I first like to categorize goals into scope, so long (>6 months), medium (1-3 month), and short term (1-4 weeks). There are of course even shorter daily goals, as well as longer epic goals, but for the most part it's about correctly categorizing things first to avoid frustration and sadness.
I didn't always have frameworks like this (and I wish I had), but this has helped me immensely through professional career, especially when you have to juggle so much repertoire + all the travel, meetings, other projects (like Tonic) etc. but here are a few examples of goals:
Daily goal 1: Be able to play through 2 pages.
Daily goal 2: Be able to add in phrasing + intonation + musicality.
Weekly goal 1: Be able to complete 1 movement (not memorized)
Weekly goal 2: Be able to memorize that movement.
etc. Obviously more layers apply but then you can add another layer (for eg. another piece or movement) when you feel like you have the capacity to do so. I think of "improvement" of technique as something that happens as I learn different pieces. Best not to get stuck on one piece for too longer (longer than 2 months). You can always come back to it later.
My favorite color is midnight blue, however it is a "cooler + darker" color and there's not that many moments in music where you need that particular sound.
I've had a varied relationship with practice. When I was younger, I practiced a lot more because I had yet to develop my own practice frameworks and methods. These days I've gotten to know myself better and so when faced with that question I often reply with "I practice as much as necessary".
I will say, the most I practiced in a day was 10 hours. Definitely not advisable over a long period of time and also dependant on your instrument. This was a special few weeks when I was competing at the Queen Elisabeth competition. I was also 20 years old - pretty sure if I attempted this now my neck would break.
I believe when people have feelings of frustration or inadequacy from lack of progress, it speaks to their personal metric for success. If you shift your mindset of what determines success for you (for eg. If your goal is to be able to play with others or if you're measuring how well you play against others) then you'll be in a much happier and healthier mindset that allows you to enjoy music.
raychenviolin OP t1_j7wlp7w wrote
Reply to comment by Historical-Depth1913 in I’m Ray Chen, international concert violinist, performed in over 60 countries, was featured in Riot Game’s Emmy winning animated series, Arcane, and cofounder of Tonic, an app that motivates you to practice. AMA! by raychenviolin
I first like to categorize goals into scope, so long (>6 months), medium (1-3 month), and short term (1-4 weeks). There are of course even shorter daily goals, as well as longer epic goals, but for the most part it's about correctly categorizing things first to avoid frustration and sadness.
I didn't always have frameworks like this (and I wish I had), but this has helped me immensely through professional career, especially when you have to juggle so much repertoire + all the travel, meetings, other projects (like Tonic) etc. but here are a few examples of goals:
Daily goal 1: Be able to play through 2 pages.
Daily goal 2: Be able to add in phrasing + intonation + musicality.
Weekly goal 1: Be able to complete 1 movement (not memorized)
Weekly goal 2: Be able to memorize that movement.
etc. Obviously more layers apply but then you can add another layer (for eg. another piece or movement) when you feel like you have the capacity to do so. I think of "improvement" of technique as something that happens as I learn different pieces. Best not to get stuck on one piece for too longer (longer than 2 months). You can always come back to it later.