Music Practice Quotes

When you are having a bad day and nothing is going right . . .When
the pressures of life are crowding in on you and you need some time
by yourself . . When someone, or something has made you angry . .
When you are bored, or when you are feeling flat or unhappy, dont
complain, just go and do some music practice. That will lift your spirits
and energise you. Ron Ottley, Ottley, Ron., Now I Love Music
Practice (Eileen Margaret Publishing, 2009) Pg 62-63
. . dont just memorise notes; memorise the feeling of playing them.
Madeline Bruser, Bruser, Madeline., The Art of Practicing (Bell Tower,
1997), p.17
failing to remember is the primary reason for most performers poor
practising habits. Howard Snell, Snell, Howard., The Art of Practice
(Pen Press, 2006), p.75
The best way for a student to get out of difficulty is to go through it
Aristotle
In a system that demands perfectionism, mistakes are unacceptable.
We cannot learn from our mistakes, because we must pretend that we
never made any. We must hide them or cover them up Anne Wilson
Schaef
Practice does not make perfect it makes permanent Alexander
Libermann
Robotic correctness is the last thing judges want to see or hear
William Westney, Westney, William., The Perfect Wrong Note
(Amadeus Press, 2003), p.32
Much music teaching seems more concerned with controlling the
student than with encouraging the students own impulses. William
Westney, Westney, William., The Perfect Wrong Note (Amadeus Press,
2003), p.43
Teaching that tells the student exactly what to do and how to do it is
not teaching at all but cramming Tobias Matthay, Matthay, Tobias.,
Musical Interpretation (E Baldwin, 1913)
The value of an exercise depends on your state of mind. If you dont
find it interesting, then it is not useful. Madeline Bruser, Bruser,
Madeline., The Art of Practicing (Bell Tower, 1997), p.17

mistakes are . . . immensely useful. . . they show us . . . where we are

right now and what we need to do next William Westney, Westney,
William., The Perfect Wrong Note (Amadeus Press, 2003)
As you learn a new piece, remember how important it is to learn it
accurately from the begining. Eloise Ristad, Ristad, Eloise., A
Soprano On Her Head (Real People Press, 1982), p.150
It is scary to realize there are many, many right ways, and that as we
grow and develop, our perceptions change and shift about right or
wrong ways. Eloise Ristad, Ristad, Eloise., A Soprano On Her Head
(Real People Press, 1982), p.128
stage fright needs to be confronted and experienced in order to be
conquered. Eloise Ristad, Ristad, Eloise., A Soprano On Her Head
(Real People Press, 1982), p.171
Faults acquired through incorrect practicing can be eradicated only by
great effort. Walter Gieseking, Gieseking, Walter., The Shortest Way
To Pianistic Perfection (Dover Publications, 1972)
One of the basic pscychological rules in life is that you always get
more of what you focus on. So, it seems reasonable that, if you keep
on remembering past experiences of performanceanxiety before an upand-coming performance, you will naturally feel quite anxious.
Susan Whykes, Whykes, Susan., Mind Over Matter (Author House,
2007), p.33
Practicing is endless, goals set limits Harvey Snitkin, Snitkin,
Harvey., Practice Planner (HMS Publications, 2002), p.5
Most of us have very clear memories of the self-critical internal
conversation running on in our heads while we were playing poorly,
and yet it often seems that we hardly remember noticing it at all while
we were playing well. Barry Green, Green, Barry., The Inner Game
of Music (Pan Books, 1986), p.25
It is the height of professionalism to be able to make an ordinary
piece of music sound good. When playing routine melodic studies the
player must treat them as if they are musical value. Howard Snell,
Snell, Howard., The Art of Practice (Pen Press, 2006), p.43
If were not actively making things better, chances are were making
them worse. William Westney, Westney, William., The Perfect
Wrong Note (Amadeus Press, 2003), p.94

