Wynton Marsalis’ Rules of Practice

1. Seek out Private Instruction
2. Write out a practice schedule. Practice fundamentals of your instrument.
3. Set goals to chart your development
4. Concentrate when practicing. If you can’t concentrate, stop and come back later.
5. Relax; Practice Slowly. Play it at a slow temp, then increase the tempo each day.
6. Practice the hard things longer
7. Play everything with expression. Use the maximum of expression. Always invest yourself; participate. Don’t be a cynic.
8. Don’t be too hard on yourself. If you make a mistake, it’s not the end off the world. You learn from your mistakes. Also, develop your sound; allow your personality to come through. Work on special effects. Listen to good sounds.
9. Don’t show off; always play music. Those who play for applause, that’s all they get.
10. Think of yourself. Methods are just a way to do things. You may think of better ways.
11. Be optimistic. How you feel about living in the world is who you are. There’s nothing worse than pessimism coming through your instrument. Things will get better.
12. Look for connections to other things. No matter what you’re doing, everything is connected.