Kobe Bryant is one of the greatest players in Basketball. The methods that he or any person uses in practicing a sport can be applied to music.
It's surprising because the fact of the matter is that most people have not really given the though or even the MINIMUM amount of time required for growth, let alone mastering music in your particular instrument.
One author said that it takes 10,000 hours to get really good at something.
And when I look at all the master musicians I’ve had the opportunity to work play with I can't imagine how they were able to put in all those hours and time to become great at what they do. There must have been times where they have wanted to give up.
If that is true then let's break it down!
a 10,000 hours divided by 1 hour/day = 27 1/3 years
b. 10,000 hours divided by 3 hours/day = 9 years
c. 10,000 hours divided by 6 hours/day = 4 1/2 years
d. 10,000 hours divided by 12 hours/day = 2 1/3 years
My goodness! Here's what boggles the mind the musicians that I met they told me that they would sit in their practice area and try to master a lick or a hit or chord or song even for an hour!.
If you want to be successful just like the pros follow these steps and I assure you can't go wrong!
1) Take your time! Slow it down so it works for you you are not in competition with yourself. You don't need to be the next superman or the next classical artist. You do what works best for you. I notice that many musicians will try to learn a lick or a run that is on the CD the same way at the same speed. (There is nothing wrong with it but you have to pace yourself it's not a race!)
2)Stick to what you do best! Then push yourself
Try not to give up it is going to be hard and a rough road but you can do it. Pick something that is manageable for you. You may have to start over many times but you should be able to get closer to your goal every time. Once you do that challenge yourself and raise the bar just a little bit higher.
3)Stay positive!
One of the hardest things as a musician is looking at your faults if you screw up in practice it's no big deal because you not playing in front of a live audience. Even if you did mess up don't be yourself up about it. You live and learn and in music it is a growing experience. Write down your feelings and think about how you can improve. There is nothing better then learning how to improve on something you already did once successfully. It takes self discipline and integrity to keep you going.
If hope you take these tips and really start to use them and embrace them you will start to become like the next Kobe Bryant in your playing. Let me know what you think
Until Next Time
(All credit for image goes to author)