Violin protege Lucas Lyons takes his practicing outdoors with the MityVox PA system
Musicians are always told that practice is the key to success, but those who start off do not know how to practice.
Many students believe that “practice makes perfect”, but it is more correct to say that “perfect practice makes perfect”. Results in individual playing are achieved when a student learns to apply and perfect the concept of effective individual practice.
Aim to practice every day and make practice part of your daily routine. There is no doubt that with every practice session you will make some progress towards your goal. Every day you don’t practice something else occurs, you get a little rusty, start to forget and the benefits of your previous practice sessions slowly decline in ability.
Due to a busy schedule, it may not be ideal to practice every day but it is recommended for your average student to practice five times a week. Practicing all the time may be counterproductive, you will need to give yourself the opportunity to rest both physically and mentally. Practicing 10 hours a day only on the weekends will not yield the same results like practicing one hour a day throughout the week.
As a beginner, maintain a practicing session of 20 – 30 minutes daily. 20 minutes is where you should be aiming to start your practice at, if you do less you’re not going to get a lot of benefit from it. Set a time each day and discipline yourself to stick to a schedule so that you do not fall behind.
Practicing at home begins by preparing a practicing area. The area you choose to setup should be free on any distractions, turning off your TV, telephone and any other device that would keep you from interrupting your practicing session. This will enable you to concentrate fully during your practice time.
Additionally do not eat or drink anything while you play, food and drinks can get messy and may be harmful to your instrument. Make sure you cleanse your mouth with water if you ate prior to your practicing session when playing any wind instrument and give your hands a quick wash before your session begins.
Check your instrument to ensure it is in good working condition. An instrument not working correctly keeps you from performing your best. Learn to maintain your instrument, and if your instrument is not working take it to the nearest instrument repair technician to have it fixed.
Every practice session must be organized, before starting your session you need to map out the goals you want to accomplish. Having measurable goals allows you to track your progress and lets you know if you are getting better.
Each practice session that you have should be made of many little tasks and things you want to improve. Know specifically what you need to practice, which bars or notes and what you could do better next time. Making goals that are easily attainable within your practice session reduces discouragement and will give you a sense of accomplishment.
Go slow with any new information when attempting to play a new piece, there is no way you can expect yourself to immediately play it as fast. If you're consistently making mistakes, that means you're probably going faster than you're ready to play. Isolate the difficult bits and repeat them a bunch of times. Once that's solid, make sure you can also nail the transition from the easy part into the hard part.
Enhance your music session by adding a small pa system for personal use. Adding a small pa system allows you to plug in your electric instrument and amplify its sound, better preparing you for any upcoming rehearsal or live performance.
15 year old Lucas Lyons is First Chair Violin at the McHenry County Youth Orchestra
and Badger High School Bach Group School Orchestra
and Badger High School Bach Group School Orchestra
The AmpliVox MityVox wireless battery operated PA system is an all in one PA system that runs on rechargeable batteries and features a wireless microphone. Open the box and you are ready to play with the rechargeable battery already charged. It can even be used outdoors with the protective case that is included.
The MityVox features a wireless handheld microphone, lapel and headset microphone with a transmitter. Comes with a built-in rechargeable battery, AC power cord, recharger and protective case to keep the unit dry and protect it from damage.
This compact and lightweight personal PA system weighs only 7.5 lbs, it is a 20 Watt system that reaches an audiences of 150 people and room sizes of up to 1000 square feet.
End your practice session with something fun that could be some pop, a music theme or something from your band class. Finding enjoyment in the physical act of playing an instrument will keep you motivated and have you look forward to the next time you get to practice.
For more information on the MityVox PA system or our small PA systems please visit:
http://www.ampli.com/small-pa-system/
