Practice Makes Perfect...
How to Make the MOST Out of Your Practice Time
Practicing is about taking a piece apart and working on parts, before re-assembling the piece as a whole. Remember that there is much more to practicing than just playing, or running through, a piece. Here are some general guidelines for successful practicing.
1. Consistency is the key to progress. Put together a practice schedule so that there is no question as to when you will find time to practice.
2. Warm up: use scales, arpeggios or technical exercises, or spend a few minutes refreshing an “older” piece. Use this time to get into the practice mindset and help your fingers warm up.
3. Practice intelligently! Evaluate your mistakes and determine exactly why they are happening (is it a matter of understanding/memorizing the notes? Is there a fingering traffic jam? An uncomfortable, large leap?).
4. Practice creatively: take a challenging passage and change it up! Practice it at different tempos, or rhythms, dynamics, or articulations. Use the metronome to make sure the tempo is correct and even.
5. Practice slowly (REALLY slowly!), and if necessary, hands alone. This allows you to be more aware of all the elements that you are working on. There is SO much to think about - be patient with your ability to absorb and remember. (Hint: metronome!)
6. Use the “spackle” method: Bracket the specific issue and use practice techniques to allow you to fill in the hole of awareness. Keep working at it until it can be played correctly consistently (e.g. 10 times in a row!). Then backtrack and incorporate the couple of measures before and after it until the whole combination can be played multiple times correctly. Remember that it will take some time to set, and you will have to revisit it several times so that it blends in.
7. Use a musical dictionary to define terms. If the composer wrote it there, it’s a clue to help you play the piece better. Make sure you are aware of everything that is on the page.
8. If you encounter an issue, take time to work on it. Problems don’t go away on their own and it is much harder to correct something later on once it has solidified into a habit.
9. Can you hear what I hear? Try recording yourself (audio/video) and listening to the recording as if you were the teacher.
10. Have fun! Remind yourself that music is a gift you have been given, that during practice you are giving yourself the opportunity to explore, express, and focus.
1. Consistency is the key to progress. Put together a practice schedule so that there is no question as to when you will find time to practice.
2. Warm up: use scales, arpeggios or technical exercises, or spend a few minutes refreshing an “older” piece. Use this time to get into the practice mindset and help your fingers warm up.
3. Practice intelligently! Evaluate your mistakes and determine exactly why they are happening (is it a matter of understanding/memorizing the notes? Is there a fingering traffic jam? An uncomfortable, large leap?).
4. Practice creatively: take a challenging passage and change it up! Practice it at different tempos, or rhythms, dynamics, or articulations. Use the metronome to make sure the tempo is correct and even.
5. Practice slowly (REALLY slowly!), and if necessary, hands alone. This allows you to be more aware of all the elements that you are working on. There is SO much to think about - be patient with your ability to absorb and remember. (Hint: metronome!)
6. Use the “spackle” method: Bracket the specific issue and use practice techniques to allow you to fill in the hole of awareness. Keep working at it until it can be played correctly consistently (e.g. 10 times in a row!). Then backtrack and incorporate the couple of measures before and after it until the whole combination can be played multiple times correctly. Remember that it will take some time to set, and you will have to revisit it several times so that it blends in.
7. Use a musical dictionary to define terms. If the composer wrote it there, it’s a clue to help you play the piece better. Make sure you are aware of everything that is on the page.
8. If you encounter an issue, take time to work on it. Problems don’t go away on their own and it is much harder to correct something later on once it has solidified into a habit.
9. Can you hear what I hear? Try recording yourself (audio/video) and listening to the recording as if you were the teacher.
10. Have fun! Remind yourself that music is a gift you have been given, that during practice you are giving yourself the opportunity to explore, express, and focus.
Additional Reading:
https://www.libertyparkmusic.com/practice-piano-efficiently-tips-adult-pianist/
https://takelessons.com/live/piano/piano-practice-tips
https://www.flowkey.com/en/proven-piano-practice-tips
https://hub.yamaha.com/pianos/p-how-to/eight-great-tips-for-practicing-piano/
https://www.libertyparkmusic.com/practice-piano-efficiently-tips-adult-pianist/
https://takelessons.com/live/piano/piano-practice-tips
https://www.flowkey.com/en/proven-piano-practice-tips
https://hub.yamaha.com/pianos/p-how-to/eight-great-tips-for-practicing-piano/
Mental Practice: working AWAY from the piano!
Knowing how to use mental practice is important (EVEN when we have access to a piano for actual practice). It really helps solidify a deeper understanding of (and relationship with) the score, as opposed to simply the sound. It's crucial for memorization and confidence in performing!
https://bulletproofmusician.com/does-mental-practice-work/
https://bulletproofmusician.com/pettlep-a-7-point-how-to-guide-for-visualization/
https://bulletproofmusician.com/how-effective-is-mental-practice-for-memorizing-new-pieces/
https://bulletproofmusician.com/research-suggests-that-while-mental-practice-is-good-this-hybrid-approach-is-even-better/
https://medium.com/@jasperemmitt/how-to-practice-music-without-an-instrument-502948ead969
https://www.modacity.co/blog/the-critical-importance-visualization-music-practice/
https://www.thestrad.com/7-ways-to-harness-mental-practice-for-musicians/168.article
https://academic.oup.com/book/39104/chapter-abstract/338497298?redirectedFrom=fulltext
https://www.jstor.org/stable/3345182
https://www.jstor.org/stable/3345249
https://bulletproofmusician.com/does-mental-practice-work/
https://bulletproofmusician.com/pettlep-a-7-point-how-to-guide-for-visualization/
https://bulletproofmusician.com/how-effective-is-mental-practice-for-memorizing-new-pieces/
https://bulletproofmusician.com/research-suggests-that-while-mental-practice-is-good-this-hybrid-approach-is-even-better/
https://medium.com/@jasperemmitt/how-to-practice-music-without-an-instrument-502948ead969
https://www.modacity.co/blog/the-critical-importance-visualization-music-practice/
https://www.thestrad.com/7-ways-to-harness-mental-practice-for-musicians/168.article
https://academic.oup.com/book/39104/chapter-abstract/338497298?redirectedFrom=fulltext
https://www.jstor.org/stable/3345182
https://www.jstor.org/stable/3345249