Music Lesson - How and What To Practice On Your Instrument

[@GeorgeSPAMTindle]

When I was a teenager (more than 40 years ago) I asked a musician how he made his playing look so easy. His reply of 'just practice until it is easy' is some of the best advice that I have ever had. I just wish that he's also told me to steer clear of crazy women.

[@beeonthyme5760]

How do you know they are crazy until it's too late? Hope you had fun with the craziest ones while it lasted. 🤗

[@GeorgeSPAMTindle]

@@beeonthyme5760 The crazy ones can hide it very well. They were great fun, until they break into your home and are waiting in your bed for you.. The craziest one hung herself from a lamp post outside a house where I had lived for a while, the sad thing about her is that I'd never slept with her, probably because by then I'd learned how to spot the craziness.

[@dietrichparrinelli6847]

Question: How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Reply: Practice, baby. Practice.

[@jeffjones9448]

My junior high band director told me, among other great musical advise gems, that crazy women would be my downfall. He was correct...

[@1mataleo1]

Well, at least you know to steer clear of them now; some people never learn

[@lionofzion1]

man, now I consider you my teacher, I'm writting while watching your videos, I feel like I'm in a classroom, thank you very much

[@BillPhillips2000]

lionofzion1 I feel the same way!

[@akf2000]

Same but in Google while I watch, just looked up altered chords.

[@robinreidmusic]

Wow ! I have been a full time saxophonist for 40 years and I never had the chance to go to school because of life circumstances, but I always stole from my alto gods Phil Woods and Cannonball Adderley and my tenor gods of Stan Getz, John Coltrane, Sonny Stitt, (on both), and my all time favourite Dexter Gordon. I studied classical clarinet, but where I grew up, great knowledgeable jazz teachers didn't exist. I think of my playing as being able to speak a language without being able to read and write it. I play a lot of the things you explain, in my vocabulary, but didn't know the technical and theory part of it. I have learned more about theory in your videos in the last week then I have had in the last 40 years. Your enthusiasm and energy have me practicing like crazy, and I can't believe how you have inspired me. Keep up the great work Rick. I thank you from the bottom of my heart and soul. I teach privately to young people and have used a lot of your techniques of listening and transcribing because in the 60 and 70s that is all I had. Stealing ideas is not stealing, it is research and development and I tell all my students that if you want to play you must listen for 10 hours for every hour you play. Cheers and keep them coming, you are an inspiration to thousands. We must keep this music going and developing new talent all the time.

[@aeksinsang932]

Robin Habermehl well said. I steal get tired of it rephrase it my way and now it’s mine! That’s the trick I think

[@ivangushkov3651]

Oh damn, I love the "stealing is not stealing, its RnD". The other day I was going to learn a new bassline, and 5 minutes into it, I drifted towards just noodling in the key. I ended up discovering a really cool sounding lick and made my own bassline around it. More or less similar rhythm, totally different sounding. Very true statement!

[@Ystadcop]

Yes, Robin. The man is inspiring.

[@RyanJamesOfficial]

It’s a big part of our job as music teachers to teach people “how to practice” It’s often overlooked. I’ve been teaching for 15 years but I’m always looking to improve my methods. You’ve helped me a ton Rick. I’m happy to say that you and I have a similar method and philosophy on “how to practice” and it’s given me more confidence as a teacher. I respect you a ton and to see that I do this similarity to you, helps me feel like I’m doing it correctly. You know, as a teacher yourself, that you have days you doubt yourself. With so many students needs on the table, sometimes we can beat ourselves up and thjnk we aren’t serving our students needs, but this is often just imposter syndrome and not real. Your videos help me either remember that I know what I’m doing…. Or give me new perspective and helps me improve. Thank you so much.

[@jingitbaby]

I would like to add that at the end of your practice session play something you enjoy, maybe one of your favourite songs. It's not really practice as you already know the piece but it help keeps the major element of why you play your instrument, because its fun :)

[@guitardude4700]

Yes keep it fun. We’re not accountants! We’re artists. But I agree with everything Rick says. Awesome stuff

[@karthurhyer]

My advice- do both! Play what you like then work on something new.

[@paulhenke1149]

yes i think that’s what way too many people forget

[@naturligfunktion4232]

jingitbaby I thought so too :)

[@hztan1263]

I didn't do that and that's one of the reasons I almost quit.

[@rawkinj6609]

Practice what you don't know! The problem also is not having a teacher tell you your doing it wrong and how to do it correctly and what you should work on! Thanks! My girlfriend started playing piano with some app. She likes it and is learning notes, rhythm, chords, keys, chord building etc... i'm impressed. She played a bit of guitar when in high school but i SEE THE LIGHT IN HER EYES! I'll send her this way soon!!!

[@ericgamliel8500]

Also, don't skip leg day.

[@nika-og4vu]

I'm gonna work on that.

[@robertmoore3643]

I make it a point to walk and play my guitar most days, does that count?

[@aniketyelwande6106]

Damn 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣.

[@chnacr2]

Do pedalboards count?

[@aniketyelwande6106]

Chandan Acharya yess they may 😆

[@gabrielvalentep]

You Sir deserve a medal for this video!

[@Marcin79W]

I feel like practicing new things upskills what I already knew, especially when it comes to technique. It's like the old stuff grows in the background while I practice some new things. And general progress is faster this way, rather then if focusing too much on stuff I already know. Thank you for the video!

[@KyunghweeChoi]

I tell my students to have a very specific achievable goal or goals with each practice session. Broadly defined, it is to be able to do something you weren't able to do before. It can be as straight forward as playing all the right notes or it can be a little more nuanced like improving your phrasing & tone or learning a new piece or really anything to improve yourself as a musician. Practice is a habit building activity. So I also emphasize playing things accurately since your body will get more used to whatever you do more of. If you play a piece 10 times & mess it up 9 times, you'll get very good at messing up (usually happens at same location for most students). It takes some discipline & patience to have focus to zero in on trouble spots to improve but the reward is so worth the effort. At least that's my approach to my own practicing & also what I try to teach my students. Thanks for great contents!

