Practicing Sucks...But It Doesn't Have To!

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PRACTICING SUCKS...BUT IT DOESN'T HAVE TO!

Learn the secrets that music instructors and stores don’t want you to know. Read PRACTICING SUCKS…But It Doesn’t Have To!

Does the student like “playing” the instrument but hates “practice”. PRACTICING SUCKS…But It Doesn’t Have To! has tips for how to fix that. Read chapter 11.

You’re not making much progress by practicing only a few times each week, but you don’t have time to do more. There’s a solution in chapter 7.

How do you get the best music instructor for your budget? Before you do anything, read chapter 1.

The student makes a good effort but still can’t learn the piece. Can anything be done? Certainly. The solution is in chapter 10.

You’ve always wanted to learn an instrument, but you’ve heard stories about how hard it is and how much work it takes. Read the truth in chapter 4.

PRACTICING SUCKS…But It Doesn’t Have To! is a humorous, yet no-nonsense “how-to” guide which will help students, their instructors and their families approach music lessons with understanding, a positive attitude, and a little humor. It is written in a concise, easy-to-read, slightly playful style with tips that cause the reader to say, “Why didn’t I think of that?”

PRACTICING SUCKS…But It Doesn’t Have To! by Phyllis Sdoia-Satz and Barry Satz contains hundreds of tips which will help students cut the length of time it takes to learn a musical instrument by more than half. It offers tools which help students and their teachers maximize productive practice, while minimizing frustration and the level of stress.

For years, Sdoia-Satz Music Institute, a small, prestigious music school in Miami, has been quietly using some unique, unusual and very successful concepts to teach their students music. As a result, their students learn in months, what it ordinarily takes years to accomplish. These teaching tips have proven so successful that they have been demonstrated on CNN, Headline News, FOX, CBS, NBC, and Univision, in news programs and interviews. In addition, newspapers and magazines (including a medical journal) have featured hundreds of articles and stories about Sdoia-Satz Music Institute and its visionary director, Phyllis Sdoia-Satz.

PRACTICING SUCKS…But It Doesn't Have To! was written with understanding and humor for music students who hate to practice to help them maximize the benefits of practice while minimizing the frustration...

And for teachers of music students who hate to practice to help them find new, intriguing and insightful ways to keep their students motivated and tuned in to music instruction...

And for parents of music students who hate to practice to help them keep their children and teens focused and interested.

Meet Phyllis Sdoia-Satz

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Seminars

Practicing Sucks, But It Doesn’t Have To!

Table of Contents

Foreword Mercy Quiroga, Ph.D., Provost,
New World School of the Arts

Prologo Practicing Sucks, But It’s Necessary

Purpose of the book; who should read it; reasons that students hate practice; how practice will help

Chapter 1

Lento What You Don’t Know Can Hurt You

The benefits of music instruction; a few myths, a few truths; aptitude, talent, genius; a great hobby; where’s the fun; practice is necessary; parents are a support system; music is an adventure; how instructors can help

Chapter 2
Misterioso Finding A Good Music Instructor

How to find a really good music instructor; what to look for; four important things to watch out for; other questions to ask; how instructors can help

Chapter 3
Allegro Assai Four Wheels & An Engine- Getting The Equipment

Don’t get fancy, just get a working instrument; meet the instructor first; sizing the instrument; “four wheels and an engine;” purchasing stringed, woodwind, brass, percussion instruments; pianos and keyboards; confusing terms; acoustics, electronics, digitals, pro’s and con’s; think simple; organs; harps; how instructors can help

Chapter 4
Allegretto Starting Out on the Right Food (or Hand)

Create an environment out of the way of traffic; practice is lonely; parents can vary practice; group instruction vs. private instruction; youngsters need someone to sit with them; older students need help too; practice every day including weekends; remove clocks; fix a consistent time for practice; ways to be helpful; expose the student to music; avoiding boredom; starting from scratch; ignoring distractions; playing for others: how instructors can help

Chapter 5
Delicatissimo Little Things That Make A Big Difference

The basic gear; first lessons; making lists; checking assignments; using the assignment as a recipe; record the practice; talk about the lesson; keep a journal; keep a scrapbook; point incentive program; earning diplomas; blowing off steam; practicing in costume; practice buddies; don’t ask, don’t borrow; how instructors can help

