How long should I practice my fiddle each day?

So much of the time that we spend practicing our violins is spent mindlessly playing through the tune we are working on. This is not just a waste of time; it’s actually counterproductive. You are reinforcing your bad habits, rather than breaking them and creating new habits that will lead you to greater playing success.

In this great article about how many hours a day you should practice, you will learn some strategies for making your practice time efficient and effective:

http://www.bulletproofmusician.com/how-many-hours-a-day-should-you-practice/

1. Pick a target
2. Reach for it
3. Evaluate the gap between the target and the reach
4. Return to step one

It doesn’t matter if we are talking about perfecting technique, or experimenting with different musical ideas. Any model which encourages smarter, more systematic, active thought, and clearly articulated goals will help cut down on wasted, ineffective practice time.

After all, who wants to spend all day in the practice room? Get in, get stuff done, and get out!