Hello people! This month we are bringing focus and attention back to ourselves and our skills. With the current global situation still not looking too bright, one of the main things that I have been hearing from students and clients is the struggle of finding/creating time for effective practice. Whether you are studying singing, music theory, songwriting or music production, you know by now how important it is to dedicate enough time to your talents and crafts. So let’s try to unpack this together and see if I can shine a light on a few factors regarding your practice regimes. When it comes to singing specifically what matters the most is not the amount of time of your practice session (length), but rather the pattern and reoccurrence (frequency). Therefore, instead of looking to build a 3-hour long session, try to build smaller bites of 30/40 minutes and spread them out throughout the day/week.
For beginners to intermediate, I would suggest selecting 2 or 3 days minimum per week and choose a convenient time that can accommodate a practice session of 30 minutes and up to 1 hour. Since singing is all about muscle memory, remember what I said above: frequency over length. Your body won’t physically be able to develop new skills or technique unless repetition is there. For more advanced/professional singers I would encourage a more consistent schedule which includes a practice session on 4 to 5 different days per week. If you fall in this category of people, you can also extend your practice time from 1 to 2 consecutive hours. Longer times are fine, however do make sure you take a break after the 2-hour mark or around to allow your body to relax and catch a break. Keep hydrated, energised and awake!
If you are studying songwriting, music theory or production instead, you can definitely go for longer periods of time even though I’d set the 2-hour benchmark there too and then take a break. Our brains easily overload and lose focus after being exposed to attention-consuming activities for too long. So take a break, make a coffee/tea, stretch your legs, unwind for a bit… then go back to it if you need to. But again, frequency over length!
I am well aware that not everybody enjoys schedules and calendars, right..? But hear me out: if you are taking your practice seriously, you will need one. It doesn’t mean that it has to become a boring routine on top of your current job and life chores though! You can definitely spice it up changing the days depending on every week, or by doing different exercises on different days etc., as long as you keep pretty much the same amount of weekly hours. So take a look at your current schedule, identify a few days that can potentially have some free time here and there and plan your practice little by little.
When I was analysing pedagogical methods and their impact on different students I also came across some pretty insane data showing that creating a consistent and effective schedule doubled the learning outcomes and students’ overall success. Trying to learn without a grid is like trying to drink water with a fork. Our bodies are incredibly powerful machines, and when it comes to developing motor/muscular coordination and actions, repetition is key. Think about kids learning how to walk or when you were learning how to ride a bike.
On the other hand, if you are trying to stimulate your brain and allow creativity to take over, take a note of every instance and situation that you feel comfortable with. Re-create those conditions, use them to your advantage. Creativity can blossom at any point and in very different scenarios, however what works for you, works for you. I intend to make a specific post on this topic soon… so if this is something that interests you, just keep an eye on this space 🙂
If you do feel overwhelmed with this process, or you’re still unsure on how to create a solid plan of action or even what to practice, please just get in touch with me via email and we’ll get you sorted with a session. And to conclude this post, I am leaving a lovely YouTube link attached below that will hopefully inspire you take your practice even further. Enjoy!