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Ten Commandments for a Good Music Practice

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Reports are surfacing about a recent archeological discovery in the Middle East involving a heretofore unknown second ten commandments. The passage evidently immediately follows the reciting of the Commandments in the fifth chapter of the book of Deuteronomy.

The discovered text reportedly reads as follows:

And after Moses had presented the tablets with the commandments of the Lord to the Hebrew children he reached into his back pocket and pulled out two more tablets of stone. And he spake further.

And the Lord God has given me two more tablets of stone, on which he has written his precepts especially for those who would praise him with song, instructing them in the ways of proper practice.

And Moses read:

I. THOU SHALT HAVE A PLAN BEFORE THOU STARTEST PRACTICING. II. THOU SHALT WARM UP THOROUGHLY BEFORE THOU STARTEST THINE EXERCISES. III. THOU SHALT NOT ONLY PLAY THE EASY STUFF, BUT SHALT SPEND TIME ON THAT WHICH THOU NEEDEST TO IMPROVE. IV. THOU SHALT TRULY LISTEN TO WHAT THOU PLAYEST, RATHER THAN SIMPLY PLAYING WITHOUT INTEREST. V. THOU SHALT NOT EXPECT THINE PRACTICES TO BE PERFECT. VI. THOU SHALT NOT CRITICIZE THYSELF OVERLY HARSHLY DURING THE PRACTICE, NOR TAKE THE NAME OF THINE INSTRUMENT OR THINE MUSIC TEACHER IN VAIN WHEN THINGS DON’T GO THE WAY YOU HOPED! VII. THOU SHALT PUT IN THE TIME THAT IS NECESSARY. VIII. THOU SHALT NOT NEGLECT SPENDING SOME TIME TO HAVE FUN WITH YOUR INSTRUMENT DURING EVERY SINGLE PRACTICE. IX. THOU SHALT RECORD THINE PROGRESS IN SOME SORT OF JOURNAL. X. THOU SHALT PROPERLY PUT AWAY THINE INSTRUMENT, THINE SHEET MUSIC AND ALL THINE OTHER STUFF WHEN THINE PRACTICE TIME IS OVER. IF THOU FOLLOWEST MINE INSTRUCTIONS THOU SHALT SING WITHOUT SCREECHING, PLAY WITHOUT SQUAWKING, AND SHALT CAUSE THINE NEIGHBORS TO TAP THEIR TOES WITH SMILES UPON THEIR FACES.

Some noted Biblical scholars have expressed doubt that this second set of commandments actually appeared in the original writings. But others have indicated that the Lord would undoubtedly have commanded musicians to practice before playing to Him. And they insinuated that the big, fluffy white clouds we see floating in the sky are actually giant cotton balls the Lord removes from His ears when practice time is over. 

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About the Author

Arthur Haule studied violin in a traditional program for ten years. He participated in several orchestras in the New York City area and founded a string quartet. He has taken part in several music festivals and even acted as a violin coach. He is currently webmaster of www.ViolinStudent.com.

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