The dean of my school of music had the saying “only practice on the days you eat.” … I was hungry a lot. 🙂
I sometimes wonder when a student leaves their lesson whether or not and how they practice afterward… some students take copious notes during lessons and others seem to make no marks at all in their music. Some students come to their next lesson having implemented every single nuance of what we discussed, and others have forgotten everything I said. Slow progress in lessons isn’t always an indicator of not practicing; sometimes it’s simply an indicator of poor practicing.
The following is my list of ways to make your practice time more constructive:
1. take notes: regardless of your astounding memorization skills, taking notes will not only help you remember what you and your teacher discuss, but it will also reinforce those ideas simply through the act of writing: you will make a kinesthetic connection to that idea. Mark your music; mark your scores; write in phrasing, dynamics, color changes, IPA symbols, translations, and any other helpful “music-making” concepts.
2. break it down: rather than starting at the top of the song and singing through to the end every time, break the song into parts. Find the weak spots and practice them thoroughly and thoughtfully. Practice section by section and reserve singing the whole song through until the end of your practice time.
3. break it down more: break down, not only the music, but also the elements of the music. Practice the text alone by speaking it aloud, phrase by phrase. Practice the dynamics alone by silently reading the score and making mental attachments between dynamic markings and the word or words that they accompany. Likewise, practice the character of the piece by silently reading the score and making mental attachments between the changes of emotion and the words or music they accompany.
4. record yourself: nobody wants to hear themselves sing (well, not most of us), but it’s important to develop a critical ear about your own voice. You will not always have a weekly teacher, so you must learn to be your own best critic. Recording your practice time is one of the best ways to do this. Record yourself singing through the entire song and then listen, first taking note of any recurring issues (lack of support, a pinched sound, a weird ‘e’ vowel, etc…): these issues will take the longest to fix, but you’ll fix them sooner by knowing what they sound like. Then listen to your recording again, focusing on the things you can fix NOW (diction, volume adjustments, maintaining your “spin” on that one note, tuning, etc…).
5. less is more: you don’t have to practice 4 hours a day to be a great singer. A productive 45 minutes of practice is always better than mindless wailing hours upon end. Remember, you are your instrument. Your voice tires just like any other part of your body. If you are cast in a 3 hour opera, you will work up to those 3 hours of singing: don’t start there.
6. practice everywhere: Make a point to sing healthily and mindfully every time you sing. In the shower, at church, in the car–anywhere you sing, sing well. This will reinforce the healthy habits you are learning in your lessons.
Happy Practicing!