[@sfd2570]

Disclaimer: Only practice polytonal arpeggios if you are willing to loose loved ones.

[@aWildJersh]

seriously though lol i cringed during that part and begged for mercy

[@GUPRPEET-Singh]

Fantastic observation. Especially c maj and f# maj together 😂

[@ivorwm2291]

I wish that I had heard this when I was a clarinet major. I was so ignorant. No one ever explained to me how to practice and how to get the most out of practice time. You are such an inspiration. I'm in my sixties and I want to really learn how to play piano. Thank you for sharing your vast knowledge. I really appreciate it.

[@jimmyman513]

Thank you so much Rick. I'm 56 years old and trying to take on a new instrument. I'm 4 months in on the piano. It's a struggle sometimes and this info really helps.

[@TIMOWHITEBUFFALO]

Just what I needed to hear...!!! Wow...here I thought I was doing the best I could as a songwriter...but you have humbled me to dig a lot deeper...I am in Nashville and see these songwriters who can barely play and do the cookie cutter formulas...but I want more from myself...even If I dont write a hit song...I want to satisfy my soul...That is why I started playing music as a child...Thank you....

[@lairdey]

Love this stuff, Rick. Not everyone is this way, but while we’re talking about time spent on each pursuit, I always work better under a time constraint. It sharpens my focus to know that I have exactly X amount of time to work on something and it seems to bolster the quality of the practice.

[@raymondchou9550]

Hi Rick, great video! Definitely a lot for me to take away here. I wanted to add slow practice, and mental practice. I find that if I can visualize every single note perfectly in my head, I never make a mistake when playing. However, if I can't do that, then I make mistakes exactly where my mental game is weak. So when I'm away from my piano, I can just "practice in my head." For slow practice, I play at like half tempo, or even a third tempo to test my memory. (For others reading - it's surprisingly difficult!)

[@slippe.physter50]

this reminds me of the old joke , ''who's the guy that hangs out with with musicians? ...the drummer'' drumming for 38 years and still have so much to learn... thanx Rick

[@QuazarNeptune2012]

Thanks Rick, I'm learning piano as an autodidact for 30 years. I play everyday and play in live with musicians for only 2 years, and i had to devellop a routine. The fact is that i have naturally a daily routine wich is very close!!! Expect the history of music (i saw it at the begining of a jazz method book and i was like "wow!" because the guy immediatly compared dozens of artists with just 1 to 4 mesures), so thanks to you i will incoporate this part in my routine. And globaly this video brings me help to organize my daily road on piano. Joy and music for all. Laurent.

[@Maydoggie]

I am an older (61) intermediate player. I'm not gifted as a musician, but I am willing to work to get better. I play bass at church and guitar at home. I spend time working on playing, practicing, and studying. I've learned a good bit about the basics of music theory over the past year, and I'll continue working on that. On your suggestion from one of your other videos, I am practicing minor pentatonic patterns. I' just started that this week, so I am working on pattern 1 and 2. I'll add the other 3 patterns until I have them all down pat. I'm going to add the scale building (C,D,C, C,D,E,D,C, etc.) to my practice time as well. I also try to always be working on a piece that's beyond my current ability level. My mindset is to control what I can and accept my limitations. I know theory much better than many guitarists that can play circles around me. (How do you get a guitar player to stop playing? Hand him some sheet music. LOL) But I have a mathematical mind and I use that part of my brain to understand theory. That's a strength that gives me a positive boost that will hopefully help offset the frustration I have with my fumbling fingers. Maybe one of the best pieces of advice I have received in the past year is to reduce tension in my mind and body when I'm playing. It amazes me how much that helps. Thanks for all your good advice, Rick.

[@luizraein]

I've been watching your videos for a while. I'm still kinda noob in guitar, been taking lesons for 2 years. My practice starts with warming up on artilations of my fingers (i'm 27 years old, its really slow improvement but ima get there), then I do some vamps, scales, arpeggios e odd licks (love those), then keep playing songs I wrote (the fun and chill part) It all takes around 4 hours everyday, and 10~16hours on weekends thanks for your videos, its been a great help, I'm still trying to understand the uses for melodic minor scale. Love from Brazil

[@ToastedCigar]

I use quite a lot of time for practicing. Not 10 hours like Rick did in high school, but still I practice piano 60-75 minutes a day and guitar 30-60 minutes a day. I also compose music and study music theory almost daily. All in all I spend at least 3 hours a day focusing on my musicianship. I'd also add, that recording yourself is a great way of practicing! It helps your timing, and you hear your playing from a more critical point of view, since recordings reveal your mistakes.

[@deedavis9511]

Rick, I've taken up learning ukulele. Joined a group here in town that get together weekly to plunk out chords to songs in Jim Beloff's "Daily Ukulele" book." This is certainly a way to learn chords but I want to MAKE music and not just plunk. I have a background of 12 years of classical piano lessons that began at age six (in 1940). Recently, I took a few uke lessons but soon realized I wasn't going to go far in my goal to play jazz and Bossa nova. So I'm venturing on my own with the help of Glen Rose, the Internet, and books like "Ukulele Aerobics." How to get the most out of practice periods of two hours or more has evaded me ... that is, until now when I just listened to your suggestions. Thanks SO MUCH!

[@tronlady1]

This guy has incredible knowledge about EVERYTHING MUSIC. Never ceases to amaze me. He must have tremendous discipline.....

