Study Tips for Music Majors
It's easy to find study tips on Tumblr for almost any core subject, but music tips can be few and far between. These may help you a bit!
when studying music that you have to play, it is a lot easier to tap out the rhythm of the piece first, then focus on notes. Rhythm is often times very precise, so it helps to get down a concrete element before working on more musical notes
While tapping the rhythm, work on articulations/dynamics/etc, it helps to work on those in the beginning and incorporate it into the piece rather than leave it to the end and simply stack it on
Now it's time to focus on notes. Play it once, play it again, then again and again. Circle notes you have trouble with. You should be familiar with this routine
Now it's time to shadow! That means play your instrument without having sound come out. For wind instruments it means fingering without blowing, for percussionists it means fingering/beating on a flat surface. This way, you can get your muscle memory down without being too worried about how it sounds
IF YOU ARE PLAYING WITH TWO HANDS (pianists, percussionists, etc) play your instrument with one hand and shadow with the other. Alternate hands. This is especially helpful for pianists
Now you just need to practice! Use metronomes, segment your music, play from the end to the beginning, do whatever you need to do to get this piece down!
While practicing, it's always good to keep a practice chart. Record the time you begin practicing and the time you finish. Record what you practiced and if you get stuck on anything. This will be really beneficial to see exactly how much time you need to spend to see results.
Remember! You love music! This is not a chore, this is art, and you are an artist! Have fun and make mistakes, and most importantly learn and grow from every song you get to play.
It will all come in time! Practice makes perfect. Now get in there and and work on it! ❤
