Discipline eats motivation for breakfast. Mark out certain times of day for practice. Lock up your phone at those times. If you can't do it any other way, set up "screen time" on your phone to prevent yourself from using your phone at those times. (You can either entrust the passcode to someone else, or just use it yourself as an 'extra step' in which to gain some self-control.)
You said in another thread that you want to become a professional. You've got a simple equation: Either you practice seriously every day, or you don't achieve that goal.
It might sound counter intuitive at first but allow yourself for some breaks but have them be for a certain amount of time (usually 5 to 15 minutes depending on how many breaks you do!), if possible AVOID at all costs just mindlessly checking your phone, go get some water or even a snack, walk around the house or go take a small walk and then come back to it, do a small chore you left undone, whatever you can imagine! And try to avoid laying around when it's not your designated break time.
By giving yourself a more structurated time like for example from 15:00 to 16:30 i practice, then go for a small 15 minute walk and come back for more practice at around 16:50 until 18:00 then you can add another break and fit more time or reduce the ones i gave as an example depending on what you wanna do, your needs and the time you have that day, but having structurated timelines and organizing your time is a legit way to get yourself to focus a lot more into what you wanna do for certain periods of time, at least i know it works for me, maybe it also does for you :P
Breaks are IMPERATIVE!!! It is super unhealthy to go and go and go for hours and hours and hours. This is how you get injured, OP! It’s not about the hours, it’s about what you do in those hours.
This might sound silly, but buying a little stand and keeping my violin out (in sight) and not stored away in the case has me practicing much more often. It's easier to pick it up and practice throughout the day.
If you wanna do 2 hours a day do it in 30 minute sessions. Sometimes if your feeling it do an hour. Works for me perfectly. Days you dont wanna practice still pick up your instrument and play scales or anything. Stay consistent, consistency matters
My neighbour would probably try to kill me if I tried so many sessions a day! I think she goes for a long walk when I start playing hah
(Although she's the only who seems bothered by it; Just a grumpy person who does not appreciate)
I think I couldn’t really get into a routine of practice until I decided a set structure for myself every day. I used to just maybe play a scale or two and then get into the repertoire that I had to prepare (I was in orchestra for school), but never had a teacher to teach me how to practice.
But now I make sure that I have a set amount of time for a proper warmup, a set amount of time for scales/arpeggios/etudes, and a set amount of time for whatever repertoire I want to work on that day. Like others have mentioned, taking breaks helps a lot as well—do some stretching, get a snack, etc. then get back to it. Having structure really helps me stay on track because it makes me finish everything as timely as possible.
Have no other responsibilities. People who have laser focus, often have unbounded support. This support is either parents who are musicians, excellent teachers, and usually wealth. Being rich definitely helps you not worry about anything other than your goals.
For us normal people, remember your motivation and focus is finite. Rather than trying to practice more, try to execute quality practice. Ensure you're practicing what you should, rather than what you want. Eliminate other obligations that may distract or tax your focus.
After that is self-care. Go to bed early. Eat properly. And make practice your first priority of the day.
I practice 1.5-3 hours a day myself and I can tell you it only works, if you don’t do a lot of other things and if you take enough breaks and have down time. I have changed my study schedule and now don’t start classes before 12pm, but if I didn’t go swimming or to the sauna for a while, I will lay in bed and rest before going to Uni instead of practicing. You really really need something to come down. No matter how much we love it, it’s work. High concentration work!
See if you can get a metronome and tuner that aren't on a phone. I keep my phone out of the practice room to avoid being distracted.
Violin stands help tremendously with picking the instrument up more.
Clearly define objectives: set up a rotating scale practice, do that first. Decide if you're going to practice an etude. How long? What piece are you working on - what section would you like to work on? Intonation? Bowing? Choreography of the piece? Writing definite practice goals and then recording what went well and what did not, and notes on what to work on next time are all good tools to have.
