How should you practice an instrument? What will inspire you to practice longer? Do you need to find a teacher that will teach your favorite music?

Practice tip 9, “Play music you love”. I am hoping that you are loving the music that your teacher is starting you on, and that you love playing many kinds of music. Of course you will need to start pretty simple, so be patient if you barely know the notes on your instrument yet. Depending on your musical goals, your teacher may be starting you on the the music that will help you best learn techniques. But once you are getting to know your instrument, you might want to pick out some music that you love best to also learn if it will keep you more interested and practicing longer. Keep in mind, some music is a whole different ball game, and may even be for more advanced students. I tried to get jazz lessons for my children while they were young. It was impossible to get jazz lessons for the violin near my house. And generally classical teachers are trained in teaching. So sometimes, if you don’t have the resources, you may have trouble with finding jazz for younger students. Consider trying on-line (skype or zoom…) lessons which are getting more common if you can’t find the lessons you need near you. I have not tried this myself, although I have listened to some you tube on-line trial lessons that gave me some great pointers. Again, depending on your instrument, and how far along in your training you are, I imagine, on-line lessons would have different value. I would love feedback from students and teachers who have tried this.

I would love to hear about your experiences with this practice tip, “Play Music You Love”, in the comments section below. Please tell me if you, your students or your children have loved the basic music they have been started on. I know that the local violin teachers insert fiddlin’ songs to add interest for students. A famous local song is “Rocky Top”. Unfortunately, the words aren’t really meant for children.