• Always work to a plan
• Know what needs to be achieved in each practice time
• Small sections practised slowly and thoroughly are always more successful than longer passages given less care
• Sometimes begin with the 'difficult bits' rather than starting at the beginning
• Vary the work to avoid boredom, having other, perhaps easier, pieces to hand
• Sometimes practise playing straight through, noticing the trouble spots and returning to them later
• Be aware of the pulse - it's dangerously easy to slow up for awkward corners
• Know when to stop. Focused work for a short period is better than playing through for longer
• Perfect practice makes perfect!
• What you can't play slowly you can't play fast
• The only way to learn to sight read is to sight read
• Pedal with your ears! (Generally applies to pianists only for obvious reasons)
• Enjoy what you play - a varied diet is essential
• When you've finished listening - listen some more!
• If you get stuck - stop - come back again later and try again.
• Fill every minute’s practice with 60 seconds of concentration
• Practise in small chunks
• Practise the whole ‘performance’ experience – play your exam pieces to friends and family so you experience a few nerves and learn how to cope with them
• Stop practising if you feel any physical discomfort or pain.

Source: ABRSM