[@theminotaurs]

Some people have a confluence of characteristics that mean huge success. You can 't be missing any of the factors, it's the aggregate. Talent, physical stamina to work many hours at what they love, a favorable environment. If you want to be a movie star, extraordinary beauty. There are probably many poor children in India who have huge musical talent and may not even know it due to extreme poverty.

[@theminotaurs]

The tricky thing for us mediocrities is that these greatly talented people are often NOT AWARE of their talent, but they are, of course, VERY aware of the work the put in. So they try to be helpful or humble and say if you just work a lot you can do it too, which only a few can.

[@NahreSol]

Really cool!! I learned a lot from this video, it's the best video on all around practicing I have ever seen!!

[@timothyholmes4588]

Rick has completely inspired my playing and songwriting. best channel ever .

[@NyashaKeys]

Story of my life

[@kaidenkyler335]

You prolly dont care at all but does someone know a trick to get back into an Instagram account?? I was dumb lost the password. I would appreciate any assistance you can offer me

[@adrianandres4928]

@Kaiden Kyler Instablaster ;)

[@cygnusx-7440]

Thanks, Rick. Important point... You can practice/study/advance by listening, but you have to listen INTENSIVELY (jotting things down, dissecting, learning and digesting) in order to move forward. It DOESN'T happen by osmosis. (Great 'two cents worth' from someone who actually hasn't applied it very well....)

[@wassimtab3881]

i can't believe you're making such good content for Free, You really help me in my journey as a musician Thank You so much Rick, Keep on the Good Work

[@trinitydiaz4804]

I wish I knew of you when I was younger... I'm 30 years old and I haven't played in a way that I want to be better. Just know whatever song I was digging and I wanna play it too. Besides that...man, I wish I expanded more than just learning other songs. I should watch your videos from the beginning. Thank you for spreading your knowledge.

[@howtoplayguitar4385]

Been in a bit of a musical slump the last few years and just found your videos. Really inspiring. Thank you so much for giving all this information for free.

[@michelledawnharpist]

being a harpist that studied jazz, we had to transcribe mostly only from other instruments. I think this was very valuable and got me out of a lot of "automatic fingering playing" and focusing on what I was actually playing ! I think any instrumentalist or even vocalist could learn from other instruments!

[@regnifelrub]

I've been searching KZbin a lot for videos about the psychology and technique of practicing a musical instrument (since it can be a very lonesome and discipline affording job as we all know) and where do I land? At the good old Rick Beato. Thank you for this very dedicated and authentic and heartfelt lesson. I especially like the fact that you're not hooked to a certain genre or era or even instrument but combine them without prejudice but with naturalness. Just the way it should be. Things coexist. :-) Thanx again.

[@dk70]

You should probably keep in mind that the practice routine explained in this video is at the peak level and most people cannot achieve it, either because of time constraints or just lack of will (this is a big one, lets be honest). I think the first rule he mentions goes as a principle: practice what you dont know and what you would like to know. Sometimes i wana get better at sweeping or other times i feel like i dont progress because i lack some music theory so i will practice that. Rick is a musical multitool and not many people are as well-versed and encompassing in their knowledge of music. I guess, it just comes down to, "what goes in comes out", so if you arent seeing progress you are either not practicing enough, or you are doing it wrong.

[@ExSteeb]

I think another great thing to make sure you're practicing are other people's songs/music alongside your normal routine, because you can learn so much from them. Whether it's new musical ideas or maybe you just start to see how the things you've been practicing interact.

[@DBenfordMusic]

i enjoy your videos. dedicated rhythm practice is what I feel you left out. exercises dedicated to developing a strong sense of pulse and syncopation. using the metronome as a gauge of time and not the time keeper when practicing.

[@santuccipontarelli3763]

Derrick Benford shut up. He knows what he's teaching just listen 👂🏽

[@inyourfaceicity5604]

+Santucci Pontarelli Dude, chill out. Rick specifically asks for comments at the end of the video.

[@1mataleo1]

He asked for comments, douchebag

[@zandewilson]

Phrasing and rhythm is #1 for me

[@denpossible20]

@@1mataleo1☺️

[@h5mind373]

Thanks Rick, terrific tips! In our household the #1 musical rule is 'Have fun'. I will suggest it's important to make sure whatever you're practicing- scales, arpeggios, sight reading- sounds 'musical' and engaging too. Just because you've practiced the same exercises dozens of times, keep it fresh. We also put our son's practice to the test as much as possible via public performances. We're fortunate that we live in London where there are public pianos scattered across the city, and tremendous opportunities to play for others. So one day it may be jamming some Journey or boogie woogie for the Tube commuters, and another- like yesterday- it was Chopin and Brahms for visitors to the Victoria and Albert Museum. As you know, all live experience is good, and it gives our son a specific goal to work toward each week. Thanks again for sharing your wisdom and enthusiasm with all of us!

[@vincentdesiano4861]

Hey Rick, your obvious generosity and concern, and respect for your audience (pupils) is exemplary! This lesson is head and shoulders above anything l’ve ever experienced or come across. And too valuable not to build on, in my humble opinion. I was hoping you would consider showing us just how you go about doing the various components of this wonderful lesson of yours. Perhaps you wouldn’t mind sharing some of your notes with us as you go along, for example. Judging by the great number of comments, this lesson was very well received-to say the least. And it stands to reason that there are those of us who are more deliberate in how we acquire information. And though we enjoy a great banquet, we prefer to chew well and savor each bite!

[@jamesrossmusic6013]

How can someone give a thumbs down to this video? This man is giving great advice!!!

[@leoj227]

One thing that recommend to my students is to record themselves when they practice. Sometimes they think what they play sounds better than it really is. Recording yourself from time to time I think helps with technique and sound quality. Also, an interesting thing you pointed out was how often musicians can't play through an entire piece, top to bottom, non stop. Being in a drum and bugle corps, we had to memorize an entire show, which is usually about 12-15 minutes.

