Make sure your instrument is set up properly, practise time on an unplayable instrument is wasted time.
Know that it’s up to you. Your playing is not improved by lessons, it is improved by practising in between them.
Schedule your practising – assign twenty minutes a day rather than ‘When you feel like it’.
Layer your practise – separate your tone and timing rather than trying to nail both at the same time – it’s not realistically achievable.
Always practise to a rhythm. When practising scales count through them evenly, when you are practising a chord change do so within a count of four to encourage rhythmic rigour. Rather than speeding up the count add more strokes of each chord to reduce the time available for the chord changes in increments.
Avoid speed. Trying to play fast before you can play accurately will truncate your learning. Accuracy makes speed achievable, not vice versa.
Practise the passages which need practising. It is pointless to practise a whole piece of music if the same four bar section is consistently giving you trouble.
Take notes of points you are consistently struggling with and discuss these with your tutor.
Set yourself goals. Focus on a piece to improve the standard within a set timeframe if you can.
Keep it varied. Don’t keep going around the same few pieces. Even if you don’t get bored your brain will and you will stop improving.
Keep it interesting. If you are getting bored with your set pieces tell your tutor and seek alternative pieces. Play music you love.
