Become Your Own Problem Solver
Originally written July 12, 2009 for the Flutacious! newsletter. Revised August 1, 2020.
When alone in the practice room musicians are always confronted with a reality: no one is there to check up on us except for ourselves. It is quite miraculous that as nine or ten year olds most of us practiced our instruments (a relatively complicated task) by ourselves without little or no help. Maybe a few memories from the week’s lessons would flow into our mind or perhaps we would peek at the meticulous notes written dutifully out by our teacher. By and large, however, most practicing was an act of simply playing through the assigned music without much thought paid except to the most obvious errors.
As a young flute student (and one who was relatively detail-oriented), I played through my assigned pieces repetitively to the point where I could get through them without too many mistakes. Looking back, I realize that pieces were "practiced" without much conscious thought. Bad habits ruled the day, such as playing with too much tension, bad posture and approaching the music without a concrete idea of what I was trying to accomplish. I rarely used the metronome; after all, it was just too much effort to get it out when all I wanted to do was play the music and express myself! At my lesson, my teacher would correct all the inconsistencies that had crept into my playing. But, after leaving the lesson and going back into my lonely practice room, I basically just played how I wanted to and waited for my teacher to "fix" things for me at my next lesson.
As a teacher, I have found that my students who progress the most quickly are those who find creative and innovative solutions to the problems they encounter during their own practice. Whether they are learning something new, tackling difficult passages, or even just working on the basics, these students creatively think about how they can improve their playing on their own. Although there are times where their ideas need a little more development, I am always impressed and inspired by their motivation to explore using the creative process, with only the tinniest bit of prodding by their teacher. Often times, the ways they invent to tackle a problem are better than the method I would have suggested, in no small part because it came from within themselves.
In my journeys as a student, teacher, and ultimately a professional musician, I have learned that all of us, regardless of our playing level, really can be and ultimately need to become our own problem solvers. Our teachers are indispensable resources, of course. A good student will always diligently practice in the way their teacher guides them because this provides the solid foundation on which new ideas can be built. However, a student who can also invent their own tactics and solutions for addressing problems areas in their music and playing will be more mentally engaged, motivated, and happier in the practice room.
Here are just a few ideas I have used as examples (but you should always come up with your own to make them meaningful to you):
In addition to devising your own creative practice ideas, it is important for musical growth to have confidence in your abilities as a self-evaluator and become a critical listener rather than the passive listener we start out in life as. To do this, record yourself playing regularly and clearly articulate in words what you are hearing in your own playing. Do you like what you hear? Why or why not? Be specific. Compare your performance to your favorite professional recordings and identify exactly what the pros do that makes for a successful performance.
Define and write down your short and long-term objectives, and develop a daily plan that will add efficiency to your practice sessions. Evaluate your practice plans regularly to ensure they are effective and be willing to change them up when necessary. You really can be your own best teacher and you can become your own problem solver!
Happy practicing!
When alone in the practice room musicians are always confronted with a reality: no one is there to check up on us except for ourselves. It is quite miraculous that as nine or ten year olds most of us practiced our instruments (a relatively complicated task) by ourselves without little or no help. Maybe a few memories from the week’s lessons would flow into our mind or perhaps we would peek at the meticulous notes written dutifully out by our teacher. By and large, however, most practicing was an act of simply playing through the assigned music without much thought paid except to the most obvious errors.
As a young flute student (and one who was relatively detail-oriented), I played through my assigned pieces repetitively to the point where I could get through them without too many mistakes. Looking back, I realize that pieces were "practiced" without much conscious thought. Bad habits ruled the day, such as playing with too much tension, bad posture and approaching the music without a concrete idea of what I was trying to accomplish. I rarely used the metronome; after all, it was just too much effort to get it out when all I wanted to do was play the music and express myself! At my lesson, my teacher would correct all the inconsistencies that had crept into my playing. But, after leaving the lesson and going back into my lonely practice room, I basically just played how I wanted to and waited for my teacher to "fix" things for me at my next lesson.
As a teacher, I have found that my students who progress the most quickly are those who find creative and innovative solutions to the problems they encounter during their own practice. Whether they are learning something new, tackling difficult passages, or even just working on the basics, these students creatively think about how they can improve their playing on their own. Although there are times where their ideas need a little more development, I am always impressed and inspired by their motivation to explore using the creative process, with only the tinniest bit of prodding by their teacher. Often times, the ways they invent to tackle a problem are better than the method I would have suggested, in no small part because it came from within themselves.
In my journeys as a student, teacher, and ultimately a professional musician, I have learned that all of us, regardless of our playing level, really can be and ultimately need to become our own problem solvers. Our teachers are indispensable resources, of course. A good student will always diligently practice in the way their teacher guides them because this provides the solid foundation on which new ideas can be built. However, a student who can also invent their own tactics and solutions for addressing problems areas in their music and playing will be more mentally engaged, motivated, and happier in the practice room.
Here are just a few ideas I have used as examples (but you should always come up with your own to make them meaningful to you):
- Transpose melodies into other keys. Great for mental focus and it will really wake you up!
- Experiment with the expressive elements of playing using your favorite melodies from movies, television, and/or popular music.
- Practice fast things slow; practice slow things fast. Play the opposite game!
- Think outside of the box when playing scales. Play them as though they are a musical performance and drill yourself using many different note patterns and rhythms.
In addition to devising your own creative practice ideas, it is important for musical growth to have confidence in your abilities as a self-evaluator and become a critical listener rather than the passive listener we start out in life as. To do this, record yourself playing regularly and clearly articulate in words what you are hearing in your own playing. Do you like what you hear? Why or why not? Be specific. Compare your performance to your favorite professional recordings and identify exactly what the pros do that makes for a successful performance.
Define and write down your short and long-term objectives, and develop a daily plan that will add efficiency to your practice sessions. Evaluate your practice plans regularly to ensure they are effective and be willing to change them up when necessary. You really can be your own best teacher and you can become your own problem solver!
Happy practicing!