Hi gang! Sorry for the lack of updates. My Wordpress upgrade went wonky and everything was down for a while, but we're back with new practice tips and tricks. The key to making progress with any activity is frequency. That's why dance, sports and martial arts groups train three or more times a week.
As a musician, a lot of that training has to be done at home, mostly on your own. You need to manage your practice routine - an not just because you don't want your parents or your music teacher nagging you about it. You have to want to get better, which means that you need a practice plan and a practice schedule.
Here are some websites I've tracked down with some tips on setting up a practice routine, as well as some sites that have practice logs:
Establishing Good Practice Habits (FYI: He's right - practice your arpeggios!)
Making the Best Use of Limited Practice Time
Music Practice Schedule Template
The Power of a Practice Schedule
The Musician's Way - Downloads (I think I'm going to try out the Practice/Creativity Log)
Now if you're an aural learner, that is you learn by listening, then record your practices regularly and review them. If you're a visual learner, record a video of yourself. It's as easy as grabbing your smartphone, tablet, camera or iPod Touch.