Right there with you Ronald. I’m wrapping up in the second module of Grade 3 now, and yeah, it’s a big adjustment from Grade 2. It’s easy to feel like I’m adrift, when suddenly I have to be responsible for setting my own goals and structuring my own practice. And switching from using the app to the website for practice can be a bit disorienting too.
Good advice already on the thread from James, David and JK, thumbs up from me to all of their comments.
I would add, don’t get too discouraged if the transcribing lessons seem way too hard in modules 15 and 16, JK pointed out to me over in this thread that the difficulty of those lessons in particular is very high for this stage. If you already have a good ear for pitch, it might be no trouble for you, but if you’re anything like me, those lessons will kick you right in the bits. I changed my transcribe practice time to just work on nursery rhymes and dead simple melody lines instead, and I’m much happier.
Like you, I don’t have enough spare time to be doing the full 1 hour routine every day. I split my routine into two groups on alternating days and set aside a full one-hour session once a week for transcribing. For what it’s worth, my practice currently looks like this:
- Routine “A”, Monday/Wednesday/Saturday:
- Technique - finger gym - 5min
- Technique - rolling chords - 5min
- Knowledge - any - 10min+
- Routine “B”, Tuesday/Thursday/Sunday:
- Repertoire - chord melody - 5min
- Repertoire - any - 5min
- Time - play along - 5min
- Time - flexing time - 5min
- Improv - 10min
- Routine “C”, Friday:
- Transcribing - 60min
Plus however long I feel like / have time for just playing songs after my practice each day.
I think Justin’s music theory course makes a really good companion to this Grade, and a good way to use the time in the “Knowledge - any” slot. Although that’s another one you might find better to bundle up into a longer session once a week. I usually find I go way over my time with the theory, but I don’t mind, I enjoy that stuff.
If you’re getting lost trying to set practice goals, it can be helpful to work backwards from some specific songs you want to play. Pick a song from your “Dreamer” list. One you wish you could play, but feel like it is out of reach. What would you need to learn, to be able to play that song? Can you get started on building those skills now?