Heyyy e'rbody!!!
What an exciting week. Got a handful of new students. First lessons are always so interesting. I never know what to expect, and first impressions are always so unpredictable! I guarantee I get just as excited (if not more) for a new student learning how to play than they themselves do! It's always so exciting to have our first lesson....whether it's a young child or an adult...and picture teaching them a couple years from now. I think big for all of my students, and it's usually pretty easy to tell which ones will go far. I'm not ALWAYS right on that first hunch...but so far, I'd say my accuracy is about 90%. Maybe I should start charging people for my psychic abilities and let them know where they will be in the book a year from now. Lol. Or not.
Moving on...
Learning and instrument is like playing a sport in many ways. It requires a lot of practice, discipline, teamwork in many cases, and...it can cause injuries if you're not careful. You have to make sure that if any part of your muscles start to feel tense, crampy, or any other sort of pain...stop playing and stretch out your muscles. Think about it. When you play, you're putting pressure on your joints, back (IF YOU'RE SITTING UP STRAIGHT WITH GOOD POSTURE, THAT IS!), arms, shoulders, lungs (if you're a wind player), and more. You need to give these muscles a break!
It's also important to WARM UP your fingers before playing anything crazy. Do a few, slow scales. Do some slow vibrato warm-ups. Ease into your playing.
A lot of times, half way through hour lessons, I give my students (especially the younger ones) a quick "stretching break." We shake out our hands...roll our shoulders forward and backward...do push-ups...etc. Remember: when you play your instrument, everything must be relaxed. This includes the back, shoulders, chest, etc. Not only is that a safety issue to prevent injury, but it will produce the best playing!
Practicing can also be harmful to your body if it becomes too stressful. Stress is not good...too much of it is cancerous! If you're working on something overly challenging and it becomes extremely frustrating, stop and give your mind a break. It's not worth making yourself crazy over. Flip back a few pages in your book and play a piece or exercise that you've already mastered. I also suggest leaving the music and returning to it later.
It's amazing what your brain can absorb overnight! Have you ever studied for a big exam, and found a lot of the information you thought you'd never memorize actually stuck in your brain overnight? The same goes with playing! Try doing that with the challenging exercises. Do a bit each day...and practice during the evening before bed. It will gradually become easier if you just put the effort in and are consistent.
For more information on how to stretch properly, check out: http://www.musicianshealth.com/stretches.htm
Til next time,
~Givi Girl
It's also important to WARM UP your fingers before playing anything crazy. Do a few, slow scales. Do some slow vibrato warm-ups. Ease into your playing.
A lot of times, half way through hour lessons, I give my students (especially the younger ones) a quick "stretching break." We shake out our hands...roll our shoulders forward and backward...do push-ups...etc. Remember: when you play your instrument, everything must be relaxed. This includes the back, shoulders, chest, etc. Not only is that a safety issue to prevent injury, but it will produce the best playing!
Practicing can also be harmful to your body if it becomes too stressful. Stress is not good...too much of it is cancerous! If you're working on something overly challenging and it becomes extremely frustrating, stop and give your mind a break. It's not worth making yourself crazy over. Flip back a few pages in your book and play a piece or exercise that you've already mastered. I also suggest leaving the music and returning to it later.
It's amazing what your brain can absorb overnight! Have you ever studied for a big exam, and found a lot of the information you thought you'd never memorize actually stuck in your brain overnight? The same goes with playing! Try doing that with the challenging exercises. Do a bit each day...and practice during the evening before bed. It will gradually become easier if you just put the effort in and are consistent.
For more information on how to stretch properly, check out: http://www.musicianshealth.com/stretches.htm
Til next time,
~Givi Girl
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