Make Music When You Practice
By Henry Bahrou
The title of this blog is inspired by a key message from Mark Levine’s well-known Jazz Theory Book. While Levine’s advice is often geared toward jazz musicians, I believe it applies equally to anyone learning any style of music: you should always make music while practicing.
It’s common to associate practicing with endless, mechanical repetition—scales at the piano, exercises on the guitar, drills on any instrument. Perhaps this concept is emphasized in a jazz book because of the highly improvisational nature of jazz, but it’s a powerful idea for all musicians: you should play with feeling and intensity even during practice.
When you practice, imagine you’re performing on a major stage, with all eyes on you. Bring energy, emotion, and focus to every note. Make your practice sessions engaging, or they risk becoming tedious and draining. The journey to becoming a great musician can be long, and if you resent your practice time, it will be even harder. Even professional performers spend far more time practicing alone than performing in public. If you can learn to love the process, your path will be much more rewarding.
Practice Your Weaknesses
Another crucial piece of advice: don’t just practice what you already do well. Many musicians fall into the trap of playing familiar material over and over, neglecting the areas where they most need improvement. True progress happens when you face your challenges directly.
I always take it as a good sign when a student says they “hate” a particular chord, scale, or technique. Usually, that dislike comes from a lack of mastery and understanding—and that’s exactly where the opportunity for growth lies.
We all have the same number of hours in a day. If you can dedicate even 15 focused minutes to practicing a single weakness, you will see real improvement. Those 15 minutes, if spent with intention, can make a remarkable difference.
Thank you for reading.
If you have thoughts or experiences you’d like to share, we’d love to hear from you in the comments.
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Grosse Pointe Music Academy
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