[@endodouble6691]

Honestly this video doesn’t just apply to music. It’s a guide to efficient improvement. Really awesome!

[@joedempseysr.3376]

Thanks for all your practice tips. For me, as an interested amateur, it really gave me some structure around which I can execute my practice. I play (at) both piano and guitar. I had begun lessons in classical piano in the 1990s but stopped. Now that I'm retired and have time I want to get back into it. My guitar playing is all self-taught. I started with a wheel with the circle of fifths and all the chords in the first position and I used that to play along with the radio or my record player. This was in the late 1960s. I find guitar to be easier to join in and play a song. But I have a very, very long way to go before I could ever approach your level, if ever. I thoroughly enjoy all your videos. Pl3ase keep them coming!

[@jbcraipeau]

A note for those who are not familiar with transcribing : 1) do only small phrases for solos or bars for chords progressions etc. And not too difficult otherwise it could be a bit depressing and you could have a lot of "wrong notes". I did a lot of vocal arrangement transcriptions and I remember the first one I did was a Take 6 song, way too hard for me back then haha 2) the best is also to compare your transcription with someone else's one, or the edited version if available! Good tool to check and learn from your errors if you have some. Fantastic video ! Happy to follow you

[@autocrow]

I practice and learn the things that I want to play. Uploading videos of myself playing on KZbin is a great way to keep a log of what I've learned and how I played it. Also I can see improvements over time and it gives me motivation because I get to share my music with others. Videoing also helps me to critique my own playing because I see and hear things that go unnoticed simply playing. Can't correct it if you are not aware of it! Theory is also great to learn and helpful for playing anything. I also keep a notebook for notes and a song book for songs.

[@wbiro]

5:39 I heard 10 times... as for arpeggios (and chords), I only do them to warm-up (which is essential on the keyboard - you could destroy your hands playing rock without warming-up, where the entire keyboard shudders if you're playing it 'properly'), then I get into the songs, On the electronic keyboard, to develop my hearing sensitivity, I can choose a bad electronic voice to practice with (one that doesn't resonate, where I have to work harder (mentally) to make it sound good). As for accuracy, when recording a new song on the keyboard, I record takes until I finally get it right (or right enough), and then I move on to the next track - on the theory that art does not have to be precise - it can be human, especially since computers actually exist now (back in the 1970's one wanted to sound as fast and precise as a machine, now you want to sound human again)... As for mistakes while performing, it is how you handle them. For example, when improvising, there are no mistakes - you work off of whatever just happened. I also have a 'three mistake' rule - the audience will forgive up to three mistakes (I forgive many more - I look for the art between the mistakes, or what was intended)... As for recording, what is curious is when I am learning a song, and I think I have it down (no mistakes), I hit the record button and... mistake mistake mistake mistake mistake - I'm making mistakes where I never made mistakes before (cursing helps cure it, I've noticed, as does pounding on the keyboard) - it is like they were all waiting until I hit the record button, and then my brain cells died, and I have to work them all out all over again... I think the record button interferes with the 'feeling' that memory works on, where memory works on 'feeling' passages, and then you are distracted by the record button and lose the feeling, and thus you butcher the passage, and you have to remember the feeling again in the 'new environment'. On memory on the keyboard, after not playing a piece for a long time, which hand I was looking at when I first learned it is a factor in memory - sometimes I cannot remember a passage if I am looking at the other hand... Finally, having a lead sheet is essential if you are going to play something that you recorded years ago and have not played since (and it will be a heavily-correct lead sheet if it was obtained off the Internet and it was created by a tone-deaf person, and none of the solos are present and parts of the song are missing), where you learned it just enough to lay down an acceptable track, and then you never played it again (Paul McCartney said he did that with Hey Jude)... As for solos, if they are not iconic (and thus not worth repeating note for note - they were just a collection of tired clichés), then I just get the feeling, and create my own version, hitting on the essential moments, or just drop the lame solo altogether (I condense songs and move on), which goes for those horrible long introductions during the 1970's (when every rock artist thought he was also a great composer, and his great piece required a great long introduction) (they were torturous)...

[@mattzayatz6962]

6:00 minutes in, you're teaching me about early child development. I have always enjoyed all of your teachings and always look forward to more, even when I'm rewatching videos I've seen before, like today. Cheers, now I know how many times my old ass should be playing through without mistakes before moving on...

[@Chopins11th]

