Another common question I hear all the time about learning an instrument is “do I need to practice everyday?” Well, yes and no. See, when learning any new skill, you need to be consistent. Why is it that we go to school 5 days a week? To be consistent. Have you noticed that after summer vacation you tend to forget a lot of material? That can be due to lack of consistency.
The very best way to improve as a musician is to practice consistently. Does that mean you should practice every single day? Not necessarily. Let me explain!
Let’s say you’re feeling overwhelmed and could really use a day off. Maybe you got too busy with homework or aren’t feeling great that day. That’s okay. Take a day away from practicing and don’t sweat it. The trick here, though, is to not let this become a habit. Try to practice every day but don’t beat yourself up if you need to step away here and there. Allow yourself the time your mind and body needs to rest.
A great way to hold yourself accountable is to track your practice every single day. This way you can see if over the course or a couple months, you’re taking one too many days off. In Practice Note, I encourage you to fill out the practice pages each and every day, even if you don’t practice. If you take a day off, write that down and put a brief explanation for why you needed some time to yourself. Don’t mistake this as a way to “shame you” for not practicing—it’s for an entirely different purpose! By opening up Practice Note daily, you are now being consistent and developing a healthy routine.
Remember, consistency is key.
