The 12 Rules of Practicing from Wynton Marsalis

[Jeremy Frank]

I stumbled across this a while back - I just rediscovered it in my notes, so I thought I would share it. Here are "The 12 Rules of Practicing" from Wynton Marsalis:

1. Seek out private instruction. It could take years to figure out what a good teacher could show you quickly.
2. Write/work out a regular practice schedule. Always include the fundamentals.
3. Set realistic goals. Chart your development.
4. Concentrate when practicing. Don't just "go through the motions".
5. Relax and practice slowly.
6. Practice what you can't play - the hard parts.
7. Always play with maximum expression. Play as if you are singing it.
8. Learn from your mistakes. Don't be too hard on yourself.
9. Don't show off. Expression, not tricks or gimmicks.
10. Think for yourself. Respect your teacher, but think things through for yourself.
11. Be optimistic. There is nothing worse than pessimism coming out of an instrument.
12. Look for connections between your music and other things. Try to find concepts or ideas that connect with each other.

Very interesting stuff. Apparently, Marsalis discusses them at some length with Yo-Yo Ma in part 4 of the the PBS Series "Marsalis on Music" (which I have not seen). If anyone can find a video clip, it would be much appreciated.

[JeffD]

I especially like 7 and 9.

[Rob Powell]

I especially like 7 and 9.

I especially like the second sentence in number 8

[Mandolincelli]

I can't even fit my brain around number 12

[coletrickle]

I can't even fit my brain around number 12

Think about the sounds the city you live in makes (Marsalis wrote a entire piece based on the noises of the city) and how you fit into that sound. If you live in the country think about the relationship of "country" noises or the chain of natural life. Think about how you prepare for a large project at work or how you plan a vacation. Think about the relationship between training and athletic competition. In general how can you draw a dotted line between the general functions of your daily life and how you practice music...that is walk before you run.

[OldSausage]

These are all great. My favorites are:

4 Concentrate when practicing. Don't just "go through the motions".
5 Relax and practice slowly.
6 Practice what you can't play - the hard parts.

[Pete Martin]

Thanks for posting this Jeremy!

[Matt DeBlass]

number 6... some days they're ALL hard parts.

Good advice all around.

[Bob_Blackman]

I once read an interview with Chet Atkins where he was asked his #1 suggestion for practicing, and have never forgotten his excellent reply: If you make a mistake, keep going and work around it, rather than stop and start over. That's what you have to do in a public performance, so learn how to do it when you're practicing.

[JeffD]

[*]Practice what you can't play - the hard parts..

Satchel Paige was supposed to have said: "Practice the hard stuff. No point in practicing what you are already good at." Or words to that affect.

[AlanN]

One other: practice every day, even if for 5 minutes.

[Jkf_Alone]

I'm gonna print and frame them!

[Bertram Henze]

I like #11. Explains my nine years of learning to thoroughly hate the violin (can't rightfully call it playing).

[CES]

His recordings "The Black Codes" and a classical album he did with Kathleen Battle are two of my favorite CDs..."expression" and "virtuosity" both come to mind when thinking of them. I kind of have to be in the mood for both, but am never disappointed when I play them!!

(EDIT: And by "play them" I mean in the CD player or ipod, not actually on the mandolin, unfortunately )

[mandocrucian]

He's on target on 11 out of 12 (.917). But, I don't really knows exactly what he means with the following:

11. Be optimistic. There is nothing worse than pessimism coming out of an instrument.

"Happy happy"! Lawrence Velky ???

Pessimism, imo, is a perfectly valid vibe to express on an instrument, as is anger*, disgust, fear, confusion, depression, sadism**, sarcasm.... or..... hope, tenderness, optimism, peace love & understanding, etc.

#12 is all about getting outside the box - seeing analogies and making the intuitive mental leap recognizing similar underlying principles in seemingly disconnected areas. - e.g. Footwork theory (boxing, dance/karate) transferred onto the fretboard as fingerwork/shifting/setup for the next move... or...simple sentence = (analagoust to) simple melody ....fill in more detail/embellishment with adjectives, adverbs, suffixes....

*scrap a bunch of the Monroe stuff if "anger" is verboten. (ha ha)

**...No page in history baby - that, I don't need
I just want to make some eardrums bleed
Heavy........, Duty .....Heavy duty - rock and roll
Heavy........, Duty.... Brings out the doody in my soul


NH

[Rick Schmidlin]

And from McCoy Tyner to me:

"Practice three hours a day for the first three years."

"Always respect youself and other others who have shown support."

McCoy Tyner has bee around for so many years because he did not wan to let his mother belief in him stay alive.

And for support John Coltane was his teacher.

[powercat]

I especially like the second sentence in number 8

Yeah, I'd have to agree with that. I am my worst critic.

[tree]

I took no. 11 to mean "be optimistic when learning, especially concepts that are brand new or technically difficult."

When I started taking lessons, I tended to take a pessimistic view ("I stink, I'll never get this down"), which I'm sure is a recipe for self-fulfilling prophesy. If Wynton teaches, I'm sure he's heard this attitude coming out of an instrument, and I bet it is awful.

I've learned to adopt the more optimistic view ("sure it's not very good at this point, I'm just now learning how to do it").

My most patient and excellent instructor never fails to emphasize the positive. He tells me "you're not alone - this is how EVERYBODY starts - nobody is born knowing this stuff."

I have also come to finally grasp how much practice time is necessary for me to get to where I want to go. It's more than I knew, but when I am able to discipline myself to do the work (with enough fun mixed in to keep it interesting), there is a definite payoff.

[Dan Margolis]

I used to hand this list out to my students.

[James P]

To me, #11 reads more like performance advice.
If I were to modify it I'd say: "Keep at it and be patient."

[Pete Martin]

I believe the better one plays, the more their attitude about life comes through. I've been fortunate to meet 3 top players I'd really studied before getting to know them. Their personalities were just as I had imagined them (2 very cool, 1 a jerk) from their playing.

That is what I take from #11.

[Matt DeBlass]

I remember seeing an interview with classical violinist David Garrett (who set the world speed record for fastest rendition of "Flight of the Bumblebee"). One of the guys asked him how he learned to play so fast and his response was along the lines of "lots and lots of time playing it really slow."

[JeffD]

I have also come to finally grasp how much practice time is necessary for me to get to where I want to go. It's more than I knew, but when I am able to discipline myself to do the work (with enough fun mixed in to keep it interesting), there is a definite payoff.

I think that when one directly experiences the payoff of regular practice it is very motivating. The discipie to practice is hard to get started because we don't see any results, but when the results start to pour in, we can't get enough of it. At least till the next plateau.

[Capt. E]

All of these add up to #13: Have Fun

[Steve Etter]

Satchel Paige was supposed to have said: "Practice the hard stuff. No point in practicing what you are already good at." Or words to that affect.

I have to disagree with the second half of that thought - you definitely want to practice what you are already good at, too. Case-in-point; when I was in High School, I played golf and got to the point that I could chip-it-in from off of the green over 50% of the time (seriously). I got so use to being able to do it that I never practiced it - and lost it.

I think the same is true of the fundamentals here. Besides, Marsalis' second sentence in #2 addresses this as well.

My favorites are 2, 4 and 5. If I can get myself to do just those...

Steve