Playing a musical instrument is a complex task. Almost anyone could practice on a daily basis. But without guidance, there’s a good chance this practice won’t be beneficial in the long run. When a child learns to walk, for instance, he gets immediate feedback as to whether he’s doing something […]
There are no quick worthwhile results. Extreme amounts of repetition are necessary. Poor execution causes more harm than good. A stupid approach means years of frustration and wasted time. Each session is best planned in advance. Showing off is detrimental to real progress. More time is spent worrying than doing. […]
In my last post I discussed feedback loops in piano playing and their importance in cultivating physical awareness.* Now I'll try to give you an idea of how you can employ these ideas in your practice.I know that the last post might seem like a lot of information to keep […]
If you've read much of pianoblog.com or are one of my students, you know how important repetition is to me. What many people don't understand about practice, is that the last 10 or so percent is where the majority of improvement occurs. Repeating a section 10 times vs. 5 times […]
I’ve been talking with several students lately about what time of day they practice in. When do you practice? For me, the best time to practice is the time that will happen every day. Just like going to the gym, practice is something that can easily be put of just […]
In my first Piano for Adult Beginners post I listed several unique habits of successful piano students. In this post I’ll attempt to show how these habits can be used in practice. Habit: Successful Students are Ear Oriented Practice: Listen to recordings of what you are learning. Listen listen listen! […]
Something I’ve been noticing a lot recently is that people tend to mix up Practice Goals with Performing Goals. The goal in performing is to play the piece at the highest level possible. The goal in practicing is: to understand the piece as well as possible (including sound, theory, fingering, […]