Overcoming Practice Ruts: Tips for Music Students from MIC Faculty
March 11th, 2026
Even experienced musicians can reach a point where they "hit a wall" in their practice. A difficult passage, a challenging piece, or a lack of motivation can make it hard to move forward.
Music Institute of Chicago faculty share practical practice strategies to help students overcome obstacles, stay motivated, and continue progressing musically.
Dr. Matthew Hagle | Piano & Musicianship Faculty; Program Director, Musicianship
It’s really hard to stay motivated while practicing, and becoming a better practicer is one of the main areas I’ve improved in my own playing, but we don’t always teach people how to do it. These are some lessons I’ve learned:
Set specific goals:
We are used to thinking of practicing as being repetition, but a huge part of practicing is problem solving. Think of your job as solving specific problems, and try to find your own solutions
Give yourself a chance to win:
Don’t try to fix everything at once. Break a problem into smaller parts that you can do, and build it back up
Create quality repetitions:
Don’t just play passages over and over, this can work but it’s also a trap. You can end up spending a lot of time on a passage, and the repetition feels good, but you may be teaching yourself mistakes if too many of these are not good. I usually tell my students to set a certain number of consecutive good repetitions (3 or 5) as a goal, and then to move on.
Bianca d'Avila do Prado | Cello Faculty (Suzuki and Traditional)
Just get started!
The hardest part of practice can be unpacking and getting started. Schedule a time that works for your family and give your child a 10min warning, set an alarm and go! It makes easier for them knowing practice is part of their daily activities.
Gamify repetitions!
Have a dice or a deck of cards around so the child gets to draw the number of times to work on small chunks of the pieces that need repetition. Remember to set a clear goal to focus on and just count the ones when the student accomplished the goal for the activity.
Make sure to get a break from screens before practice starts.
Screen time can be a low effort and instant reward activity. Playing an instrument takes effort and the rewards may take time, patience, and repetition to be noticeable. The brain needs time to adjust, and it can make practice feel extra hard when you do a sudden transition from one to another.
Bethany Vaughan | Trumpet Faculty
Make a highlight reel of musical clips that you find inspirational.
If you’re feeling unmotivated and/or burned out, listen to the reel to remind yourself of why you love music. Don’t limit yourself to only clips of people playing your instrument.
Practice something purely for fun every day.
This will help you avoid burn out and help your practice feel less monotonous (especially if you’ve been working on a specific piece for a long time).
If you're feeling stuck on a specific passage- practice it in new ways.
This could mean altering the written rhythm (the possibilities there are almost endless), practicing an articulated passage slurred, practicing the passage while standing on one foot, anything to help your brain encode the info in a new way. Read "Learn Faster Perform Better" by Molly Gebrian for lots of ideas regarding this.
Music Lessons at Music Institute of Chicago
At the Music Institute of Chicago, our faculty work closely with students to build healthy technique, strong routines, and long-term motivation.
From first-time players to seasoned performers, everyone is welcome. Get in touch to start your lessons with one of our experienced teachers today!
