5 Tools That Make Me a Better, Happier, More Consistent Musician
Let’s be real—sticking to a consistent practice routine can be tough, even when you love music. Sometimes the biggest hurdle isn’t finding time… it’s getting comfortable, focused, and in the right headspace to actually enjoy it.
Over my years of practice, I’ve found a handful of tools that make my practice sessions run smoother, be more productive, and, most importantly, become a routine I look forward to and enjoy. These aren’t Marshall stacks or Steinway pianos—they’re simple things that just work.
Links to these amazing tools are attached to the names on the list. Using these links helps support this blog through affiliate commissions—your support is greatly appreciated!
Korg TM-70 Tuner and Metronome
Starting this list off very strong, as this is one of my favorite musical gadgets, and I have sworn by this little multi-tool for years. I would say something that is an essential part of any practice space is some sort of metronome, and with this digital device, it allows you to customize to many different degrees to optimize your practice time. In addition, it has a built-in tuner, which is another essential part of any practice space. Included in the tuner is a pitch pipe, which can be helpful to use as a drone for multiple uses during practice. There are many ways to customize your experience with the device: microphone, ¼ inch input, backlight, stand built-in.
There is an official term for this type of device: all that and a bag of chips.
Manhasset Model 48 Symphony Music Stand
There is a huge market for music stands, and instinctively, most people would not think twice about buying the standard $15 special at the local music store. This is the standard collapsible music stand, and for some music students this would be ideal—especially when travel is a priority. If not, or if it's in your budget for something more comfortable, I can’t recommend this Manhasset Model 48 enough. This is what you find at most classical or musical theater orchestras—very likely sitting in your local band or choir room as well. No need to tighten or loosen bolts or knobs to adjust the height of the stand. No need to worry about it tipping over and your music being thrown everywhere. This stand is built like a tank and is designed for one-handed operation. Superior. I’ve had the same one for over 10 years—buy now and never stress about buying a music stand again.
YETI 36 oz. Rambler Bottle with Chug Cap
This one is a simple one in my head. Hydration is a vital part of living a healthy lifestyle, which directly relates to doing any physical activity—including, and especially, performing music. Water naturally adds to the lubrication in our joints and can make you a more efficient and better musician. I was not a huge water drinker myself, but having a high-quality water bottle inspires me to drink more water and, in turn, stay hydrated.
I’ve gone through about every size of Yeti in their collection and found the 36 oz. is perfect for me. It’s large enough to hold an amount of water that doesn’t need to be refilled constantly, while also not being humongous and heavy to carry. The most helpful part is that it holds exactly 2 standard plastic water bottles you’d get in a case at the supermarket. Easy to refill that way if a water cooler or Brita is not accessible.
Staples Emerge Vortex Bonded Leather Ergonomic Gaming Chair
So this one might seem a bit odd off the bat. Why would you use a gaming chair to practice music? Isn’t that inefficient?
I went through the hunt for a good chair like many people during the COVID pandemic. This was a few months into the pandemic, and I was finishing my undergrad remotely and was curating my optimal practice space to do this. One major piece was missing that I never quite thought intently about: the chair. I had shopped around for multiple chairs specifically for practicing music and ran into two problems: underbuilt or overpriced. They either did not offer very much comfort or quality, or they were designed with the space-age design of NASA and cost an absurd amount (probably worth it, but like many, I was struggling financially during the pandemic and simply did not have the money). I sat down and listed all the things I wanted in a chair:
Comfortable (especially in the tookis department)
Offered back support (bonus points if it had a headrest)
Able to adjust height
Wheels
Armrests that could be raised and lowered as needed
Could double as a chair for rest and leisure
After a bit of research, I found this chair that seemed to fit all the criteria and at a price that worked for me. It ended up being the perfect chair for me. I recommend this chair because this is what worked—more importantly—for me. You may have different criteria or things that you may want out of a chair, but I think the criteria I used to find this chair covers a lot of ground for any musician.
GraphGear 1000 Automatic Drafting Pencil (0.9mm)
Whether you are reading through a book, annotating notes from your lessons, or struggling through a difficult piece, having a pencil—or sometimes multiple pencils—nearby is essential. Those of us who use normal pencils that need to be sharpened know how annoying it is to keep a sharp point at all times and to keep sharpening them. When I was in my undergrad, I got fed up with this almost instantly. When I took Harmony II, my instructor gave the class a specific list of supplies needed for the class, and one of them was a 0.9 mm mechanical pencil. This one was recommended because this was the exact size used by composers and arrangers in Hollywood when writing out physical scores. I thought that was very cool knowledge, but it got me thinking after I saw all my colleagues bringing plastic mechanical pencils into class. Isn’t there anything a little more premium? Something that will make the experience of writing pages upon pages of harmony notes and homework better?
That’s what led me down the rabbit hole of different types of mechanical drafting pencils, until I eventually landed on the GraphGear 1000 Automatic Drafting Pencil. I remember my harmony teacher taking notice of this pencil and summarizing his feelings in one word: “Impressive.” My thoughts exactly. I never got sick of using this pencil, and I still have my original one to this day—almost 10 years later.
Want help creating a practice plan that works for you? Book a lesson with me here!
