Knowledge Bank

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationships between the observed practice behaviors, self-reported practice habits, and musical performance achievement of high school string players. This study is a replication and extension of a similar study by Miksza (2007). Participants were video recorded practicing an adaptation of Miksza’s etude on three consecutive days for 25 minutes. Participants performed the etude before and after each practice session to serve as a pre- and posttest. At the end of each session, participants self-reported their practice efficiency. Participants self-reported their home practice habits via a survey following the posttest on the third day. Performances were evaluated using objective and subjective measures, and videos of practice sessions were analyzed to determine frequency counts of practice behaviors. Self-reported practice habits indicated that participants practiced very infrequently and for relatively short durations. The strategies repeat measure and repeat section had the highest mean frequency counts, with other behaviors observed much less. Significant relationships were found between some observed strategies and performance (repeat section, segmentation, slowing, use of metronome, and playing duration). Performance was also significantly related to self-reports of practice duration and frequency. Participants taking private lessons received significantly higher performance ratings throughout the study. Participants’ ratings of daily practice efficiency were highly correlated with their Day One performance; the strength of these relationships decreased each day. The results of this study have several important implications for music teachers and provide insights into the practice habits of high school string players.