On the miracle that is silent practice

Being a musician with poor time management, and too many things to do, it’s really difficult to find quality time to practice. Between school, extracurriculars, and then coming home to homework and sleeping family members, I gotta admit that I often put off practice when it’s inconvenient.

But those days are over. There are no more excuses to put off practicing, because of a silent house, thinly walled motel room, or fussy room-mate. Because you’re about to learn about a lifesaver known as silent practice.

Now, I’ve heard a lot about silent practice, and mental practice, and all these “revolutionary” methods, most of which I used to regard as pseudoscientific bogus. Being more of a traditionalist when it comes to music, I always believed that truly effective practice warranted immediate response, and feedback from the instrument, as musicality is a fickle, and ever changing variable. So how, then, could it be possible to develop those skills without actually playing the instrument?

But as it turns out, sometimes silence can be golden, even in a discipline such as music. From studying scores, to technique exercises, to investing in a “silent instrument”, there are really effective ways to practice without having to bother the unfortunate individuals in your vicinity. Even professional musicians swear by some of these methods.

Of course, being a bit of a skeptic, despite all the attestations, I was always a bit dubious about the real results of this method. Testimonies, of course, can be easily manipulated, and coerced. But all the while, it was the night before a big band test, and there was no way my family was going to be happy with the piercing sound of an alto saxophone at midnight repeating a scalal sequence over and over again. So I built my saxophone, left out the reed, and decided to give it a go.

The night of, if I’m being honest, I didn’t feel the difference, except for that it was driving me a little bit nutty not being able to hear what I was playing. Although I was singing the scale in my head, when saxophone keys click, the air from the key being pressed creates a tone, but not necessarily the note that would sound had I been playing it, so my “scale” sounded like it was jumping around all over the place. I spent about an hour going over fingerings, using my usual techniques; section practice, tempo increases, etc, until I frankly, got too tired, and accepted the fact that my performance on this test was going to be mediocre at best, and decided to just go to bed.

Clearly, I wasn’t feeling too chuffed when I walked into band the next day and built my instrument. But when I ran through, I found that I could just blast through it without even thinking about it. And when it came to my turn, I was playing it double my original speed, calmly, and clearly, and I thought: “so maybe silent practice does work…”

So if you’re in the same position I often find myself in, how can you practice without being disruptive?

Studying scores

One of the easiest ways to practice without actually picking up your instrument is to really get to know the music you’re playing. This works especially well for travelling, be it long car rides, or flights, it’s easy to whip out your sheet music, and learn your piece without being disruptive. Whether it’s analysing structures and patterns, or following along with a recording of the piece, studying the score really helps to familiarize yourself with what you’re playing

Imaginative practice

This is one of the stranger sounding ones, and it’s not something I would recommend trying in public, but sometimes, it can be extremely effective to vividly visualize practicing your instrument. Focus on how your fingers move, or how your breathing may change, and even mime those movements without your instrument. Work on how a certain phrase might be shaped, or how different phrases fit together, and how you can achieve that. I did this constantly back when I still played piano, and although it may seem frustrating at first that your fingers might not do what your brain wants them to, you’re making more familiar neural connections, making muscle memory easier.

Technique exercises

I know this is one of the more mundane aspects of being a musician, but technique is very much the foundation needed to build musicality upon. Technique is easy to practice without your instrument, be it finger stretches, building muscle memory, practicing bow turns, or working on breath control. Furthermore, it is more beneficial long term, as technique is applicable to everything you play, rather than just studying the score of a single piece you’re working on

Rhythm exercises

Again, not the most exciting part of music, but once again, it is a crucial base, and once a rhythm is learned, it can be applied to everything you do. Rhythm exercises are probably the most easily practiced with no resources. From finger drumming on a desk, to tapping your feet on the train, to gently clapping a rhythm to learn, or reinforce, it’s useful, and accessible to rehearse.

So with that, I hope you never catch yourself thinking “it’s inconvenient, I’ll do it tomorrow…” Because playing an instrument doesn’t have to be disruptive. So if you’re questioning the great question “To practice, or not to practice”, simply follow the chart below:

(featured image source)