Mr. Beato or anyone. I've been playing classical and jazz for 46 years now at age 51 with 24 years one on one with an amazing teacher with two Phd's (Theory and Performace). Started with Francis Clarke method of Aural P, Theory, and Performance. Got to do a lot of stuff musically in my younger years including being a guest at the Whitehouse playing for Jimmy Carter and friends, lol. Then on stage with the Phoenix Boys Choir at the Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony when the hostages were still in Iran and they didn't light the top of the tree etc. Toured all over Europe 3 times and luckily (because my family were nearly all from the UK got to join the Royal Academy of Music, London (Jr. Academy) for some time before returning to the states to continue on with the Phx Boys Choir (Tour Choir) and stay/live in with the Vienna Boy's Choir plus another 12 western European country tour. During summers I occasionally got in some 10 hour days but mostly less than that (as at 12 I was pulled hard by my peers/friends to cut it short and do what 12 year old boys do (ride bmx everywhere). The reason for the intro is certainly not to brag but rather somewhat cry for help or advice regarding transcribing. after 12 (I think) I was basically a half Chick Correa fan and the other half was my all time fav, Chopin, especially his Etudes op10 which were my favorite as though Etudes were originally really more of a finger exercise than deliberate melodic songs, Chopin seemed to cut the mold there and I had the luck of being just about having a natural equal temperament with both hands as I was ambidextrous less I couldn't write with my right hand well. This brings me to writing... physically with a pen/pencil. My teacher had me transcribing songs and songs or orchestral movements. I had the worst time, and still do as when I write (penmanship) it looks like chicken scratch and I can't even read my own writing if I come back to it after a while. When you speak of transcriptions, I assume you're talking about writing out long hand on music notation paper with the two staffs if piano and much more for orchestral pieces. It would take me at least 3 times as long as a normal person at my level because I could NOT draw notation inside the or in between staff lines or on the line without erasing and re-doing it over and over until the darn notation books literally thinned out and I went though the page! lol. I STILL carry this stigma or whatever ya wanna call it today. And I probably fell behind if I really think about it because of how long it took to write legibly. (I used to think Chopin was a liar by omission and that he and Liszt would have others, like the women I read that they always had around them being stud musicians in France and England. Question is: Are you writing the scores out long hand on notation paper or even simpler songs like maybe a rock band song or classic like Bridge over Troubled Water (that I watched of your best keyboard intro's ) or are you using any software to expedite the process? I'll here something like some lines of music watching a movie say like from Zimmer or Elfman etc and try and write it out in front of the tv so I remember it if It strikes me as cool. But make it 12 or more measures and the movie will have ended if I wish to be able to read what I wrote later on in my studio for inspiration to compose etc. I see a lot of musicians for instance using a little bit of a 45 degree angle for where an eighth note is supposed to sit in its spot on F# or middle C (hate putting the extra lines for C or lower if it's the RH lol). But it's like a non filled circle or rather sometimes just a slant and then the stem which I always have a dumb clear ruler out for. Is that' what you or others do to accomplish what is the SLOWEST and arduous part of musical mechanics. Forget any regular pencil as well. Has to be mechanical as it has to be ultra thin so as to not start taking up too much space and run out in a measure of 4 with say 8 eighth notes or whatever. I guess, after watching this video and having that elation of "Oh yeah, it is important I transcribe as much as possible has got me way down. (Maybe I need to get a total beginner's book of something like Mel Bay where there may be giant staffs to write within. Again, because I will be adding back the transcription practice, would you say that using a software program so as to make it appear neat and readable by any other person is ok? i mean it's the same result as far as the music getting on a page of the same thing, but I fear that now that I've started to need to read in real time again doing some new projects for others, I'm going to need to be able to write it out and hey, it's the computer age, right? Also, I don't have experience writing charts like for the guitar as I've always written or rather mostly written classical genre music notation and any Jazz was pretty much on my own as my teacher for all those years and years was "Chicken who?" (Correa). Any advice or sharing of the same grief of solution, even practicing notation writing in a certain progressive fashion would be so much appreciated! I am honestly counting my blessings daily for finding the Rick Beato channel as I've been nothing short of blown away obviously with your knowledge and talent (multiple instruments) but also hold you in the highest regards for the way or method that you so gracefully teach in the most comprehensive and patient manner. Thanks for being where I just happened to click a while back!!! PS; i also shoot 45 acp open class pistols in competition for a hobby. Let me know where the guys are that pull down songs that you are merely playing a few measures of on the Guitar or Piano.... I'm joking of course...Cheers!

[@msmith53]

A 27 hour day helps or a great brain! Best suggestion that I used with my students was the LOG of practice which allows a view of what you have and have not included in the routine! AND sight reading skills that constantly need honing! I ran a big band that met weekly for 20 yrs that was used for developing solos and sight reading skills. We had over 600 charts to fuel that activity and NO vocalist to pander to! Lol. LOVE YOUR TEACHING AND THIS SITE! It might save some people at least three hours a day....?

[@BrianStephensOfficial]

Keeping that notebook is a HUGE tip! I've got a three ring bind that contains all of the material I am currently practicing. One thing I also do that helps keep my focus and saves tons of time: Since I am usually working on material from 4-10 different sources at any given time, I photocopy everything (i.e. individual pages out of method books, transcriptions I've purchased or written out myself, handouts from private lessons I've taken, etc.) and compile everything into that one binder. That way, I don't spend/waste a ton of time sifting through stacks of method books and loose papers, trying to find / remember which pages I'm working on, etc. Once I feel like I have sufficiently practiced the concepts on a particular page enough to move on to another page of material (usually from that same source), my dogeared, note filled photocopies will eventually end up in a folder(s) arranged chronologically that I can always reference later if needed. By not taking all my notes inside method books I've purchased, those books stay fresh and clean as if they are completely new. (NO, I''M NOT OCD AT ALL! LOL) I find myself returning much later to those same texts with fresh eyes & ears. Since the original pages aren't crammed full of my old ideas and progress notes, I tend to see all new things in those books that I didn't notice or understand the 1st, 2nd, of even 3rd time around.

[@svarthelikoptern]

Love the part about "focus". 20 repetitions for older guys like us. So important und a useful tool for those that are always playing the same licks. Great great video.

[@alexanderprill3460]

It is totally insanse how much information you pack in every single one of your videos you are talking about things in a 17 Minute Video that can take you easily 5-10 years or even your whole life. Keep up that good work ;)

[@danielduarte2139]

I've seen many videos on "how to practice". This one is by far the best! Thank you, Rick!!!