Chapter 6
Poco Agitato Things You Should Never Do

Don’t time practice; break up practice; don’t threaten, don’t bribe; don’t mock or compare; take responsibility; when nerves take over; parental supervision; a home, not a battlefield; praise, praise, praise; professional musicians, beware; don’t offer crutches; watch for signs; making progress; dealing with frustration; adult nerves; don’t give up; helping family members focus on the positive; but I played it perfectly at home; how instructors can help

Chapter 7
Istesso Tempo What To Think About First

How to sit; everything affects the practice; relaxing the body; prepare the mind; how much to practice; learning music notation; the five pronged approach; standing during practice; shaking out the cobwebs; organized, focused practice; lesson plans and road maps; national standards for arts education; creative teaching; how instructors can help

Chapter 8
Risoluto To Count Or Not To Count, ‘Tis Not A Question

Rhythm “makes the world go ‘round; what is rhythm; rhythm is important to music; counting helps students understand rhythm; shortcuts don’t work; learn to count; rhythmic values; every beat has two parts; specific ideas; problems with “saying” and “playing”; count – there isn’t any choice; how instructors can help

Chapter 9
Toccata Learned Automatic Motion (LAM)

What is LAM? what LAM teaches; practice small sections; LAM requires repetitions; increase speed gradually; use a metronome; adding elements; special tips; avoiding boredom; how large a section; how professionals practice; how instructors can help

Chapter 10
Ritorno Vincitor Victory Over The Memory Monster

Musicians develop a repertoire; four kinds of memory; LAM is not enough; LAM is like sleepwalking; if we didn’t memorize; everyone can memorize consciously; what’s wrong with automatic playing; benefits of learning consciously; separate the hands; separate the elements; change speed, volume; say the notes; analyze the music; similarities, differences; practice mentally; use sleep to help you learn; write the music out; forgetting and re-learning on purpose: how instructors can help

Chapter 11
Con Moto Let’s Get On With It

Practice purposefully; listening is crucial; hear what’s wrong, make it right; record the practice; even a young child can be in control; make repetitions with thought; find the hardest parts, do them first; productive practice rules; only play through twice; don’t stop at the end of a measure; it takes time; don’t just fix one note; read the music; be patient; over practicing can be dangerous; forget and relearn; don’t tack on; review and perform; teach theory ; relate abstract musical ideas to life; it’s not enough to play the instrument; look at the National Standards; basic rules: how instructors can help

Chapter 12
Gradus Ad Parnassum Seven Days To Success

Day after day; a “Seven Days to Success” plan; cramming doesn’t work; using the “Seven Days to Success” plan; it works for everyone; The Seven Days To Success Plan; day one – day seven; how instructors can help

Chapter 13
Al Perfezione Scales, Arpeggios and Chords

What is a scale, arpeggio; chord: triad: SAC’s are everywhere; SAC technique transfers to pieces; benefits of practicing SAC’s; SAC’s are models; SAC’S must be perfect; accuracy, evenness, uniformity; no stopping and starting; a parent’s job; make SAC practice a game; SAC’s are not warm ups; choose SAC’s; each instrument is different; rules; how many fingers do you have; how instructors can help

Chapter 14
Molto Appassionata Don’t Shoot The Piano Player

Hand position; what not to do; learning the notes on the keyboard; flash cards; hand staff ; note recognition and direction of notes; eyes front, heads up; down to the bottom of the key; tight muscles; economy of motion; developing independence of the hands; analyze the music; rhythm; write the counts between the staves ;SAC practice; pedal practice; how instructors can help

Chapter 15
Cantando e Espressivo The Sweetest Song

Everyone likes to sing; natural isn’t enough; a few myths; what vocal students must learn; a need for caution; premature training can cause permanent damage; learning music notation is a must; voice change; other options; different strokes for different folks; general information; some basic tips; other things a singer should know; danger signs; elements that cause strain; how instructors can help

Chapter 16
Mente Sana in Corpo Sano Music Instruction as Physical & Emotional Therapy

The role of music in everyday life; music therapy; mipet program; stutterers don’t stutter when they sing; asthmatics and emphysema; damaged voices; arthritis and stiffness; manual prostheses; hearing disorders; memory problems; learning disabilities; coordination; ADHD children and adults; lack of confidence and self esteem; other conditions; information for parents, students and instructions

Epilogo Wrap-Up

Putting it all together; some final words

Glossary of Terms