HABITS OF EXCELLENCE
Creating your Habits of Excellence.
What are they exactly?
I am going to challenge you to create habits of excellence each time you sit down behind the harp. We’ve all heard some form of this saying “It takes 60 days to establish a habit”. Whatever the magic number, I encourage you to begin making habits of excellence within your practice methods.
What does this mean?
Each time you sit down behind the harp, strive for perfection and settle for excellence.
Be mindful of each aspect of these habits as you go through your repetitions. If you haven’t heard me say it before, don’t do mindless repetition, do mindFUL repetition. These habits will help you be mindful in your repetition, giving you variety each time you repeat.
These habits of excellence are my abridged notes to one of the best reads on my stand “The Musician’s Way” by Gerald Klickstein. If you don’t have this book in your musical library, I encourage you to read it. You will see more abridged notes from his book on my website. For a great, full-study read, download your copy today.
Without further ado… Let’s establish these habits of excellence within your practice session!
Habits of Excellence:
1. Ease
Practice with your effort meter far out of the struggle zone.
Practice slow enough not to make mistakes.
2. Expressiveness
Permeate your practice with eloquence. Practice expressively.
3. Accuracy
Practice in small sections with great attention to detail.
4. Rhythmic vitality
Vitality in rhythm results with forward momentum.
5. Beautiful tone
Paint a picture with your notes.
6. Focused Attention
Keep a calm, alert disposition when practicing.
7. Positive Attitude
Regard challenges as opportunities for learning.
Start today with your habits of excellence and have a very mindful practice!
Happy Harping!
Elizabeth