Contents
- Music practice time statistics by instrument
- Music practice time statistics: daily practice at music universities
- Music practice time statistics: weekly practice frequency among advanced musicians
- Music practice time statistics: daily practice hours among advanced musicians
- Music practice time statistics: weekly practice and concert preparation in orchestras
- Sources
Music practice time statistics by instrument
A study of high-performing young musicians who entered Germany’s 2017 national Jugend musiziert contest reported weekly practice means across instrument groups. Values are hours:minutes per week, with each group’s participant count shown. The results describe this contest sample, not a recommended schedule or a general estimate for players. Source: High-Performing Young Musicians’ Playing-Related Pain, Table 3.
| Instrument | Participants (n) | Mean weekly practice |
|---|---|---|
| Piano | 208 | 10:50 |
| Violin | 131 | 09:57 |
| Harp | 34 | 09:20 |
| Viola | 27 | 08:45 |
| Cello | 79 | 08:41 |
| Trumpet | 54 | 06:49 |
| Guitar | 14 | 06:36 |
| Trombone | 21 | 05:57 |
| Bassoon | 30 | 05:56 |
| Horn | 45 | 05:52 |
| Accordion | 37 | 05:50 |
| Oboe | 21 | 05:32 |
| Clarinet | 70 | 05:15 |
| Percussion | 33 | 05:13 |
| Flute | 144 | 04:46 |
| Voice | 66 | 03:48 |
| Tuba | 25 | 03:24 |
| Saxophone | 31 | 03:05 |
Piano had the highest listed mean, at 10:50 hours:minutes per week. Violin and harp followed at 09:57 and 09:20. Saxophone had the lowest listed mean, at 03:05. These differences are descriptive of the instrument groups in this sample; they do not show that instrument choice determines practice time. Group sizes varied, from 14 guitar participants to 208 piano participants. Source: High-Performing Young Musicians’ Playing-Related Pain, Table 3.
The study describes practice-time distributions as right-skewed and notes that medians may better represent central tendency. A mean can be influenced by participants reporting particularly long practice times. The table reports means, so those are the figures shown here. Its findings apply to high-performing young musicians in a national contest, rather than to musicians generally. Source: High-Performing Young Musicians’ Playing-Related Pain, Table 3 and discussion of distributions.
Music practice time statistics: daily practice at music universities
A study of first-year students at German universities of music and UCLA reported mean daily practice time at the beginning (T1) and end (T2) of 2 academic years. Values are minutes per day; figures in parentheses are standard deviations. The sample size identifies the students represented in each group. Source: Practice behavior of first-year university music students, Table 2.
| Academic year and group | Sample size | T1, beginning (minutes/day) | T2, end (minutes/day) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018–2019, German music-university students (UMGer) | 34 | 134.3 (56.8) | 143.2 (58.0) |
| 2018–2019, UCLA students | 30 | 105.0 (39.8) | 97.5 (53.3) |
| 2019–2020, German music-university students (UMGer) | 30 | 147.0 (71.4) | 161.7 (68.8) |
| 2019–2020, UCLA students | 16 | 104.7 (52.4) | 80.6 (28.4) |
For German music-university students, the reported mean was higher at T2 than T1 in both academic years: 134.3 to 143.2 minutes per day in 2018–2019, and 147.0 to 161.7 in 2019–2020. UCLA’s mean was lower at T2 in both years: 105.0 to 97.5 minutes per day in 2018–2019, and 104.7 to 80.6 in 2019–2020. These comparisons describe measurements for each institution and year; they do not explain the differences. Source: Practice behavior of first-year university music students, Table 2.
Standard deviations show variation around each group mean. These are institution-specific samples, and the UCLA group in 2019–2020 included 16 students. T1 and T2 mean the beginning and end of the academic year. The 2019–2020 endpoint coincided with COVID-19 lockdown conditions, according to the study notes; these historical measurements should not be treated as current university practice norms. Source: Practice behavior of first-year university music students, Table 2 and definitions of T1 and T2.
