🎻 Music School Lesson: The Power of Recording Yourself

By iServalan – Music Mentor, Podcaster, and Educator

Hello musicians, and welcome back to iServalan Music School!

Today’s session is short but powerful — we’re talking about why recording yourself is one of the most valuable tools you have as a musician, no matter what stage you’re at.

🎙 Why Recording Yourself Changes Everything

Even if you’ve just started — squeaky strings, clunky piano notes, timing all over the place — recording yourself helps you grow faster.

Here’s why:

You hear what your brain misses while playing.
When you’re concentrating, you might not notice that one note is consistently sharp or flat. Listening back makes it crystal clear.
It builds awareness of timing.
Because you’re not busy playing, you can hear whether you’re rushing, dragging, or falling out of rhythm.
It helps you diagnose technical issues.
You can spot weak fingers on the piano, a lazy bow arm on strings, or heavy thumbs that are making notes thud.
You progress faster.
I genuinely believe this can halve the time it takes to master your instrument compared to someone who never listens back.

📱 How to Do It Without Overwhelm

Don’t feel you have to record your entire practice session. Instead:

Practice as usual – maybe 10–15 minutes on scales or a section of a piece.
Choose a short passage – something you struggled with or want to check.
Hit record on your phone – just a 30–60 second clip.
Listen back immediately – follow along with your finger and notice where things go wrong.

You’ll start to spot patterns. “Oh, I always go sharp when I cross strings.” or “I rush when I get to this tricky bar.”
This is the beginning of real mastery.

🎧 Understanding Phone Recordings

Your phone is not a professional studio — and that’s fine.

Phone mics compress sound. They make everything the same volume, cut out reverb, and lose some of the natural richness.
That’s actually useful. It keeps the focus on your tuning, timing, and articulation — the parts that matter most right now.
Later, invest in good mics. If you want better quality for sharing online, a pair of condenser mics can make a huge difference.

🎻 String Players: What to Listen For

Intonation: Are your open strings in tune? If not, everything else will be off.
Bow control: Are you perpendicular to the strings, or do you hear scratchy sounds?
Weight: Too heavy at the frog? Too light at the tip? Recording reveals this.
Gear check: Bad strings or worn-out bow hair can sabotage your sound — and you’ll hear it on playback.

Try playing a whole tune on just one string and compare how it sounds on a different string — you may discover which strings need upgrading.

🎹 Pianists: Your Ears Are Your Teacher

Even though pianos are pre-tuned, you’ll still learn a ton from listening back:

Lazy fingers: Which ones always play too softly?
Heavy hands: Are some notes too loud?
Missed notes: Watch for hand position and directional accuracy.

🏆 Practice Challenge

Today’s challenge:

Pick a piece you know well (Twinkle Twinkle Little Star if you’re doing Suzuki Book 1).
Record just one verse on your phone.
Listen back and write down:
1. One thing you liked.
2. One thing to improve.
3. A specific plan for your next practice (e.g., work on open string tuning, slow down the crossing section, practice bow weight).

Do this every practice for one week. I guarantee you’ll see results.

🎹 What’s Next

Tomorrow we’re diving into piano and cello, starting with Suzuki Book 1’s Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.
We’ll focus on using the whole bow and staying relaxed while producing a beautiful sound.

📚 Extra Resources

🔗 Free & Premium Memberships
Want the organized, written version of this lesson (without my rambling)? Lesson plans, teacher notes, and bonus material are available for members.

Visit iservalan.com → Music School section
Or join via iServalan on Gumroad

Your practice can become more focused and effective starting today!

0 comments

Write a comment

Introducing The iServalan™ Poster Shop (Digitalia)

Why Your Best Music Might Come From Doing Less (in the production studio that is) by iServalan

⭐ START HERE — Welcome to The Tale Teller Vault™

📰 Tale Teller Club Dispatch – September Issue

Sarnia de la Maré FRSA British Artist

See all posts from 🔸iServalan Digitalia Production Studio🔸