[@manny75586]

Great tips. My double bass professor liked to do a few things with me that were fun. The first is hard to do alone as far as I know. He would ask me to play a scale at a moderate tempo. Then at some point in the scale whatever note I was on I would have to play a I-IV-V series of arpeggios in whatever key the note he stopped me on was in. So if I was playing a C major scale and he stopped me at F I'd have to play F - Bb - C arpeggios then continue with the C major scale from F. He would mix it up at times and ask me to do it in a minor key instead and then continue the scale in minor rather than major. So start in C major, stop at G but make me do i-iv-V instead and then finish the scale as c minor rather than major. It was a fun way to keep me on my toes. It also got me to always be thinking about the various tonal relationships. The other thing he liked to do was have me do 2 sets of fingerings and bowings for pieces we were working on. Then I'd have to tell him why I thought one was better than the other. He would make me play it with both sets as well just to get a feel for how different approaches to the same passages sound. It was really great for engraining the rep in my head and my hands.

[@dmattism]

My practice routine: - Watch youtube video - Sadly look at guitar

[@stevenchavez3353]

-read this comment -try not to make eye contact with the guitar

[@bdawg4431]

This hurt my soul

[@trucoproductions5585]

I just want to express my gratitude to you Rick for taking the time to lay this out and express a concept, that I know took years to develop, in such a concise and digestible way. I’ve been doing a deep dive into the study of practice and this is a video that hits on all the major points: self assessment, practicing what you aren’t good at, analyzing the makeup of your craft, expanding your perspective or scope, implementing what you’ve learned, and repeating the process. So thank you for taking the time to make this video. You are certainly contributing to a future filled with well rounded badass musicians, and that’s a world I want to live in!

[@richardhawkins2647]

I never really have 'a' practice, so much as several in the day. Usually about 30 mins each. 1st session is scales, technique, chord drills and sight-reading. 2nd is tuition book work. 3rd is repertoire. As well as that I'm usually trying things I see on youtube interspersed throughout the day! I need to shake things up again though, as I have a whole new load of stuff I want to practice and something might have to give.

[@MelodyProsser]

This was very informative and helpful - thank you! I also feel intimidated and overwhelmed. I am a singer that does not play an instrument, but I do want to learn to play piano. I have taken lessons as a child and in my early adult years and no one ever gave me an overview like this, which is probably why I never made it past Grade 3 piano (we have a grading system in Canada for learning instruments). I will be practicing as if l was eating an elephant - one bite at a time!

[@fiddlinang]

Hi Rick, love your channel! I've always been interested in how to practice efficiently and effectively, given that I've generally had to fit music around a 9-5 office job. The key thing I found when learning the violin was this: The "low hanging fruit" of any given exercise (or segment of music or whatever) is in the first 10 minutes of practice. Better to do 10 minutes each of 6 different exercises each day than, say, 30 minutes each of two exercises. And the thing is, when you go back to all those exercises the next day, you'll be better than where you left off the day before because they will have magically sunk in a bit overnight. So, a big part of the discipline of practice for me is knowing when to stop and move on.

[@arisaris3484]

Rick this is the most comprehensive summary of how to practice that I seen on the web -- bravo. You outlined exactly the approach one needs to use in order to imptove whether and amateur or pro. A person needs to adapt the info you've presented in this video to there personal situation. Your advice covers practicing any style of music, classical, jazz, pop, etc. One area, as you mentioned. to work on is music history which translates to interpretation; you mentioned examples dealing with both classical music and jazz. GREAT video!!!

[@claudiowiesflecker413]

Playing along to really great tunes will cover: transcription, technique, sound, FEEL!!!, style, music history,...

[@philipbrown2225]

it would be awesome if in some future generation everyone gets a guaranteed basic income so if one wants to they could spend 6 hours a day transcribing music. great video , insanely thorough

[@9Hansi3]

this is helpful. I sometimes forget to do all of the things because some aren't as obvious as others (music history or sight singing as an instrumentalist). But it's actually more fun (and productive) than practicing technique for 5 hours and turning off your inner ear... but I want to be a musician, not just a piano player. Thanks for the video!!

[@musicarroll]

I find it very helpful to practice each phrase from the the end of the piece first. I.e., identify the last phrase of the piece, say, 4 measures, and play until memorized and without looking at the page (with eyes closed). Then back up to the second last phrase and practice it until memorized. Then play both phrases together from memory until satisfied. Continue in this way until the whole piece is mastered.

[@thormusique]

Thanks, these are great points and I heartily agree! Growing up, I also would practice about 10 hrs per day. That wasn't even by design; I was just curious about every aspect of music, so I'd find myself naturally wanting to transcribe stuff. And that was long before I even knew what "transcribing" was. Plus, I'd read that Bach (my all-time fave) learned how to compose largely by transcribing pieces by Buxtehude and others. So I figured if it was good enough for Bach, it'd be good enough for me! All of this came in mighty handy by the time I studied conducting, which became my primary discipline. For one thing, it enabled me to "hear" orchestral scores simply by looking at them. At any rate, as you say, all these skills are indispensable. I always tell young players, "If you want to be a musician, you need to be in love with every aspect of music." I tell my guitar students (who seem to be particularly prone to not being able to see the Big Picture) that they shouldn't strive to become guitarists, but rather musicians who happen to play the guitar. World of a difference! Please keep these great videos coming.

[@hoopie_304]

This guy is a gold mine of musical knowledge.

[@leophoenixmusic]

To be honest this is probably the most helpful video you’ve done

[@olivermirez6667]

Awesome tips, Rick. Thank you!

[@walteregeaux]

I might add, tis lifetime learning that never ends until you quit, take your time, enjoy the ride! . thank you for sharing good reminders! good onya!

[@ChristopherDowning]

There was a well known jazz player who said he needed to get the melody perfect 50 times - then he could start working on the jazz. So playing 50x seems like a good discipline. Although I know I had a whole load of students who would find reasons not to do repetition. But once they did it for a week - their progress was so huge they would be convinced. If you didn't want to cound then you could use a timer - just work out how long it takes to play one bar / two bars/ four bars / whatever then multiply it by 50 - so a four second phrase x50 = 200 seconds = 3 minutes 20 seconds - so get a 3 minute egg timer - you're set!

