10 Minutes to Greatness: A Musician’s Secret Weapon

Instrumental practice is hard. It demands both mental focus and physical effort, requiring you to think about many things simultaneously. For young students especially, maintaining that level of concentration can be incredibly challenging.

It’s also unreasonable to expect anyone-especially young students-to stay fully focused for hours on end. Yet, many spend long periods in practice rooms, which often leads to mindless repetition. This kind of practice, relying mostly on muscle memory, can be harmful because it reinforces poor playing habits over and over again which is very difficult to undo.

One effective solution is to use a timer-not the one on your phone, which can be distracting, but a simple kitchen timer you can buy online for about $5. Set it for 10 minutes. Focusing is hard but for just 10 minutes is achievable. Before starting, set a clear, specific goal for what you want to accomplish in that time. Whether it’s refining a tricky passage or improving articulation in a short section, having a focused intent makes your practice much more effective. As we get comfortable with focusing for 10 min. we will then gradually add more minutes little by little.

Each 10-minute session becomes a mini success, which builds motivation and confidence.