Long notes
Pick one note from the key and hold it for a whole bar. Move to a different note on the next bar. Listen to how each note sits against the chords.
Call and response
Play a short phrase, then leave the same amount of silence. Answer your own phrase with a slightly different one.
Arpeggios
Play the notes of the chord one at a time, slowly. Follow the chord changes if you can hear them, or stay on the key’s main chord.
Rhythm only
Mute the strings or tap the keys on one note. Lock into the beat and ignore pitch for a whole track.
Three-note melodies
Write a melody using only three notes. Repeat it, then change one note.
Dynamics
Play the same phrase quietly, then louder, then quietly again. The track stays the same; your expression changes.
Speed ladder
Loop a four-bar section at 60 percent, then 70, 80, 90 and 100. Notice what you change as it gets faster.
Record and listen
Record one take a day. A week later, listen to the first one and the last one.
Quick answers
How long should a session be?
Fifteen to thirty minutes of relaxed playing beats an hour of tense playing.
What if I only know a few notes?
That is plenty. Calm tracks reward simple playing.
