robertwhite

I don't know if I'm a "beast", but I'm a pro so maybe I'll be of some help.

Ear-training is great and listening is great. Those are not substitutes for practice time. Internet forums are helpful, but not a substitute for practice time. You need to practice to be a beast. Practice A LOT.

Break up your practice over the course of the day - 45 minutes three times a day is 2.25 hours, not a bad place to start. You could stretch that to three pretty easily. Don't practice bashing your face, though. Ask your teacher to help you develop an organized way to do fundamentals, repertoire, and skill development every day.

Minimize TV and Internet (I'm talking MINUTES a day, not HOURS), and tell your friends you've got stuff to do. In fifteen years, you'll keep in touch with a few of them. However, you'll keep in touch daily with good habits developed now. Don't wait. Do it now.

averagejoe

Aaron --

If you want to be good, there is no way around practice. Quality should not be pitted against quantity in an either/or... the truth is that it is BOTH. All of the "beasts" that I know spent lots of quality time practicing in their formative years. Robert White gives a great suggestion on breaking your time up so that you don't beat your face to a pulp.

When we look at where we want to go, very often fear creeps in...we'll put up all manner of unrealistic, extreme obstacles to give ourselves a way out -- "I want to be a great player, but I don't want to live like a hermit in a practice room to get there." Well, who says you have to do that? There IS enough time in the day to practice well AND have a meaningful social life. However, there will be times when you will have to choose one over the other. Decide what your goals are, create a realistic schedule to help you go after them, then stick to your guns. You'll be surprised what you can accomplish this way...

Good luck,

Paul

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tromj

One suggestion I will make in the presence of my betters is not to be wed to the idea of a long practice session. Practicing 1 1/2 to 2 hours a day can and should be split up into more manageable sessions. Perhaps three or four half hour sessions. I think you will get more out of your sessions if your lips and mind are fresher.

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