If you are learning an instrument, the question of how to practise should be one of the most relevant questions you ask yourself. Paying for and attending lessons is an important first step in stream-lining our progress but the most important element is the time that we dedicate between the lessons to playing our instrument(s).  How we use our time is at the core of how fruitful our practice will be. For the benefit of my pupils I thought it would be useful to list some ideas on how to approach practice so that it is an enjoyable and rewarding experience.

• Play everyday. Of course this may not be possible  when life throws unusual circumstances our way but daily contact with your instrument is essential when learning anything on a deep, subconscious level. Schedule a time each day (e.g. Monday 4:30-5pm, Tuesday 6:00-6:45) to play your instrument just as if you were going to meet a friend at a particular time.
• Be your own teacher!  With experience and a clear attention you can develop the ability to self-direct your practice.  When you notice something that could be improved, work at that element for a considerable time. Often we lose any sense of continuity, drifting from one thing to another.  Clarify and renew to yourself a particular direction you want to develop in almost as if there were two of you present - be the master of yourself!
• Younger pupils will usually need a parent to sit with them to help guide their practice since attention span is quite small in younger children.
• “Practice” can for some people have unhelpful and stress related connotations which brings tension into our music-making.  If we can approach our practice without any expectation of improvement  and enjoy the experience in a more playful, less serious way (remember we “play” the piano!) we may be surprised at how progress actually comes more naturally and effortlessly.  Adopt a more patient, less striving frame of mind and accept failure as a natural part of learning.  This way you can leave yourself open to an experience which you can’t force yourself. 
• Don’t feel that you necessarily have to practise for a long time. Some days we might look at the clock and realise time has passed quicker than we thought but on others we may be tiring ourselves out due to frustration - on these occasions it might be better to take a break. 
• If you are learning a new piece of music, generally it is best to start the session by getting to know a less familiar section first. It’s easy to get too absorbed by sections which are already quite fluent because the familiar is usually more attractive and we get impatient when reading new notes . Dive into the unknown and enjoy meeting some new music.
• Don’t make it up! Budding musicians tend to misread the score quite a lot because they are keen to play something and don’t study it in enough detail before doing so.  We should be referring to the page often and questioning ourselves as to whether we are really being faithful to the score.
• Being able to look at the score whilst playing is useful and saves time: develop your sense of touch and sound to inform you whether the notes are correct. Blind musicians don’t have the luxury of seeing their instrument and can manage perfectly well, if not far better due to their sensitivity to sound and touch.
• Fluency often comes alongside memorisation. Therefore your practice can be initially focused on memorising the notes in small phrases or gestures at a time.