6 Ways to Enjoy Detail-Oriented Practice

Written by Gerald Klickstein
Published: July 21, 2014 at 2:55 PM [UTC]

“The details are not the details. They make the design.”
–Charles Eames, designer

For musicians and designers alike, our approach to detail largely determines whether our work soars or flops.

Simply put, meticulous work outfits us with the command we need to make inspiring music. I’ve noticed, though, that many music students aren't consistently detail-oriented in their practice - they might run through compositions, scales, or exercises without zeroing in on excerpts or attending to nuances.

What’s going on? Often, such students deem detailed practice boring or don't know how to work on details. By comparison, we veterans savor delving into the minutiae of phrases - we possess strategies to tailor every fine point and we enjoy doing so.

Fortunately, students can acquire the practice habits of professionals, but most need guidance. Here, then, are 6 suggestions to help students permeate their practice with precision and fascination.

Six Ways to Enjoy Detail-Oriented Practice

1. Bring meaning to every gesture.
   We might be working on a scale or a masterpiece, regardless, we should shoot sparks of imagination through every sound we make.


2. Isolate problem spots in context.
   When we tackle troublesome passages, we should sense the dramatic framework from which they’re extracted. If we practice a left-hand shift, let's say, we should still express the emotional energy of the larger phrase.


3. Take pleasure in excellence.
   In The Musician’s Way, I highlight seven Habits of Excellence: ease, expressiveness, accuracy, rhythmic vitality, beautiful tone, focused attention, and positive attitude. To embody those qualities, it's essential that we choose manageable music and then take pleasure in attaining high standards.


4. Listen deeply.
   As we play, we have to listen intently and compare what we hear to what we want (self-recording helps, too). We also have to be open to whatever transpires, treating errors with curiosity as opposed to disappointment.


5. Seek variety.
   To keep our work fresh, we should continually search out ways to enliven our sound, toying with articulation and accent, tinting our tone, and so on.


6. Shift perspectives.
   To help generate allure in our sound, it helps to vary our perspective in practice. For instance, as we refine a phrase, we might give more attention to easefulness for a minute and then explore possibilities for adding crispness to our rhythm. On top of that, we do well to ask fellow musicians to listen to us and share their thoughts because no matter how advanced we become, there are always new artistic insights for us to discover.

© 2014 Gerald Klickstein
A version of this article first appeared on The Musician's Way Blog.