I’m Talkin’ Bout (Routine) Practice!

Do you just practice whenever you feel like it? Or just when a gig or performance opportunity is right around the corner? Here are a few reasons you should set up a routine practice schedule!

What sets professional working musicians apart from amateurs is their work ethic; part of that work ethic is having a solid practice routine. Of course, what that looks like depends on the type of musician they are and their goals, but what is consistent is that they are regularly practicing.

So, why should we practice regularly? Well, it makes you better... faster! Especially if it's done the right way. No, really! Try doing a daily practice routine deliberately for one week. Then play a show or perform in general, but be sure to record yourself. You'll hear the difference between that and a recent time you performed but had not been practicing regularly. There will be a massive difference in your sound and overall musicianship. 

If you're a working musician and are gigging regularly, a routine practice schedule is crucial for staying on top of all the shows and rehearsals you've got. You want to stay ahead of the curb and even ensure you have a band's setlist (or a good chunk of their master song list) down. You'd be surprised at how many groups cover the same songs. So by working on covers regularly throughout the week, you're learning music that's very likely to be on multiple bands' songs list, and that's great. Nothing makes you more hireable than if you can just jump right in with minimal rehearsal because you did the work ahead of time.

Writing consistently increases our overall song output and improves the creative process for those who write original music or arrange unique covers. More songs = more money! Or, at the very least more opportunities to make more money.

Practicing our instruments regularly also allows us to close the gap from what we hear in our heads to what we can execute in real-time. In other words, the more technically proficient we are at our instruments, the better we get at expressing our mental ideas and quickly turning them into musical actions. This is especially useful for writers and those of us that improvise solos. Needing to stop to figure out how to play a fantastic musical idea in our head derails our creative process, which turns into wasted time. 

When we practice regularly and get better acquainted with our instruments, we can also get a dialogue going and, in turn, be more productive in rehearsal and recording sessions with other artists. I can't tell you how many times an artist has come to me to sing or play an idea they have, and I can play it back right away. They get so excited that they make sure they hit me up again for future work. This has literally printed me money!

These are a few reasons you should set up a regular practice routine. Are there other benefits you have gotten from your practice routines? Got any questions about practicing in general? Please feel free to let me know!