We all know that “practice makes perfect”. But the lesser known saying “practice makes permanent” is sometimes the truer of the sayings. Be intentional about your practice; time is being spent either way so might as well use it effectively 🙂 As a welcome back to the piano school year, here are a few useful practice tips to get you practicing!
key #1 Quality, not only quantity.
To become accomplished at anything, the amount of time spent on it is most important. However, incorrect practice can lead to more of a problem to fix later. So, where’s the balance? Set a time goal, then make sure good quality practice is present too. For example, Suzie has been playing piano for a few years now. She is quite comfortable at the piano, knows how to read music and translate it to playing it on the piano. Things she (and all pianists!) needs to be aware of while practicing:
- Posture. Be sure to sit tall, relax shoulders and wrists, and breathe.
- Technique. Identify the challenging sections in the music and ask, “what am I finding difficult and how do I fix it?” Is it my posture causing me trouble, do I need to relax my back and shoulders when I play fast? Do I need to practice the notes with different rhythms? Do I just need to become more familiar with the notes? Is the rhythm confusing, do I need to write in rhythm cues (1+2+, straw-berry, or ti-ti/ta-ta) or practice hands alone? Am I playing to fast, speeding up, slowing down when I should not be? Maybe try practicing with the metronome? Etc.
*Take away: be sure to set time goals for practice along with proper piano playing technique.
key #2 Consistency is key.
How are habits formed? Take a moment to thing about the things you do every day without really putting much thought or effort into. It becomes “normal” because we do certain things consistently. Practicing the piano is the same, it becomes “normal” when we practice consistently. The more we practice something over and over again, we create new pathways in our brain and for some reason, the more consistent we are, the pathway forms a lot faster than if we weren’t. Being consistent in piano practice also improves muscle memory, which is an important part for a musician to memorize large pieces of music. Some things to do to help create space for consistent practice:
- Set practice “reminders”.
- Make sure that the piano is easily accessible and music is organized and easy to find.
- Practice the same time each day, or many “short” practice sessions during the day.
*Take away: practice daily. Healthy practice habits are formed through consistent practice, along with good quality practice!
key #3 Set goals.
Always set goals. Wether you write them down or make mental notes, knowing what the practice session will consist of will help keep you on track as you practice. It will also keep you from “just playing through it”. Some practice goals include:
- How long you will practice for.
- What you will practice.
- Memorizing up to a certain measure in the music.
- Fixing wrong notes or rhythms.
- Adding dynamics.
- For new music, learning hands alone/together up to a certain measure.
- Practice scales, chords, and arpeggios at a certain tempo, aiming for connectedness in all the notes.
- Focusing on relaxed playing.
- Fixing posture.
- Etc.
*Take away: Always set practice goals. Not only will your playing improve, but you will have a game plan for each practice session. There are endless amounts of practice goals you can set for yourself, so know what you need to accomplish and go from there.
What to do now. . . show the piano some love by playing it! 🙂
Sugne's Music Studio 