A FEW OBSERVATIONS:
YOU LOVE MUSIC — of course you do — that’s why you’re here!
YOU NEED TO PRACTICE to improve as a singer.
You WANT to practice. That’s also why you’re here.
FINDING TIME to practice is surprisingly difficult.
It’s hard for me too. But I’ve found some great ways to make it easier…
Part of what hangs people up about practicing is that they make TOO BIG A DEAL OF IT in their heads.
Say you decide to spend 10 minutes each day practicing your singing.
You may think that’s not enough time to make a difference, but it definitely is. If you practice 10/day you will definitely experience improvement and success over time — I promise!
Now say, even 10 minutes feels like more than you can commit to…
You only have 5 minutes or less? It’s still worth doing — it will make a difference! Also, once you start you may find yourself spending longer because it’s FUN!
Don’t have the where-with-all at this point to create a daily practice, or a regular “practice” of any sort?
You don’t want singing to feel like another “should?” THAT IS COMPLETELY VALID!
…Enter my “Random Practice Method” where EVERYTHING COUNTS!
This means, “I sang along with the Beatles while I was driving to work. That counts!” Or, “I sang a drone note in the shower. That counts!” “I noticed the shape of the melody of a song on the radio — that’s listening differently, and it counts!” Because your body is your instrument, you can practice anytime — in a wide variety of ways. Maybe you’re out for a walk and you’re counting out the beats of your steps and creating little rhythm patterns with your voice — that counts!!!
You just need to give yourself credit for all the practicing you’re doing throughout your days.
It’s not cheating — you’re incorporating singing into your life and the practicing is becoming part of you without your sitting down for a formal practice session.
This is how little kids develop their musical skills (and language skills and all skills actually) — they don’t sit down to practice. They just do it. They learn through play — and you can do that too! Just by including singing in your life and having fun with it, you’re working on your skills.
If you’d like something specific to practice, you might want to do one of these activities…
(remember, it’s not that big a deal — just click one of these link and see what happens! Enjoy!)
- Sing with a drone note (that means one long steady note). Match the note, or experiment with moving your voice around while I sing the note.
- Or practice singing any song you like — sing along with a recording if you’d like. Since I mentioned the Beatles earlier, click here to sing along with hard Day’s Night.
- Build Your Rhythmic Strength with RHYTHM PATTERNS.
- Anything else that feels like singing practice to YOU. You’re the boss. Deem it a success ahead of time! Whatever you do is perfect!
BONUS IDEA — Keep a journal of your practice
It’s a great way to make your practice tangible. It can be as simple as just put a check mark by the date (to say, “I did it!”), or you can jot down what you did, or write your thoughts, feelings and observations. However you track it, it’s heartening to see how the tiny effort you put in each day adds up!
However you do it, practicing is a personal thing.
Do it your way. Think of yourself as planting seeds — some approaches will take root; others won’t. Sometimes you’ll find yourself practicing a lot; other times you need to reboot. It’s all good. You’re developing a RELATIONSHIP with singing and with practicing. Let’s make it a loving relationship!
Leave A Comment