Music practice time statistics: weekly practice frequency among advanced musicians
A survey of 300 advanced musicians from Brazil and Portugal asked how many days per week they practiced. The questionnaire was active from January 10 to May 7, 2021. These response categories measure frequency, not session length. Source: Attitudes in music practice, sample description and results.
| Self-reported practice frequency | Share of participants | Count where reported |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 2 days per week | 13.3% | Not reported |
| 3 to 4 times per week | 23.2% | Not reported |
| 5 to 6 days per week | 37.3% | 112 |
| Daily | 26.0% | 78 |
The largest reported frequency category was 5 to 6 days per week, at 37.3% (112 participants). Daily practice was reported by 26.0% (78 participants). Another 23.2% reported 3 to 4 practice days per week, while 13.3% reported 1 to 2 days. These are self-reported answers from the surveyed advanced musicians in Brazil and Portugal, not a general estimate for musicians or learners. Source: Attitudes in music practice, results, practice-quantity paragraph.
Frequency and duration describe different aspects of practice. A daily-practice response indicates how often someone practiced, but not how long a session lasted. The study reports daily duration separately. Source: Attitudes in music practice, results and Table 4.
Music practice time statistics: daily practice hours among advanced musicians
The same study reports how long the 300 advanced Brazilian and Portuguese musicians practiced per day. The table below reproduces its duration categories, counts, and percentages. One label is printed as “4–3 h”; it is preserved as printed because the table does not resolve the apparent reversal. Source: Attitudes in music practice, Table 4.
| Practice time per day, as printed | Respondents | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| <1 h | 48 | 16.0% |
| 1–2 h | 83 | 27.7% |
| 4–3 h | 80 | 26.7% |
| 3–4 h | 59 | 19.7% |
| > 4 h | 30 | 10.0% |
The largest listed category was 1–2 hours per day, with 83 respondents (27.7%). The printed “4–3 h” category included 80 respondents (26.7%), followed by the printed 3–4 hours category with 59 (19.7%). Less than 1 hour was reported by 48 (16.0%), and more than 4 hours by 30 (10.0%). These self-reported categories do not provide exact session lengths or a mean daily duration. Source: Attitudes in music practice, Table 4.
Because “4–3 h” is anomalous and unresolved in the published table, it should not be silently corrected or read as a confirmed interval. Preserving the label makes clear what was reported while keeping its count and share visible. The other ranges are grouped answers, not a complete account of each musician’s schedule. Source: Attitudes in music practice, Table 4.
Music practice time statistics: weekly practice and concert preparation in orchestras
A survey of professional and amateur orchestra musicians reported weekly averages for individual practice, rehearsal time, and practice for concerts. These are separate measures of activity and should be read separately. Standard deviations (SD) describe variation around the reported averages. Source: A Survey on Hearing Health of Musicians in Professional and Amateur Orchestras, results, “Noise Exposure” subsection.
| Weekly activity | Professional musicians (mean, SD) | Amateur musicians (mean, SD) |
|---|---|---|
| Individual practice | 8.6 hours (5.1) | 3.6 hours (3.7) |
| Rehearsal time | 15.2 hours (5.9) | 3 hours (2.3) |
| Practice for concerts | 7.1 hours (4.2) | 8 hours (1.4) |
For individual practice, professionals reported an average of 8.6 hours per week (SD = 5.1), compared with 3.6 hours for amateurs (SD = 3.7). For rehearsal, the professional average was 15.2 hours weekly (SD = 5.9), while the amateur average was 3 hours (SD = 2.3). Concert practice followed a different pattern: professionals reported 7.1 hours per week (SD = 4.2), and amateurs reported 8 hours (SD = 1.4). Source: A Survey on Hearing Health of Musicians in Professional and Amateur Orchestras, results, “Noise Exposure” subsection.
Across the measures, professional musicians reported higher averages for individual practice and rehearsal, while amateur musicians reported a higher average for practice for concerts. The figures concern the orchestra musicians surveyed. They describe distinct weekly activities and do not explain why the group averages differed.
Sources
- High-Performing Young Musicians’ Playing-Related Pain. Results of a Large-Scale Study
- Practice behavior of first-year university music students: thriving in unusual times
- Attitudes in music practice: a survey exploring the self-regulated learning processes of advanced Brazilian and Portuguese musicians
- A Survey on Hearing Health of Musicians in Professional and Amateur Orchestras