Practice Time
Getting real value out of your lessons and practice time comes down to one simple habit: writing things down. Most students struggle to remember exactly what was covered in a lesson — and struggle even more, conveniently or not, to remember what they were meant to practice before the next one. A journal fixes that and makes your practice time genuinely count.
Jot down the key points from each lesson, plus what should go into your practice that week. It jogs your memory, and over time it becomes a real record of your progress.
The Lesson and Practice Journal
I’ve put together a full year of journal pages that teachers and students can use together during lessons, with students filling it in during their own practice time — one page per week.
The top half is for recording the key takeaways from the lesson, so you can refer back to them while practicing. The bottom half is where the student logs what they should practice over the coming week, what they actually practiced each day (a simple tick will do), and how long they practiced each day.
It’s worth looking at a completed example page to see how it comes together in practice. Focus your practice time on whatever will move the needle most for your playing — that’s what the journal helps you keep sight of.
A tool for students, parents, and teachers alike
A journal like this supports a regular, frequent practice habit, and ideally students use it daily. Parents and teachers might build in a small reward system — stickers in the journal for younger kids, or a small treat for a solid week of practice.
It’s also useful in a harder conversation: if a student keeps turning up to lessons week after week with no sign of having practiced, the journal gives you an objective record to base that conversation on, rather than a guessing game.
Other resources worth your practice time
For genuinely good videos on how to practice, check out Harry Watters’ YouTube channel, and Christopher Bill‘s as well. Both have plenty of videos where you can also just sit back and listen to some excellent playing.