[@SuperLeica1]

Well, that was a great load of good advice! Sorry to bother y´all, but here comes two more details. 1. When practicing complicated high tempo showoffs, practice backwards! Meaning that once you know the entire contents, polish the last part first, then the second last, and so on. Thus you´ll improve the performance flow and avoid weak bars between the parts. Try it! 2. When rehearsing a band´s new song, once everyone knows their roles, finalize the rehearsal in total black darkness. That´ll raise the collective awareness on how it sounds, and make it tighter.

[@HealthcareHeart]

Eb m

[@paulawilliamson637]

Thank you so much Rick, for your awesome gift of knowledge - you are a treasure!!!! Your musicianship & completely generous spirit has answered numerous questions. The best formula for success is taking your experience, & putting it in action. Best to you always.

[@rini6]

I have been playing piano since childhood and I’m learning guitar. Unfortunately, my practice has been spotty. My teachers have motivated me. This video makes me realize I could do much more

[@ronny3784]

Been playing a while and got bored with diatonic scales and arps so now I practice scales and arps based on intervals more, chromatic, whole tone, diminished arp, augmented, 4ths, tritones, 5ths etc. Opens your playing up, been using 5ths a lot more now.

[@uncatila]

Rick. I read a book written by a jurnalist who used to interview pianists. He wrote a book based on their suggestions. The book "playing piano for the pleasure" One sight reading tip was to read or practice a piece backwards. Last measure to the end 2nd to last measure to the end and so on till done. This for es you to have played the full piece evenly and not always start from the front and devope week zones of less played difficult parts in the middle. The author was Cook - playing piano for the pleasure"

[@kovarilaszlo3146]

also, a great thing I found is singing along with the piece you're practicing, or (even better, in fact) practicing two-voice pieces (like Bach inventions), playing one voice on your instrument, and singing the another one. then altering :) thank you for the great lesson!

[@NomadsPlace]

Rick!!! You are an immortal!!! Engineer and musician of the finest breed, truly an anomaly of civilization as we know it!!!

[@RickBeato]

+NomadsPlace Haha!! Thanks!

Great content. I studied classic music for 8 years and in the final month of my course, I did 9 a 10 hours per day. I did this method and results. I also teach that. So, congrats. I suggest to do "Method of Jazz for classic guitar musicians". Give some insights where to begin for a native language that classic musicians could understand. You made the classic to jazz transition and you know the dificulties. Great channel, great content. I will share your work to everyone.

[@bojackhorseman3995]

It's actually pretty cool starting off your practice session with improvisation, because among other things it warms you up before you even get into technique.

[@musicdcs4953]

Quarantine is the perfect time to do stuff like this!

[@stevenp.sparks2953]

Excellent session as always, Rick! I have 2 comments: @1:20 - I don't think that an pianist ever really "outgrows" Hanon. In my heyday when I played very well, I'd run Exercises 1 thru 20 (and sometimes 1 thru 38) in non-stop succession at least once per week. They maintain (or build) dexterity better than most anything else I've ever played. Also, if you run 1 thru 38 straight thru and your forearms are screaming by the end, you probably need to run it twice per week until they don't.....lol, and @5:40 - Your remarks about Horowitz' repetitive phrase practice reminded me of something a fellow trumpet player told me years ago: "The difference between a Good musician and a Great musician is that a Good one practices until they get it right; A Great one plays it until they can't get it wrong." Thanks for all of your great sessions and advice, Rick. I think that I speak for everyone here in saying that we all appreciate you!! Sparks

[@inyourfaceicity5604]

This is a great video, and it makes me painfully aware of the gaps in my skillset… One thing I'd add is to always practice with a metronome - or at least to do any technical exercise with a metronome on - to make sure you're not slowing down during the bits you're struggling with. Since a 1-2-3-4 click sounds very stiff, a great way to liven things up a little and develop your sense of groove while doing drills is to set the metronome to half tempo and treat the clicks as the backbeat (2 and 4) of every bar. May take a little bit of getting used to, but I found it very helpful.

[@bobnelson5963]

Haha! It becomes clear to me, as I watch your video, the difference between an actual career musician, and a bar-room brawler, as I was. I really never thought about how to practice after a point (maybe 19 yrs old). Although I'd studied classical guitar, and piano and then sax in school band before that, at some point, I developed my own little style, fell into it, people liked it, so I developed it some more, and wound up selling beer to patrons till I realized it wasn't going to be a feasible career haha! There are two pay grades in my segment of the music industry: 1) Rock Star; and 2) living on girl's couches - I was the latter. Ahh, that was the 70s for a lot of us though. At 57, I wish I'd stayed in the school end of it a while longer, but the truth of it is, is that I was never very good at school - I either got it or I didn't, there wasn't much in between.

[@alonsomiranda2598]

Hey you are such a great Example of an AWSOME TEACHER

[@graemebarnes4405]

This has been a great video Rick. I will definitely mention it to all my guitar students. The music history analysis, music theory and transcribing are very important components to a practice regime. As a guitar teacher, I sometimes forget to implement these aspects as I'm so busy focusing on the students techniques, tunes and sight-reading so much, for an upcoming music exam. Thanks once again.

