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Keep track of your mistakes during practice, so you can fix them.

When you are practicing for a performance and already know your piece really well, try playing through your piece a few times while watching TV. It will give you the feeling of being distracted while you are playing which is the closest way to emulate going into autopilot when you are nervous and playing your piece in a performance.

When you are practicing for a performance, play your piece for groups of friends and family to see how you respond to being nervous.

Warm-up for a practice session by playing something you know really well. It will get your body in gear and start your practice session off in a positive way.

Breaking up your practice time can make your practice more productive especially if your practice time is longer than 1 hour.

Physical exercise can help you stay focused for longer periods of time. Make sure to build physical activity into your daily life. It will help you stay focused longer during practice sessions.

There are many apps to use as a metronome, tuner, music theory practice and music recording. Use technology to your advantage to make practice easier and possibly more fun.

These are my practice recommendations for each level of musician.

Very Beginners: 10 minutes, 5 days per week

First Year: 20 minutes, 5 days per week

Second Year: 30 minutes, 5 days per week

Third and Fourth Year: 35 minutes, 5 days per week

Five plus years: 45 minutes plus, 5 days per week

Reward yourself after practice. Let yourself play straight through a piece or watch a show or anything that feels like a reward.

Warm-up before you practice. Warming up gets both your mind and body ready to practice.