Category Archives: Motivation

Tough Stuff

David Motto’s Practice Tip of the Week:Tough Stuff What is “Tough Stuff”? In every song or piece you want to learn, there is inevitably one section that seems too high, too fast, or too hard. Sometimes there are many of … Continue reading

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Feel Calm Stay Focused

David Motto’s Practice Tip of the Week:How to Feel Calm and Stay Focused Transitioning into the Zone Making the transition from all the crazy activity of your day to the relative calm of your practice room is not automatic. This … Continue reading

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Learning from Live Performances

David Motto’s Practice Tip of the Week:Learning from Live Performances Practicing Can Be Lonely Becoming a great musician takes more than great practicing. The practice room is a solitary place, and it’s important not to isolate yourself from the real … Continue reading

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Listening to Recordings

David Motto’s Practice Tip of the Week:Listening to Recordings Playing the Right Notes is Not Enough In addition to learning the notes of the song you’re working on, it’s important to understand the correct way to play those notes. Of … Continue reading

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Music You Love vs Music You Have to Learn

David Motto’s Practice Tip of the Week:Music You Love vs. Music You Have to Learn Inspiration and Play Being inspired by the music you are mastering is the ultimate motivational tool for practicing. Music you love will put the focus … Continue reading

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Making Time for Music

David Motto’s Practice Tip of the Week:Making Time for Music When You’re Busy Musicians contact me daily to tell me about the challenges they’re facing. As a performance coach, it’s my job to help them meet these challenges so they … Continue reading

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Inner Critic vs Inner Coach vs Inner Cheerleader

What do you call your inner voice? The most common name for our inner voice is the Inner Critic. Does it have to be that way? I think we would be better off if we could change our inner critic … Continue reading

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You can’t hire someone to practice for you

Practice Quote for Today

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Only Perfect Practice Makes Perfect

Timeless Practice Quote-from Vince Lombardi

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Skip Your Warmups

David Motto’s Practice Tip of the Week: Skip Your Warmups Some Days Are a Challenge Though it’s a great idea to start your practice sessions with warmups, there are certain days when starting the practice process at all is a … Continue reading

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