Should musicians track their practice sessions like athletes do … what do you think?

General
1

Hey fellow musicians :wave:

I’ve been thinking about how we practice and get better as musicians. Staying consistent is really important, but it’s hard to see the progress in real-time.

So, I’m working on an app to help musicians log their practice, set goals, and stay motivated. Think of it like Strava, but for music – track your sessions, set goals, and keep yourself motivated :muscle::notes:

I’d love to hear your thoughts: How do you track your progress? Do you write it down, record yourself, or just go by feel?

Feel free to ask about the app if you’re curious!

2

Practice journals are pretty common, especially for beginners in classical music before more focused routines are established.

3

I’d totally love an app for this. I’ve tried logging with paper a few times but it’s so easy to lose, forget, or just not look at it. An app that lets you log your sessions, sends reminders, tracks streaks, and lets you set goals (like finishing a song) would be awesome.

4

There are actually apps out there that help with tracking your practice.

5

Levi said:
There are actually apps out there that help with tracking your practice.

There’s always room for a product that stands out in the market. Any recommendations for the person who posted this to check out?

6

@Harley
I use one called Practice Time.

7

Levi said:
@Harley
I use one called Practice Time.

Are there any downsides to it? How would you improve it?

8

Harley said:

Levi said:
@Harley
I use one called Practice Time.

Are there any downsides to it? How would you improve it?

I’d make it simpler and more user-friendly. It took some time to get used to. I’d prefer an easier way to pick what category or activity I want to log.

9

@Levi
Sounds good, I’d like something like that too :ok_hand:

10

It really does make a difference if you’re serious about learning pieces or techniques.

If you can improve on Andante, I’d be all for it. As much as I like it, I wish there was more space for details like note searching, rather than things like how ‘I’m feeling’ or ‘my focus’. The main reason for using a digital tracker over paper is to easily find what you were working on months ago. I also love that it syncs automatically between devices.

Andante app

11

Totally agree. I keep a log of every exercise I do, how long I do them, and how I think I did.

This helps me drop exercises I’m good at and add new ones.

12

I think it depends on the person. Some people are motivated by data, and some aren’t. Your app could be really helpful for those who like tracking data, but not for everyone.

13

I think u/jayron32 is right: it really depends on the person. For the ‘data-driven’ crowd, this could be useful. But it needs to be super simple, easy, and quick – you don’t want it to become something that feels like ‘practice’, but isn’t really. A lot of guitar players fall into the trap of obsessing over gear, watching too many YouTube videos, or over-planning their routines instead of just practicing.

EDIT: To answer the question – I mostly go by feel. I don’t do structured practice much (except in the beginning), I just play whenever I can and focus on what I need to improve.