Practice log/chart

[kesslari]

Last month I made myself a practice log/chart.

Basically a Word table with the days of the week across the top, and lines for each of the areas I wanted as focus for my limited practice time (like Reading, Doublestops, Jazz Gym, etc.)

I've found it really helpful (though I could be better about filling it out - some days I forget).
It lets me track whether I'm working on what I *want* to be working on, and to see if I'm tending to skip certain areas (so that I can either refocus my practice and get to them, or re-evaluate whether this is the right time to work on them).

When I write it down like that, it sounds a bit compulsive

But it is definitely a major help to me, focus- and practice- wise.

Anyone else doing this?

[DudeistMonk]

My instructor writes stuff out like that on a piece of paper, some stuff makes its way back for a second week (or a third), makes it really clear when I didn't practice something.

[Muss]

Try this:
plan your practice routin, with time for each subject, for example,
let's say you have 4 hours each day to play...
40 minutes- scales
5 minutes- break
30 minutes- reading
30 minutes- transcribe
5 minutes break... and so on...

[kesslari]

let's say you have 4 hours each day to play...

Wow, that would be lovely...

Let me guess, you don't have a full time job and a family to raise and support, right?

[mambo4]

years ago I committed to practicing my scale exercises to a metronome, and notating the tempo at which I could play all 12 keys cleanly each morning.

sure enough after a month, I could see the steady increase in my speed. Very encouraging for further practice