Collegiate Instrumentalists’ Applications of Practice Strategies and Practice Motivation

The purpose of this descriptive research study was to examine collegiate instrumentalists’ applications of practice strategies and their motivation orientations to practice. Respondents ( N = 128) were music majors who enrolled in concert band or orchestra. Results indicated that pianists spent more time in practice followed by percussionists, brass, other instrumentalists (e.g., organ), woodwind, and string players. Collegiate instrumentalists used systematic practice strategies most frequently, followed by error correction techniques, using a metronome and listening to recordings, concentration control, analytic strategies, and the organization of practice sessions. In addition, collegiate instrumentalists were more motivated by intrinsic factors than extrinsic factors. Weekly practice hours were negatively correlated with Extrinsic Motivation: Avoid Failure, but positively correlated with Intrinsic Motivation: Growth. Implications for instrumental teaching and learning are discussed.