Module Four Lesson Two: Singers and the Art of Practicing: A Comprehensive Guide
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As the virtuoso pianist Vladimir Horowitz said,
“If I skip practice for one day, I notice. If I skip practice for two days, my wife notices. If I skip for three days, the world notices.”
Myelin is in a constant cycle of breakdown and repair. That’s why daily practice is essential, particularly as we get older.
So how much practice is enough?
PRODUCTIVE PRACTICE: Quality vs. Quantity
It depends on the quality of your practice. Remember, to get the most out of your practice sessions, you need to work at the edge of your ability to keep your brain engaged, stretch your learning capacity, and lay down new neural pathways.
As for quantity, research shows that world-class experts — chess players, novelists, athletes, and musicians, practice between three to five hours a day.
I know what you’re thinking — but I don’t have three to five hours a day to practice! Believe me, I understand. It’s not easy to find that many hours in a day. Try starting with a smaller chunk of time — even 15 or 20 minutes. The trick is to stick with it and practice for that amount every day.
Here’s a story that illustrates how even small chunks of practice time every day can grow your musical abilities:
My father loved to sing and had a beautiful lyric baritone voice. When he was in medical school, he was in a barbershop quartet called The Forcep Four.
The quartet traveled throughout the northwest, competing in barbershop competitions, which they consistently won.
All four men in this group were in medical school. They were extremely busy studying, performing autopsies at night, you know, medical school stuff. It’s demanding and time-consuming work. So, where did they find the time to practice? Every day, on their lunch break, they rehearsed in a stairwell for 15 minutes. That’s all the time they had.
But they kept beating the groups that got together once a week for two to three hours. Why? They had excellent arrangements and beautiful voices, but my dad would tell you it’s because they rehearsed every day and reinforced what they had learned the day before.
One word of caution. This amount of practice is better than nothing. But, as a singer, you also need to build strength and stamina. Chunking your practice out into small 15 or 20-minute segments is great for learning new material and for getting you in the habit of practicing, but eventually, you’ll need to practice in longer segments.
Here are some strategies you can use to help you make time for this all-important activity:
1. Prepare the space.
Whether it’s an entire room or a corner of your kitchen, make sure you have some space that’s dedicated solely to your practice sessions. Have all the tools and music you need on hand, so when it’s time to practice, you can dive right in.
If you’re traveling or don’t have the luxury of a dedicated physical space, create a virtual one. You can keep your recordings, sheet music, and practice journal at your fingertips with Evernote. Later in this module, I’ll show you how to use this cloud-based app for practicing.
2. Just begin.
As meditation teacher Sharon Saltzburg says, “Just put your body there.” It’s the first step.
When I’m having a hard time practicing, I put my body in my practice space, and then I’ve begun. Getting started is often the highest hurdle.
3. Keep a practice journal.
Knowing what you did the day before, how it went, and where you left off will give you a better idea of what to practice today. Whether you keep a journal in the cloud or a paper notebook, there are many creative ways you can use journaling to support your practice. (More on that in Lesson 5 of this module.)
4. Use a timer.
Sometimes I use a timer and set it for 15, 20, or 30 minutes so that my practice sessions aren’t open-ended. I know I can commit to at least that much time. Once I begin and get into flow, time flies. Before I know it, I’ve accomplished my practice goal for the day. If I have more time in my schedule, I keep going.
I’ve found that instead of hemming me in, a timer frees me up. I can lose myself in the moment, or when time seems to be going really slow, keep going until the time I’ve committed to practicing is up.
5. Practice in small chunks throughout the day.
If you can’t find an hour to practice, try breaking your practice time into smaller chunks that you can squeeze in throughout your day. A half an hour in the morning, at lunchtime, and after dinner adds up and won’t feel as hard to schedule as an hour and a half.
6. Give yourself a reward.
This one might seem crazy, but it works. Chocolate kisses and gold stars aren’t just for kids. Small rewards like these can motivate you too.
I had a student who struggled with ADD and found it almost impossible to focus on practicing. She figured out a fabulous way to reward herself, which helped her to practice more consistently. Every time she practiced, she put some money in a tip jar. At the end of each month, she took the money and treated herself to whatever her heart desired. It worked!
You could also reward yourself with a guilty pleasure like social media scrolling for 20 minutes or window shopping online for that new microphone you’re saving up for. The possibilities are endless!
7. Give yourself a performance goal.
There’s nothing like a little external pressure to get you going with your practice. If you don’t have performances, create some. Karaoke night, a video for your friends and family, a Facebook or Instagram Live session, a demo recording for your website — get creative about finding ways to sing in front of others. Figure out a realistic date that gives you enough time to prepare (but isn’t too far out in the future), and then invite people to attend.
8. Find a practice partner.
Do you have a friend who has trouble finding time or motivation to practice? Ask them to be your practice partner. Set up a time each week to share your practice goals and commitments. Check back in the following week to see how it went for you both. An accountability partner who cheers you on will inject some fun and camaraderie into your practice. You can celebrate together when you’re successful and encourage each other to keep going when you’re flagging.
9. Mentor, Coach, or Teacher
Another way to support yourself in your practice is to get help from someone who’s ahead of you on the path. A mentor, coach, or teacher can help you accelerate your journey by sharing the wisdom, experience, and insights they’ve gleaned from their own.
The Most Satisfying Reward of All
“The major difference between the ‘best’ and the ‘average’ is that the ‘best’ get as much pleasure from practice as performance.” ~ Benjamin Zander
Think about it, how much time will you spend performing in the years to come? How much time will you spend practicing? The ratio might change in different seasons of your life, but the amount of time you spend practicing will probably always be greater than the amount of time you spend in performance.
A daily practice that brings you pleasure is one you’ll continue with. Your small, consistent steps towards mastery become their own reward.
Now that you’ve created the time and the space to practice and have some strategies to support your practice habit, it’s time to take a look at what your practice session might look like.
Find a song you’d like to learn and bring it to the next lesson. See you there!
