We've all been encouraged to engage in the habit of regular practice, yet so many avoid practice. Why is that?
If we avoid practice, preferring to play what's easy and becoming satisfied with mediocre abilities, we miss a lot of loveliness.
I love Hilary Hahn's quote: "Sometimes I like practicing, sometimes I don't. But I like the result." She's got some great advice too, some of which includes the importance of rest. You can read more of her thoughts on practice as a lifestyle in this article published in The Strad.
If we notice the results that come alongside regular practice, we enjoy the many benefits.
Regular practice boosts:
focus - increasing our ability to focus on details that can make our music lovely
confidence - when you master a new etude, then maintain it for a time, confidence grows as you are able to play more pieces that incorporate that particular skill
dexterity - increasing our facility to play with great control
discipline - attaining specific goals takes discipline
spatial awareness - increasing secure and accurate placing on the strings
patience - as we become more willing to woodshed a difficult passage, patience grows, and will seep into other areas of our daily life
concentration - necessary especially if you want to perform, when we learn to concentrate our focus on a specific task we are better able to ignore the distractions that are always included in performance
Go tune your harp and get to practicing on a regular, disciplined schedule and enjoy the RESULTS.
Other practice related ideas:
What’s My Problem? Why Can’t I Do This?
Take it Easy
How's your practicing going? No time? That's not an excuse!
Productive Practicing Includes Sleep
Tension is not your friend.
Are You Relaxed?