Piano with John B.

I've noticed that most musicians spend very little time on the things that really work. Often times, the things great musicians tell us we should do are not the things we practice! So many musicians and students come to me saying that they want to get better, they want to perform, they want to create freely, but they just aren't getting there. Even though they put in hours of practice and hundreds of reps on scales, exercises, and pieces day after day, they just aren't getting better. The hours in the practice room aren't translating to better performance on the bandstand or in church or in the recording session, so they add on more exercises and more technique to achieve the level of artistry they desire. They double down on the "woodshed" method and pray that it will pay off in a few months or years, but it rarely ever does. My heart goes out to anyone who comes to me with this story. I feel for you because I've had the same painful struggles as a musician. However, I believe I have an antidote: practice what master musicians say we should. I don't just mean "practice" as what you do in the practice room, either. I believe musical mastery is born out of a lifestyle. Typically, master musicians adopt a few practices that are challenging and may feel slow at first, but they produce powerful artistry and freedom. It can be tempting to wave these off and say, "They're great because they were born that way. The rest of us need to practice licks eight hours a day until we hit 300 bpm." (I've done this, I'm ashamed to admit). I argue that this method of practice isn't actually very helpful, though. I also argue that while great musicians may or may not have a generous measure of natural talent, it's no coincidence that they all tend to practice the same things. These practices are effective in creating musical mastery. What are these practices? They're simple. It's a short list. And a lot of these skills have a lot of overlap. Here's what you do: Listen. Deeply, without distraction when possible, often. Play music with others, for others, and collaborate on creative projects. When you can't play with other people, play along with your favorite recordings or the radio. Use healthy and efficient technique. Learn everything you love, and learn it by ear. Always learn the melody, no matter what instrument. If you love to play something, learn to play it in more than one key. Take time to experiment, have fun, and do your own thing. Learn to practice away from your instrument. Record yourself, and be your own teacher. Don't rely on the metronome; make the metronome rely on you. That's it. Do these things, and I guarantee this will transform you into an increble artist and master musician. I know this because these are the things that I've learned from studying the great musicians who mentored me, great musicians who I've played with, and great books and biographies on music. These are the practices I could actually rely on when I had tough but rewarding gigs. These are the practices I wish I had relied on when earning my music degree at a highly demanding and competitive program. These are the practices we must rely on when learning a new instrument. You don't need me, or any teacher, or a music degree, or sight-reading ability, or a natural gift, or any method book or instructional video. You don't need to be able to to anything at 300 bpm in fifteen keys, either! Notice that--the great musicians don't talk about "shedding" their chops or getting their music theory together before they started playing music. They were living and playing music all along. You just need to do what they did, and you will get where you're trying to go. At the same time, I do recognize that the list of practices I'm advocating may be daunting. Maybe they don't make sense yet, or maybe you don't know where to start or what to work on. If that's the case, and you still want to pursue the art of music on this deep and fulfilling level, I'm happy to be your guide.