If a hard bit is giving you a hard time, you should give it a hard time
Philip Johnston, Johnston, Philip., Not Until Youve Done Your Practice
(Practicespot Press, 2004), p.67
The word fail, of course ceases to apply if we know that . . we are
merely gaining information. Eloise Ristad, Ristad, Eloise., A Soprano
On Her Head (Real People Press, 1982), p.144
Dont attribute mishaps to a lapse in concentration if you missed the
note you dont know it. William Westney, Westney, William., The
Perfect Wrong Note (Amadeus Press, 2003), p.91
Take care of the bars and the piece will take care of itself Philip
Johnston, Johnston, Philip., Not Until Youve Done Your Practice
(Practicespot Press, 2004), p.22
If you can dream it, you can do it. Walt Disney
Your success depends on how well you develop your ears. Harvey
Snitkin, Snitkin, Harvey., Practice Planner (HMS Publications, 2002),
p.137
Every day you dont practice, youre one day further from being
good. Ben Hogan
Everyone has moments, or days, when they dont feel like practicing
but know they must. Madeline Bruser, Bruser, Madeline., The Art of
Practicing (Bell Tower, 1997), p.139
. . when the initial excitement of playing starts to evaporate, good
habits are needed to sustain the learning process. Howard Snell,
Snell, Howard., The Art of Practice (Pen Press, 2006), p.19
The most valuable practice aid is patience. Howard Snell, Snell,
Howard., The Art of Practice (Pen Press, 2006), p.75
If you have played six times wrong, one time right the problem is not
quite corrected. William Westney, Westney, William., The Perfect
Wrong Note (Amadeus Press, 2003), p.92
There will never come a time when you dont have to practice J.J.
Johnson
We will always find something more interesting to play than the tricky
passage that really needs attention. We prefer to reassure ourselves by
practising the phrases we can manage rather than face the ones we

cant. Ruth Bonetti, Bonetti, Ruth., Practice is a dirty word

(Amadeus Press, 2003), p.92
Theres very little to be said for learning a piece note by note, reading
the rhythmic markings, practicing the fingerings and following your
instructors suggestions, if you havent any idea how the music will
eventually sound and feel. If you learn a piece mechanically, you may
have to unlearn it before you can play it with expression and feeling.
Barry Green, Green, Barry., The Inner Game of Music (Pan Books,
1987), p.85
Why should it be assumed that the students efforts will be ready for
critic after only seven days Alexander Libermann, Westney,
William., The Perfect Wrong Note (Amadeus Press, 2003), p.55
The magic number is the number of times you practice a spot after
getting it exactly the way you want it. Margaret Elson, Elson,
Margaret., Passionate Practice (Regent Press, 2002), p.59
. .the most crucial ingredient by far for success in music is . . .what
happens in the practice room. William Westney, Westney, William.,
The Perfect Wrong Note (Amadeus Press, 2003), p.47
Goals without deadlines are not really goals, but daydreams
Harvey Snitkin, Snitkin, Harvey., Practice Planner (HMS Publications,
2002), p.13
. . .you will become what you practice Susan Whykes, Whykes,
Susan., Mind Over Matter (Author House, 2007), p.4
Repetition was never designed to fix problems it takes what you are
doing good or bad and locks it in. Philip Johnston, Johnston,
Philip., Practiceopedia (Practicespot Press, 2006)
The most efficient way to memorise a piece is to use the one which
proceeds in an error free manner Sergei Rachmaninov
Great teachers are great learners Paul Harris, Paul, Harris.,
Improve your teaching (Faber Music, 2008), p.7
Sound is not simply what we hear or play, but equally a feeling in the
body Howard Snell, Snell, Howard., The Art of Practice (Pen Press,
2006), p.17
Achieving consistent performance is not about working harder,
practicing for longer or exposing yourself to an increasing number of

concerts, auditions or competitions; rather it is about developing the

mental toughness which will enable you to be a more resilient
performer. David Buswell, Buswell, David., Performance Strategies
for Musicians (MX Publishing, 2006), p.11
There is no such thing as failure, only feedback David Buswell,
Buswell, David., Performance Strategies for Musicians (MX Publishing,
2006), p.204
The underlying aim of practice . .is to create certainty through the
development of high-quality listening. Howard Snell, Snell, Howard.,
The Art of Practice (Pen Press, 2006), p.33
If you have fun when you practice, you may also learn more and
perform better Barry Green, Green, Barry., The Inner Game of Music
(Pan Books, 1987), p.140

