Practice Tips

Part V

Over the past few weeks, we’ve been talking about practice and how to do it.  Today we’re going to talk about the “when” aspect of practicing.

There are two basic kinds of practice schedules: massed practice, where we do all the practicing in one session, and distributed practice, where we practice several times in a day or some other unit of time.  Each comes with its own advantages. Let’s look at a few examples.

If you sing in a community choir, chances are you have one rather lengthy rehearsal each week, where all the practicing the group does occurs.  This is massed practice.  Massed practice has the tendency to enhance immediate performance, but it is generally not as beneficial in promoting learning.  Think of what often happens between those weekly rehearsals: many of the details that were rehearsed in the single long rehearsal session are forgotten before the next meeting.  Massed practice can be very necessary, though, if endurance and the ability to pace one’s vocal efforts over the length of a concert or a series of song sets in a club or a musical or opera role is needed.  In this situation, the exercise physiology principle of specificity (practice which is very similar to the desired task, approximating the performance situation) interacts with motor skill acquisition.

Distributed practice is spreading your practicing out throughout the day or the week.  While massed practice might mean one session per day where you do all your singing, distributed practice would be several shorter sessions throughout the day, separated by periods of other activities.  It’s like the difference between having a big meal and having several snacks; you might have the same amount of food and the same kinds of foods, but when you have them depends on whether you are feasting or snacking.  Distributed practice has several benefits over massed practice, such as avoiding fatigue and enhancing learning.

Now that you know more about “best practices,” you can adjust how you practice and when you practice to meet your individual needs!

Happy training,
Your SonoVoice Team

Next Week: FAQ About Practicing

You are a vocal athlete!

Athletes put superhuman demands on the human body. They practice to stay in shape, get better and prepare for the event. No athlete expects to perform at their best without working on their technique, practicing skills, and preparing for the game. 

The same goes for you as a vocal athlete. Practice will help you be prepared for your event: performance. Unfortunately, there’s no shortcut! If you want to be at your best as a singer, you’ll need to establish a regular vocal exercise and practice regimen.

In our weekly Vocal Fitness Friday email, SonoVoice's team of experts in science-based voice training  will be sharing information about how the voice works, tips on keeping your voice healthy, and ideas for vocal exercises for peak vocal fitness.