PERCUSSION
STEP IT UP | Mark Shelton
“ You must have a level of discontent to feel the urge to want to grow .” ~ Idowu Koyenikan Consultant & Author
A level of discontent ? Yes , I was tired of being a crummy percussionist in my high school band . I decided to do something radical ; I stepped up my practicing — much more time and a greater focus . Things changed for the better . Decades later , I still feel the urge to grow and I am still practicing .
Are you growing as a musician ? What ’ s your level of discontent ?
With all the responsibilities occupying our day , squeezing in a practice session can be a challenge . And once you manage to get alone with your drum sticks , can you accomplish anything meaningful during those precious minutes ?
After decades as a freelance musician , I still need to carve out time for practice amid the daily duties that require my attention . Read on for several suggestions to facilitate squeezing in practice while making good use of your limited time .
SET UP AND READY Upon deciding to work on your conga skills , you realize that your drums are still in the car and a craft project is occupying the space where you planned to practice . You decide to watch TV and set up your instruments later . Maybe tomorrow . Seem familiar ?
Maintain a designated area as your practice space and keep your instruments set up so you can get to work immediately when you have a chunk of time . Keep the music stand , metronome , pencil , and sheet music at the ready .
THE POWER OF BEGINNING When you ’ re deciding whether you should get in some practice , don ’ t allow negative self-talk to stop you . Getting started produces energy and forward motion . Once a planned fifteenminute session is underway , it can easily turn into a half hour or longer .
MANAGE THE MINUTES Consider using a timer to budget your practice time . I often set a timer so I will practice an instrument for a certain amount of time before the alarm reminds me to transition to another instrument .
SOMETHING IS BETTER THAN NOTHING Along with musical growth , maintenance of skills is also an important aspect of practice . Regular practice assists in preserving strength and technical abilities . Therefore , just knocking out five minutes of warm-up exercises built around basic techniques is beneficial for maintenance . By the way , it ’ s possible to blast through all forty of the Percussive Arts Society ’ s International Drum Rudiments in under three minutes . I timed it .
KEEP TRACK Document your practice time . Consider keeping a practice journal to chronicle details about your session or simply record how much time you practiced in your phone or planner . Logging your progress is self-encouraging .
TURN YOUR DOWN TIME INTO PRACTICE TIME Keep a practice pad in your car and another one set up in your house . You might grab ten minutes to run through rudiments during your lunch break . How about knocking out some stroke-tap exercises while waiting in line at the fast-food drive-thru ?
NO INSTRUMENT NEEDED Mental practice counts as practice . When you have a spare moment , get a mental picture of your instrument fixed in your mind . Next , imagine your hands and / or feet performing a section of music on your envisioned instrument . Your brain will have to maintain that imagery as you concentrate on a successful runthru . You might be surprised how this mental exercise makes a difference later when you ’ re with your instrument . This mental exercise will be beneficial when you are memorizing something — and you can practice while waiting for an oil change .
AIM FOR A TARGET Setting goals will help keep you motivated . Your goals should require effort yet be attainable . Practice objectives can be as simple as playing a certain number of pages in a method book by year ’ s end or memorizing a dozen djembe patterns within six months . Your desire to reach a goal might just nudge you away from the TV and toward your drums .
Remember that music should be enjoyable , and the enjoyment should extend to practicing . Find the fun as you learn . Celebrate your progress . Your success will inspire and motivate you to continue growing as a musician .
“ People who use time wisely spend it on activities that advance their overall purpose in life .” ~ John C . Maxwell Author & Pastor
© 2024 Mark Shelton Productions / Percussion For Worship
Mark Shelton Mark is a freelance musician , educational consultant , and content creator based in Dallas / Fort Worth . Performance credits include Gateway Worship , Tin Roof Tango , Daystar Singers & Band , Stonebriar Church , Wichita Falls Orchestra , Strata Big Band , and TALEA . Mark is the producer of Percussion Tip Tuesday posted weekly on social media platforms and his solo recordings are available on various streaming services . www . marksheltonmusic . com percussionforworship . blogspot . com
84 January 2024 Subscribe for Free ...