The Anatomy of Practice: Several Ideas

If you have five minutes…

Find a mirror

2 minutes: Practice some technique in the mirror: for string players long bows making sure your bow is straight, your pinky is curled and you’re holding the violin up without tension. For wind and brass players this could mean long tones.

3 minutes: Practice a scale to a metronome with a few different rhythms.

(For advanced string players I’d jump straight into practicing thirds as it’s like practicing two scales in one. For intermediate/beginner string players practice with two beats to a bow, one beat to a bow, two bows to a beat, four bows to a beat.)

If you have ten minutes

Find a mirror

2 minutes: Practice some technique in the mirror (see above)

3 minutes: Practice a scale to a metronome with a few different rhythms (see above)

2 minutes: Practice the arpeggios of four different chords: major, minor, dominant seventh, diminished seventh. Up and down. All their inversions.

2 minutes: Pick a piece. Locate the hardest part of it. Is this a rhythmic, intonation or expression issue? Practice accordingly (here’s some articles that go into more detail)

3 minutes: Run through the piece (or a section of if it’s a long piece)

If you have twenty minutes

Find a mirror

2 minutes: Practice some technique in the mirror (see above)

3 minutes: Practice a scale to a metronome with a few different rhythms (see above)

5 minutes: Pick a piece. Locate the hardest part of it. Is this a rhythmic, intonation or expression issue? Practice accordingly (here’s some articles that go into more detail)

5 minutes: How does the piece end? Memorise the ending by clapping, singing, miming playing (more info on that here)

5 minutes: How does the piece start? Memorise the beginning by clapping, singing, miming and playing.

You can build something valuable even with a small amount of time – if done on a consistent basis. So no excuses for picking up your instrument and playing music every day!