an inspiration. I'm in my sixties and I want to really learn how to play piano. Thank you for sharing your vast knowledge. I really appreciate it.

[rawkinj]

Practice what you don't know! The problem also is not having a teacher tell you your doing it wrong and how to do it correctly and what you should work on! Thanks! My girlfriend started playing piano with some app. She likes it and is learning notes, rhythm, chords, keys, chord building etc... i'm impressed. She played a bit of guitar when in high school but i SEE THE LIGHT IN HER EYES! I'll send her this way soon!!!

[dmattism]

My practice routine:
- Watch youtube video
- Sadly look at guitar

[KyunghweeChoi]

I tell my students to have a very specific achievable goal or goals with each practice session. Broadly defined, it is to be able to do something you weren't able to do before. It can be as straight forward as playing all the right notes or it can be a little more nuanced like improving your phrasing & tone or learning a new piece or really anything to improve yourself as a musician.
Practice is a habit building activity. So I also emphasize playing things accurately since your body will get more used to whatever you do more of. If you play a piece 10 times & mess it up 9 times, you'll get very good at messing up (usually happens at same location for most students). It takes some discipline & patience to have focus to zero in on trouble spots to improve but the reward is so worth the effort. At least that's my approach to my own practicing & also what I try to teach my students.
Thanks for great contents!

[TIMOWHITEBUFFALO]

Just what I needed to hear...!!! Wow...here I thought I was doing the best I could as a songwriter...but you have humbled me to dig a lot deeper...I am in Nashville and see these songwriters who can barely play and do the cookie cutter formulas...but I want more from myself...even If I dont write a hit song...I want to satisfy my soul...That is why I started playing music as a child...Thank you....

[Chopinsth]

Mr. Beato or anyone. I've been playing classical and jazz for 46 years now at age 51 with 24 years one on one with an amazing teacher with two Phd's (Theory and Performace). Started with Francis Clarke method of Aural P, Theory, and Performance. Got to do a lot of stuff musically in my younger years including being a guest at the Whitehouse playing for Jimmy Carter and friends, lol. Then on stage with the Phoenix Boys Choir at the Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony when the hostages were still in Iran and they didn't light the top of the tree etc. Toured all over Europe 3 times and luckily (because my family were nearly all from the UK got to join the Royal Academy of Music, London (Jr. Academy) for some time before returning to the states to continue on with the Phx Boys Choir (Tour Choir) and stay/live in with the Vienna Boy's Choir plus another 12 western European country tour. During summers I occasionally got in some 10 hour days but mostly less than that (as at 12 I was pulled hard by my peers/friends to cut it short and do what 12 year old boys do (ride bmx everywhere). The reason for the intro is certainly not to brag but rather somewhat cry for help or advice regarding transcribing. after 12 (I think) I was basically a half Chick Correa fan and the other half was my all time fav, Chopin, especially his Etudes op10 which were my favorite as though Etudes were originally really more of a finger exercise than deliberate melodic songs, Chopin seemed to cut the mold there and I had the luck of being just about having a natural equal temperament with both hands as I was ambidextrous less I couldn't write with my right hand well.
This brings me to writing... physically with a pen/pencil. My teacher had me transcribing songs and songs or orchestral movements. I had the worst time, and still do as when I write (penmanship) it looks like chicken scratch and I can't even read my own writing if I come back to it after a while. When you speak of transcriptions, I assume you're talking about writing out long hand on music notation paper with the two staffs if piano and much more for orchestral pieces. It would take me at least 3 times as long as a normal person at my level because I could NOT draw notation inside the or in between staff lines or on the line without erasing and re-doing it over and over until the darn notation books literally thinned out and I went though the page! lol. I STILL carry this stigma or whatever ya wanna call it today. And I probably fell behind if I really think about it because of how long it took to write legibly. (I used to think Chopin was a liar by omission and that he and Liszt would have others, like the women I read that they always had around them being stud musicians in France and England.
Question is: Are you writing the scores out long hand on notation paper or even simpler songs like maybe a rock band song or classic like Bridge over Troubled Water (that I watched of your best keyboard intro's ) or are you using any software to expedite the process? I'll here something like some lines of music watching a movie say like from Zimmer or Elfman etc and try and write it out in front of the tv so I remember it if It strikes me as cool. But make it 12 or more measures and the movie will have ended if I wish to be able to read what I wrote later on in my studio for inspiration to compose etc. I see a lot of musicians for instance using a little bit of a 45 degree angle for where an eighth note is supposed to sit in its spot on F# or middle C (hate putting the extra lines for C or lower if it's the RH lol). But it's like a non filled circle or rather sometimes just a slant and then the stem which I always have a dumb clear ruler out for. Is that' what you or others do to accomplish what is the SLOWEST and arduous part of musical mechanics. Forget any regular pencil as well. Has to be mechanical as it has to be ultra thin so as to not start taking up too much space and run out in a measure of 4 with say 8 eighth notes or whatever.
I guess, after watching this video and having that elation of "Oh yeah, it is important I transcribe as much as possible has got me way down. (Maybe I need to get a total beginner's book of something like Mel Bay where there may be giant staffs to write within.
Again, because I will be adding back the transcription practice, would you say that using a software program so as to make it appear neat and readable by any other person is ok? i mean it's the same result as far as the music getting on a page of the same thing, but I fear that now that I've started to need to read in real time again doing some new projects for others, I'm going to need to be able to write it out and hey, it's the computer age, right?
Also, I don't have experience writing charts like for the guitar as I've always written or rather mostly written classical genre music notation and any Jazz was pretty much on my own as my teacher for all those years and years was "Chicken who?" (Correa).
Any advice or sharing of the same grief of solution, even practicing notation writing in a certain progressive fashion would be so much appreciated! I am honestly counting my blessings daily for finding the Rick Beato channel as I've been nothing short of blown away obviously with your knowledge and talent (multiple instruments) but also hold you in the highest regards for the way or method that you so gracefully teach in the most comprehensive and patient manner. Thanks for being where I just happened to click a while back!!!
PS; i also shoot 45 acp open class pistols in competition for a hobby. Let me know where the guys are that pull down songs that you are merely playing a few measures of on the Guitar or Piano.... I'm joking of course...Cheers!

[MarcinW]

I feel like practicing new things upskills what I already knew, especially when it comes to technique. It's like the old stuff grows in the background while I practice some new things. And general progress is faster this way, rather then if focusing too much on stuff I already know. Thank you for the video!

[alexanderprill]

It is totally insanse how much information you pack in every single one of your videos you are talking about things in a 17 Minute Video that can take you easily 5-10 years or even your whole life. Keep up that good work ;)

[walteregeaux]

I might add, tis lifetime learning that never ends until you quit, take your time, enjoy the ride! . thank you for sharing good reminders! good onya!

[ToastedCigar]

I use quite a lot of time for practicing. Not 10 hours like Rick did in high school, but still I practice piano 60-75 minutes a day and guitar 30-60 minutes a day. I also compose music and study music theory almost daily. All in all I spend at least 3 hours a day focusing on my musicianship.

I'd also add, that recording yourself is a great way of practicing! It helps your timing, and you hear your playing from a more critical point of view, since recordings reveal your mistakes.

[regnifelrub]

I've been searching YouTube a lot for videos about the psychology and technique of practicing a musical instrument (since it can be a very lonesome and discipline affording job as we all know) and where do I land? At the good old Rick Beato. Thank you for this very dedicated and authentic and heartfelt lesson. I especially like the fact that you're not hooked to a certain genre or era or even instrument but combine them without prejudice but with naturalness. Just the way it should be. Things coexist. :-) Thanx again.