DEVELOPING YOUR CRAFT
[ THE 4 STAGE PRACTICE METHOD | Nicole Hickman ]
The seemingly impossible has happened! You Some examples of non-creative skills are: minutes of working on something you can’t do
look at your list of “to-do’s”, and miraculously, drum rudiments, grooves, scales, and chord or need to learn.
they’re all checked. You realize you finally have progressions, but again, it can be any singular the time to practice. You sit done with your skill you can already do, but you want to tighten If you are on a worship team, most often this is
instrument, and… well… try to practice. up at both slower and faster tempos. Try to only the time for you to familiarize yourself with the
focus on one skill for ten minutes. This is harder, new and old songs in your worship set. Utilize
but this is where the payoff is at! this time to take and make lots of notes! Then
Question: have you ever felt stuck in your
practice routine? Experienced a plateau in your
play the songs using your notes to guide you.
learning? Maybe felt it was hard to organize *Note: pick a tempo in which you can play the Listen to the songs repetitively. Try watching
your practice in a way that improved old skills, skill, but struggle to hold a conversation while instrumental tutorial videos on YouTube for
while developing new ones? playing. Once you feel you could have a simple visual help.
conversation with someone while practicing
Let me introduce you to a method I have
that skill, increase the tempo.
Prepare your heart and mind to know the music
adapted for the past two years: Mike
so that Sunday can be about worshipping
Johnston’s four stage practice method. While STAGE 2: CREATIVE Jesus, rather than struggling to make it through
Mike is a drum instructor, this method works Stage two is ten minutes of warming up your an unfamiliar song. Learn to be a worship
for all musicians, and is effective for beginner to mind creatively. Put another way, this is ten leader in this time, rather than just a musician
advanced players. I’ve made a few adjustments minutes of being creative around a non- on the stage.
to the basic method to fit the needs of a typical changing or already established pattern.
STAGE 4: MUSICAL APPLICATION
worship musician, but it still maintains its
essential form and function.
For you drummers, maybe try soloing around Stage four is ending with ten minutes of pure
a basic kick-snare pattern. The kick-snare worship! Rock out to your favorite songs, and
All you need is a clock, a metronome, note pattern stays consistent, while you fill the remember the King you serve, and the gift it is
taking paper and your instrument. Without open space with some creative ideas for a full to play music!
further ado, let’s get to it! ten minutes.
That’s it! About an hour of intentional, focused
STAGE 1: NON-CREATIVE For everybody else, this is ten minutes to Stage one is ten minutes of working on a maybe sit with a familiar song and try creating specific non-creative skill from your musical new solo parts to it. Don’t be afraid to make It is a privilege to lead our family in Christ into
arsenal, with a metronome. This is a skill you mistakes! You know your scales, now let’s put worship. While no amount of practice will ever
can already do, but wish you could do better. them to use in a creative way! make us perfect, remember, “Whatever you do,
This is ten minutes hashing out a single skill you Ten minutes: be creative!
practice.
work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men,
knowing that from the Lord you will receive the
want to improve on, at a tempo* that is a little
inheritance as your reward. You are serving the
uncomfortable, and then, repeating that skill STAGE 3: MAIN FOCUS
over and over until the timer is up. I guarantee Stage three is 20-25 minutes on your main
by the end of ten minutes that tempo will not focus. Defined another way, this is 20-25
Lord Christ.” -Colossians 3:23
seem as daunting!
December 2017
WorshipMusician.com
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