Practice! Larry Conger

Set aside a regular practice time if at all possible. If you live with several people, it is sometimes hard to find a quiet place and time to practice. Find an empty room, get up early or stay up late so you are able to concentrate on your practice.

Have all the necessary items at hand when you practice. I have a music stand set up in one corner of my office at all times. On the stand are the tabs that I have been practicing. Beside the stand is one of my dulcimers with a capo and a chair. All I have to do is come in, sit down and start practicing. If you have to take ten minutes rounding up all your music, chair, etc., chances are by the time you ready yourself for practice you are out of the mood.

Set a specific goal for each practice. Make your goals realistic. Your goal might be to learn one line of a song, memorize one that you have been working on, begin a new song or just learn a new lick. Remember, the goal should be attainable within the time you have set aside for practice. There is no better feeling than to know you have accomplished what you have set out to do. On the other hand, giving up before you have achieved your goal tends to tear down a player's self-confidence. However, if you see that the practice is going nowhere for obvious reasons, it might be best to walk away for the time being. Always pick up where you left off the next time around.

Go slow! Don't try to learn everything at once! Rome wasn't built in a day. I see many students get discouraged because they expect to be a virtuoso in five easy lessons. This doesn't work! You must realize that learning takes time, and time spent learning is time well spent.

Warm up. Exercises meant to stretch the fingers and build speed should be used to prepare you for playing. Are you making a conscious effort to use all the fingers on the left hand? If you are still using the thumb or one finger to play every melody note, you are limiting the use of the left hand. Look for ways to use the other fingers. You will be surprised at how much smoother your playing will sound.

Larry Conger is a musician living in Paris, Kentucky. Do you have comments or questions about his article? Contact Mr. Conger directly by e-mail. To learn more about him, see the Contributors section of Sweet Music Index.