What do you want to work on this year? Improving sight-reading? Better technique? Whatever your musical new year’s resolutions are, you can start by building up small musical habits and incorporating them into your daily routines. It’s not about perfection, but rather slowly building up a chain of good habits. In the words of James Clear (author of Atomic Habits):
“Missing once is an accident. Missing twice is the start of a new habit.”
So without further ado, here are some of our ideas for musical habits to focus on in 2024 – let us know yours with the hashtag #MusicalHabits!
Daily habits
- Practise one scale. (Pianists – try using Karen Marshall’s Scale Workbook)
- Practise a chord. (Guitarists – why not buy a handy pocket chord book)
- Memorise 5 bars of music
- Use this sight-reading app to practise brain-processing speed, peripheral vision and layered subdivision
- Sing!
- Play a study or exercise
- Keep a practice diary – try this one to get you started
- Write 1 bar of music (And treat yourself to a nice manuscript notebook)
- Practise good posture
- Listen to one song or piece of music you’ve never heard before
Weekly habits
- Learn a new piece every week. (Pianists: Try Paul Harris’s Improve Your Sight-Reading A Piece a Week series)
- Learn a new study (Guitarists, if you’re looking for a challenge – try Tom Ollendorff’s Etudes)
- Record some ‘personal bests’
- Listen to a new album
Monthly habits
- Evaluate and reset your habits
- Instrument maintenance
- Tidy music shelf
Looking for a habit tracker template? Download our free musical habit trackers here.