Tools in the Toolbox

My students often hear me ask, “How will you get better at this passage by the next lesson?”

The standard answer: “Practice.”
Sometimes the reply is a hesitating question: “Umm, practice?”

I ask them to elaborate. “That seems pretty generic. HOW will you practice?”

That’s where Tools in the Toolbox comes in.*

There are so many practice techniques. Just like tools in a toolbox, some are better for one task than another. For example, one musical passage may benefit from work with a metronome. Another problem could be solved by solid finger placement. Yet another piece would come to life with changes in volume and expressiveness.

As a teacher, I help students understand how to use different practice techniques and accumulate more for their musical toolboxes. Just as a good tool collection has the perfect device for every project, a good musician has multiple practice techniques for every difficult passage.

How many musical tools are in your toolbox?

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* Thank you Dr. Rhoden for teaching this valuable analogy during my college years!