Did you know that kids in Denmark are the happiest kids in the world? There are tons of studies that have shown this. The reason, they say, is that Danish children, compared to children all over the world dedicate a lot more time to PLAY. There should be a distinction between PRACTICING, and PLAYING, however. Playing (For enjoyment) involves doing things you already know how to do. It feels great and generates motivation. The video below is a guitar hero style play along to a popular song.If you know the song and know the note names on your instrument, this will feel like Play.
PRACTICE, on the other hand, involves doing things you do NOT already know how to do. (Reading music, learning new skills...) It involves fixing errors and focusing on weaknesses, so that difficult things can become easy - and ultimately used for more PLAY. Enjoyment in practice is derived from improvement, not by PLAY. My class is normally a mix of both playing/learning. Today I dedicated my classes exclusively to PLAY- and I think a lot of my students enjoyed it. How often is play a part of your life?? Did you know there was a difference between practice and play? Let me know!