What you think affects how you feel, and how you feel affects how
you perform. If you can change your thinking, then you can change
how you perform. David Buswell, Buswell, David., Performance
Strategies for Musicians (MX Publishing, 2006), p.116
Practising is the process of taking a task that seems difficult and doing
it repeatedly, over days and weeks until you are able to do it well, and
easily. Ron Ottley, Bonetti, Ruth., Now I Love Music Practice
(Amadeus Press, 2003), p.29
The fear of not being perfect drives musicians to overpractice and
practice without joy. Madeline Bruser, Bruser, Madeline., The Art of
Practicing (Bell Tower, 1997), p.18
. . .how addicted we musicians become to the supposed virtue of
grinding practice . . .God, I worked four hours straight on the Bruch
today. It just doesnt get any better. And the Bach I dont think Ill
ever get those shifts in tune consistently.I know what you mean. I
tried one shift two hundred times in a row today to clean it up, but I
still cant trust it. Oh my arm is so sore! Anyone have a heating pad?
Ive got one, but need it for my shoulder. Ive got an audition coming
up in two weeks and if this keeps up I wont even be able to lift my
violin. Got any aspirin?Ive just got to get in at least ten or twelve
hours each day over the weekendThese are normal young people.
There are thousands like them throughout the country suffering from
the same addiction. But addiction it is, and its an insidious one
because it usually goes by more acceptable names such as devotion,

commitment and dedication. Eloise Ristad, Ristad, Eloise., A

Soprano On Her Head (Real People Press, 1982), p.38-9
It is important to practice at the speed of no mistakes Lucinda
Mackworth-Young, Stringer et al, The Music Teachers Handbook (Faber
Music, 2005), p.8
There is a direct parallel in the way that we speak, with natural
variations of pitch and volume that give full meaning to our words. This
is what is missing in the words on the page of a book, and the notes on
the score. Howard Snell, Snell, Howard., The Art of Practice (Pen
Press, 2006), p.35
[perfectionism leads to] a tendency to apologize preemptively for
ones efforts, knowing from experience that theres sure to be
something wrong with them. William Westney, Westney, William.,
The Perfect Wrong Note (Amadeus Press, 2003), p.132
Good listening is always the first step in the process that creates
technique and capability Howard Snell, Snell, Howard., The Art of
Practice (Pen Press, 2006), p.33
Never ever practice. Always perform. Dave Martin
If you sound great in the practice room, youre practicing the wrong
thing.
Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.
Berthold Auerbach
One day of practice is like one day of clean living. It doesnt do you
any good. Abe Lemons
The more a piece affects out heart, the more easily we remember it.
Madeline Bruser, Bruser, Madeline., The Art of Practicing (Bell Tower,
1997), p.221
When you are not practicing, remember, someone somewhere is
practicing, and when you meet him he will win. Ed Macauley
An error may be only an unintentional rightnessDo not get too fussy
about how every part of the thing sounds. Go ahead. All processes are
at first awkward and clumsy and funny. Do not be afraid of being
wrong; just be afraid of being uninteresting. T. Carl Whitmer
music learning can occur without music teaching Lucy Green,
Green, Lucy., How Popular Musicians Learn (Ashgate, 2002), p.104

No Music, No Life. Know Music, Know Life.

To study music, we must learn the rules. To create music, we must
break them. Nadia Boulanger
Its not necessarily the amount of time you spend at practice that
counts; its what you put into the practice. Eric Lindros
The reason so many of us lose our bearings about practising early in
life is that we practice in living rooms with other family members in
earshot and healthy practice would simply sound too obnoxious,
intrusive, repetitious and unmusical for others to hear without
annoyance. William Westney, Westney, William., The Perfect Wrong
Note (Amadeus Press, 2003), p.111
As soon as effective listening takes place, the ear identifies what
needs to be done and guides the techniques search for a solution
Howard Snell, Snell, Howard., The Art of Practice (Pen Press, 2006),
p.16
If practice makes perfect, and no ones perfect, then why practice?
Billy Corgan
Practice doesnt make perfect. It just makes you better. Tawa
Suleman
What I have achieved by industry and practice, anyone else with
tolerable natural gift and ability can also achieve. Johann Sebastian
Bach
The difference between knowledge and skill is practice. Holly
Marie Simmers
Practice is the best of all instructors Publilius Syrus
Simplicity is the final achievement. After one has played a vast
quantity of notes and more notes, it is simplicity that emerges as the
crowning reward of art. Frederic Chopin
If you want to become a musician you must practice. There is no other
way. There are no shortcuts. Ron Ottley, Ottley, Ron., Now I Love
Music Practice (Eileen Margaret Publishing, 2009) Pg 11
If you hit a wrong note, then make it right by what you play
afterwards. Joe Pass

What a player does best, they should practice least. Practice is for
problems.
I have often thought how strange it is that I can be sitting at the piano
in my own living room completely alone and free to do anything I want
and yet fall into some habitual and unsatisfying way of working.
Madeline Bruser, Bruser, Madeline., The Art of Practicing (Bell Tower,
1997), p.10