Do you want to be a better flutist and musician? Consider some of the best piccolo practice goals you can set for the year.
These goals can help you get back to practicing after a break. Or they can help improve the practice routine you already have. Either way, consider some options to decide which goals are right for you.
How to Set Piccolo Practice Goals
Before you set any new piccolo practice goals for the upcoming year, you should know how to set good goals. I like to set SMART goals to help me make sure I can work towards what I want.
These are goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-based. Keep those things in mind as you set your practice goals. Then, you can make sure you’ll know how to reach them.
6 Piccolo Practice Goals to Set
If you want to get better at the piccolo, you need to practice it. But setting a goal to just practice the piccolo isn’t the best. It’s not a bad goal, but you can choose something better.
Consider some example piccolo practice goals you may want to set.
1. Practice Every Day
An excellent piccolo practice goal would be to play the instrument every day. A lot of musicians will hold themselves accountable to this type of goal by participating in the 100 days of practice challenge on Instagram.
If you don’t want to practice seven days a week, you might set a goal to practice five or six days. Then, you’ll have a day where you can take a break from the instrument without feeling like you won’t stick to your goal.
Either way, having a goal to practice regularly can help you work on your playing. You can even set smaller goals, such as to learn new techniques or pieces.
2. Practice X Minutes a Day or Week
Another great type of piccolo practice goal is a time-based goal. You can decide how many minutes or hours you want to practice the instrument each day or week.
Maybe you want to practice for half an hour six days a week. If you want more flexibility, you can set the goal to practice piccolo for three hours a week.
Think about your schedule and what you can manage. Then, you’ll be able to set the right goal for your needs. And you will be able to keep up with the plan you set for yourself.
3. Enter a Competition
If you really want to get yourself to practice, enter a competition on the piccolo. You can find competitions for the piccolo from smaller flute associations as well as the larger National Flute Association (NFA).
Competitions can be a great way to push yourself. Even if you don’t advance or win, entering a competition puts you out of your comfort zone. It also forces you to learn certain pieces that you may not have chose otherwise.
Leading up to the competition, you may need to practice a bit more. Then, you can reward yourself with a practice break after the competition. And you can celebrate the work you put in whether or not you win.
4. Join an Ensemble
Another fantastic piccolo practice goal is to join an ensemble as a piccolo player. You can aim to join a community or professional group, whichever makes sense for you.
Ensembles that have piccolo spots include orchestras, concert bands, and flute choirs. But you may find other chamber ensembles that are looking for a flute and piccolo player.
If there’s an audition, you can focus on that in your practice. And if there’s not an audition, your goal can be to practice for rehearsals. Then, you can enjoy playing with others.
5. Finish a Method Book
A different type of piccolo practice goal to set would be to finish a whole method book. You can also apply this to learning a piece of music.
It’s a very specific goal, and you can track your progress easily. When you achieve the goal, you’ll know. This can be a great goal if you’re still pretty new to the piccolo and want to improve your skills.
If you’re a more advanced player, learning a new piece can also be a worthwhile goal. Then, you’ll be able to keep getting better on the piccolo.
6. Have Fun
The world has had a long couple of years. If you’ve struggled to find the motivation to play, you may not want to set the goals I’ve suggested. But setting the goal to have fun can get you back to playing.
No, it’s not the most specific or measurable. However, it’s pretty attainable for most people. And once you do start having fun, you can work on other goals that will help you improve on the instrument.
If you want to get more specific, you can do that. Maybe you set the goal to learn a song from your favorite singer or movie. Then, you can look forward to practicing.
Which Piccolo Practice Goals Will You Set?
Setting piccolo practice goals is similar to setting any other kind of goal. You have to know where you are and what you want out of playing the piccolo.
So give some of these goal ideas a try. Then, you can work towards something and have fun at the same time.
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