[@bradrose8876]

This should be the most watched video of Ricks. The information here, if followed, and applied, will send you to heights you never thought possible. I bought The Beato book a week ago and I plan to print it on full legal size paper. There will be room for margin notes, and 1/4 of the bottom part of the page for further notes, dates, progress, etc. I wish this had been available way back, when i spent $60 on a new VHS tape of Vinnie Moores Speed, accuracy, and articulation. It def helped though, yeah I am old haha

[@michaelcopps5683]

After spending too much time noodling and using "trial and error" as my guide, I was open to any "tidbit" of advice like simply "listen to the pro's do it" or "Focus" or "Let your muscle memory remember it for you." Your wide and musical vocabulary triggers that interest that sparks my need for more information in research and development while i work my repetitive side and dreamily drift away from the seriousness of the reason to play in the first place. One word is "escape" from the earthly ties that can hold us down. I can only "Imagine" there are talents out there that need to express their thoughts articulately through music and many do, but does reading charts affect the "in the moment" artistic interpretation? Can a skilled "listener" determine the difference of READERS AND the "original" from the heart stuff? 'Betting Santa has your book... BETTING THIS VIDEO HAS AWAKENED SOME GIANT TALENTS we otherwise would not see or hear... time will tell. Thanks, Rick Beato.

[@arpeggiomeister]

I am a rock musician and I work a full time day job. I wish I could put in the time to do all of these things but I only have 2 to 4 hours a day to practice. As such I have had to decide what is important to me, and more importantly, what isn't. I have not needed sight reading as a skill. I am primarily a rock musician and in all my years of playing rock there have only been 2 people I have ever seen show up with sheet music to practice. For the vast majority of people I have played with we all memorize the music. We figure it out by ear, tabs, You Tube lessons, etc. Another skill I have not put a lot of time and effort into is improvisation. Most of the solos I play are written. I feel that a written solo will always be better then an improvised one. I am speaking strictly for myself on this point. Could start a fierce debate. lol When a solo is written and rehearsed I know exactly what I am supposed to play and it reduces mistakes thus improving my live performance. I focus most of my practice time on technique. My time is limited and technique is what pays the most dividends for me.

[@glennjones6004]

I once had the good fortune of having a conversation with Ike Willis, a twenty-five year veteran of Frank Zappa's efforts. I asked him, "So what was it like living the life of a pro?" His answer was, "You will work your ass off for eighteen hours a day for those three hours under the lights." Something that I have heard in one form or another from every music teacher I'd had worth their salt. Gotta do the reps...

[@christophervincent3520]

Great stuff. Was doing quite a few of these ideas but your additions are brill. I think you have put in far more than 10,000 hours into your practice, you may be a master!!

[@santuccipontarelli3763]

Excellent Teacher 👨‍🏫 and Great Father ❤️🎶

[@WmAndrewWynn]

Thank you very much! This is the best instruction about how to practice i’ve ever heard, by far.

[@autobotsNdecepticons]

Great video. Trouble with practicing is very few people actually teach you how to do it. Thanks for fixing that, Rick!

[@gregernst7926]

I am so glad I stumbled upon your channel ( I’m guessing it was Steely Dan’s fault)and have already seen most of your videos. Thank you for teaching us.

[@joehernandez5600]

Does watching your videos count as practice? :)

[@RickBeato]

Come on Joe! Haha!

[@BillPhillips2000]

Joe Hernandez Actually, watching Rick's videos are transformative. They are providing a clarity that didn't exist before I became aware of the concepts they illuminate. I am forever changed....

[@BillLarkinmusic]

Totally. I love music theory too!!

[@TheZenytram]

ok now you are illuminated, have practice how much since then?

[@BillPhillips2000]

I practice 4 hours daily and have done so consistently for years. I wish that I could practive more! This doesn't include personal projects or tracks for clients. My practice time is structured to improve on my skills and musical understanding. I attempt to apply everything I learn to situations I encounter in sessions and so forth. Thanks for asking. How about you?

[@stevendandrea9528]

Hi Rick Thanks for doing this video! I'm so glad that I found your channel a few weeks ago. Wish I found it sooner. One thing that I think is important to ad to the practice work routine is rhythmic practice. Good rhythm as you know is essential to being a great musician and lack of can make any player sound bad.

[@thepianoplayer416]

Keeping notes on paper seemed rather old-fashioned but still works. Personally tend to use Note Pad / Notes on a PC / Mac to keep track of different sections & measures so that you can add to your notes and rearrange the order of your points easily. Another thing is a recording. Nowadays new phones, pocket cameras usually have a voice recorder / video feature. Once worked on a short piece at home and tried it in a music store with a Roland keyboard. Not sure what is the best tempo. Made a quick recording with a portable phone. Compared the recording with the one made at home and found the version played at the store better. As much as you can scribble on a pieces of sheet music including tempo, dynamics, etc., you can extract more info with sound recordings even with an old recorder that can only pick up in mono. If you haven't played a piece for a while, you can compare the version you did before by listening to your recording. The other day found a mini mic that came with an old "Made in Japan" Walkman cassette player from the 1980s. Plugged it into a computer and the recordings came out quite reasonable.

[@mpccenturion]

Thank you Rick. Giving us the breadth of understanding - at least challenging us to think about it, well - I will never make $ at thing - but myself and the loons will enjoy it! Cheers

[@alcatras190]

Wow, super subscribing right now! This video has more honest knowledge than many other music channels combined!

[@josephagoglia9482]

Thanks so much - I wish I had you as a teacher growing up. Awesome!

[@FiliFilizzola]

Hey Rick, how about a video on what to practice for producers/sound engineers/mixing engineers? How and what to practice for someone wanting to improve as a mixing engineer for example? Ear Training for frequencies, pan, compression. Awesome channel! Thanks for all of this.

[@robhughesguitar]

The pen and paper tip is a really good one. Don't know why, but they keep finding that writing or taking notes by hand results in better retention than taking notes or writing on a computer.

[@MikeKarns]

I have learned more about you professionally in this one video. Amazing. Plus, I am now inspired to organize my own practice time. Thank you for that Rick!

[@SeanWilsonPiano]

Wow!! Great job Rick, lessons are incredibly informative...