Journaling Your Practice Routine: Why It Helps Every Musician

Taylor Fends
Jul 10
3 min read

Whether you play piano, flute, drums, or any instrument in between, one of the most overlooked tools for progress is a simple notebook. Or, even better—a practice journal designed specifically for musicians.

Journaling your practice routine isn’t just about keeping track of what you did. It’s about discovering patterns, setting meaningful goals, staying accountable, and celebrating your progress. It can turn a scattered practice session into a focused one, and over time, it helps you become the kind of musician who doesn’t just play more, but plays better.

🎯 What Is Practice Journaling?

At its core, practice journaling means writing down what you worked on, how it went, and what your goals are for next time. It can include:

Warm-ups
Specific exercises
Pieces or songs
Technical goals (ex: play this passage cleanly at 100 bpm)
Reflections on what felt easy, hard, confusing, or exciting
Next steps

You can do it in a blank notebook—or use a guided journal like the Musician's Addition Practice Book, which includes dedicated pages for tracking each session, setting weekly goals, and recording achievements.

Musician's Addition Practice Book

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🧠 Why Practice Journaling Works

1. Focuses Your Time

Without a plan, it’s easy to waste time noodling or jumping from piece to piece. Journaling gives you a game plan. You know exactly what you want to work on each session, and that focus leads to faster growth.

2. Tracks Your Progress

You might not notice your progress day-to-day, but your journal will. When you look back and see that you once struggled to play something you now play with ease, it’s incredibly motivating.

3. Improves Self-Awareness

Writing things down helps you notice patterns. Are you always avoiding a certain technique? Do you tend to rush during certain tempos? Journaling brings awareness, and awareness brings improvement.

4. Builds Accountability

If you’re studying with a teacher, a practice journal helps them see what you’ve been working on. If you’re self-taught, it keeps you accountable. You’re less likely to skip practice if you’ve made a habit of logging it.

5. Encourages Goal Setting

When you set micro-goals (like nailing a tricky rhythm or increasing your scale speed), you’re more likely to achieve them. Writing goals down makes them real, and crossing them off feels great.

✏️ What Should You Include in a Practice Journal?

You can keep it simple or get detailed depending on your style. Here's a sample entry format:

Date: July 9, 2025
Warm-up: Long tones, C Major scale (2 octaves)
Focus Piece: Etude No. 3 – worked on bars 12–24
Struggles: Finger transitions in bar 18
Wins: Nailed that tricky 5/4 measure by slowing it down
Next time: Start with bar 18 and loop it, then run the full section
Feeling: Proud; starting to see real improvement

The Musician’s Addition Practice Book provides a clean, structured layout for all of this and includes extra space for musical notes, tempo markings, and reflections. It’s designed with real musicians in mind, whether you're prepping for auditions, playing for fun, or anywhere in between.

🎁 Bonus Tip: Use Color Coding or Stickers

Especially helpful for younger students or visual learners—highlight wins, goals, or tough sections. The more personal you make your journal, the more likely you are to stick with it.

🚀 Ready to Get Started?

You don’t need to wait for January 1st to start a new habit. Begin your next practice session with intention by grabbing your Musician’s Addition Practice Book. You'll feel more focused, motivated, and ready to conquer your musical goals—one entry at a time.