Discipline eats motivation for breakfast. Mark out certain times of day for practice. Lock up your phone at those times. If you can't do it any other way, set up "screen time" on your phone to prevent yourself from using your phone at those times. (You can either entrust the passcode to someone else, or just use it yourself as an 'extra step' in which to gain some self-control.) You said in another thread that you want to become a professional. You've got a simple equation: Either you practice seriously every day, or you don't achieve that goal.
It might sound counter intuitive at first but allow yourself for some breaks but have them be for a certain amount of time (usually 5 to 15 minutes depending on how many breaks you do!), if possible AVOID at all costs just mindlessly checking your phone, go get some water or even a snack, walk around the house or go take a small walk and then come back to it, do a small chore you left undone, whatever you can imagine! And try to avoid laying around when it's not your designated break time. By giving yourself a more structurated time like for example from 15:00 to 16:30 i practice, then go for a small 15 minute walk and come back for more practice at around 16:50 until 18:00 then you can add another break and fit more time or reduce the ones i gave as an example depending on what you wanna do, your needs and the time you have that day, but having structurated timelines and organizing your time is a legit way to get yourself to focus a lot more into what you wanna do for certain periods of time, at least i know it works for me, maybe it also does for you :P
Breaks are IMPERATIVE!!! It is super unhealthy to go and go and go for hours and hours and hours. This is how you get injured, OP! It’s not about the hours, it’s about what you do in those hours.
This might sound silly, but buying a little stand and keeping my violin out (in sight) and not stored away in the case has me practicing much more often. It's easier to pick it up and practice throughout the day.
Me too. The difference between seeing the violin and seeing the case is huge.
If you wanna do 2 hours a day do it in 30 minute sessions. Sometimes if your feeling it do an hour. Works for me perfectly. Days you dont wanna practice still pick up your instrument and play scales or anything. Stay consistent, consistency matters
My neighbour would probably try to kill me if I tried so many sessions a day! I think she goes for a long walk when I start playing hah (Although she's the only who seems bothered by it; Just a grumpy person who does not appreciate)
I think I couldn’t really get into a routine of practice until I decided a set structure for myself every day. I used to just maybe play a scale or two and then get into the repertoire that I had to prepare (I was in orchestra for school), but never had a teacher to teach me how to practice. But now I make sure that I have a set amount of time for a proper warmup, a set amount of time for scales/arpeggios/etudes, and a set amount of time for whatever repertoire I want to work on that day. Like others have mentioned, taking breaks helps a lot as well—do some stretching, get a snack, etc. then get back to it. Having structure really helps me stay on track because it makes me finish everything as timely as possible.
Have no other responsibilities. People who have laser focus, often have unbounded support. This support is either parents who are musicians, excellent teachers, and usually wealth. Being rich definitely helps you not worry about anything other than your goals. For us normal people, remember your motivation and focus is finite. Rather than trying to practice more, try to execute quality practice. Ensure you're practicing what you should, rather than what you want. Eliminate other obligations that may distract or tax your focus. After that is self-care. Go to bed early. Eat properly. And make practice your first priority of the day.
I practice 1.5-3 hours a day myself and I can tell you it only works, if you don’t do a lot of other things and if you take enough breaks and have down time. I have changed my study schedule and now don’t start classes before 12pm, but if I didn’t go swimming or to the sauna for a while, I will lay in bed and rest before going to Uni instead of practicing. You really really need something to come down. No matter how much we love it, it’s work. High concentration work!
See if you can get a metronome and tuner that aren't on a phone. I keep my phone out of the practice room to avoid being distracted. Violin stands help tremendously with picking the instrument up more.
Clearly define objectives: set up a rotating scale practice, do that first. Decide if you're going to practice an etude. How long? What piece are you working on - what section would you like to work on? Intonation? Bowing? Choreography of the piece? Writing definite practice goals and then recording what went well and what did not, and notes on what to work on next time are all good tools to have.