Practice log

[lwl]

How many of you folks keep a practice log/practice journal? If you keep one, what do you put in it? What do or don't you find helpful to record?

I've been noting what I'm practicing and when I'm practicing it for the past two months, and I've discovered that I spread out my practice time amongst the stuff I need to work on with far less evenness than I thought.

(I also realized that I've been practicing dismally little -- about twenty minutes a day on the average. Keeping the log is making me aware of how much I need to play and where in my day I need to find time to practice.)

[Sound Dreamer]

I don't use a practise log or journal (cos I'm too lazy to write, easier to type on a keyboard! ) but I set a fixed time everyday to practise.

This is to help make that time feel that it's just for violin practise only and I plan other things around it. I too measure my practises on a per week basis(2 days never practise - only I can tell the diff, 3 days - my neighbours may notice it, 4 days - my teacher is going to notice it!) so that I can adjust my practise session.

When I'm really tired after a working day, I just practise what I feel like. At least this way, I keep the 'engine running' and will not have a hard time 'starting the engine' again.

[Jane]

I used to and it really makes a difference and gets you better focussed on what you are supposed to be doing.

Now I feel guilty and I must start doing it again.

Jane

[Mu0n]

Practice log?? You're referring to my violin, aren't you?

It sounds like a good idea, that I'll put to use once I get out of the pure drill regimen which is fairly straightforward. The log idea seems most useful when you have plenty of different techniques to maintain and keep track of.

[Chaskan]

I have kept practice logs in the past, but I don't think they work for me. I used them to track my progress on paper, trying to give my practicing structure and a sense of direction. However, keeping the log just made me feel suffocated. I'd rather just play whenever I feel like it and feel the progress in my playing than to put numbers on my practicing. Maybe it's not the most efficient way to practice, but for me it is the most enjoyable, and it makes it easier for me to bring out the emotional aspect of the music when I'm not concerned about getting so far in an etude, or playing a scale up to a certain tempo, or practicing for a certain amount of time.

[Theresa]

Lydia,

This is a good subject you bring up. I'm going to descend into the world of dieting, if you don't mind, and mention that the most effective dieters--the ones who have fifty pounds or more to lose--have been successful, according to the Weight Watchers' spiels in weekly meetings, more often than not due to a habitual keeping of diet logs.

Now that that little bit of useless (probably) information is out there among us etherial types, I'll add that William Faulkner once said or wrote (I've forgetten which) that he did not know what he knew till he had written it, and that is a horrible paraphrase of probably the greatest of American writers. (Oh, Will, please forgive me the paraphrase if you're listening in and sipping on your bourbon behind the pearly gates. I hope Norman's up there listening with you sipping his cup of peach brandy!)

I've been so terribly out of practice recently that I think maybe I'll start a notebook myself and try to do thirty a day again: ten on scales, ten on Whistler, five on Wohlfahrt and five on Suzuki.

Thanks for reminding us of a tried and true practice--for (what else!) tried and true practice!

Happy weekend,

Theresa

[This message has been edited by Theresa (edited 08-11-2001).]

[Viola Girl]

I use a practice log, and I also have my students maintain one. My students might utilize the log differently from one to the next, just depending on their individual needs.

The students that have difficulty finding times to practice, they utlize the log to make a "date" with themselves, and schedule in 20-60 min. practice sessions, depending on their age and ability.

The students that have a difficulty with effective practicing zero in on a problem area, and jot down several excercises for each one.

The students that get overwhelmed, they simply plot out a minute to minute schedule to break down their practice sessions.

All of my students write in long-term and short-term goals. The log provides concrete proof of what goals have been achieved, and how to achieve the others.

I seem to use my log for all of the above, and beyond. In my log I:

1. Schedule in practice session, breaking them up in specific focuses within a given amount of time.

2. Organize the material, so that I know what I need to cover, when I will cover it, and how I will cover it.

3. Goals -- both big and small.

I notice a big difference when I don't keep up with my practice log, but I am one of those control-freak types that have some sort of log or planner for just about everything in my life.

VG

[deStaunton]

A practise log sure beats scroll-notching.Titter. Titter titter.

[C Tripp]

I keep a practice log too. I do not have a long attention span, so It makes me stay focused and lets me know when i get off track. I am a high school student, so my schedule differs from day to day. Typically I include in my log, what i practice, when i practice, and my "goal time". If I am having a really hard time w/ solo bach, I will practice that at least an hour, while i am not having as many problems with the Sibelius, so I practice that maybe at least 30 minutes. The only thing i religously write down every day, are the scales i practice. I want to make sure i practice them every day or else i will only play a few. All State Auditions require you to know 10, so i make sure i always practice them!

Hope this helps.

Carrie

[Loren Feffer]

I do think practice logs are a good idea. They keep me honest about how (and how much) I'm spending my practice time and help me manage progress toward goals large and small.

That said, I've kept one on and off -- not religiously by any means. For awhile I was using a kind of low-tech spreadsheet. I printed out a stack of sheets with practice categories (e.g., scales, etudes, special exercises, solo work, ensemble music, etc.) in columns across the top, with one row for each day of the week. The boxes were large enough to write (in abbreviations) how long I practiced in each category, and exactly what I did. This format helped me see at a glance how I was using my time each week, and gave a quick hint how I should plan my next practice session.

Somehow a real log (in a notebook) seems more elegant and permanent than my practice sheets, but the sheets do make keeping & using a log pretty easy.