Beyond "Just Practice": How to Make Every Piano Session Count.

👉 Guidelines to help students practice with focus, discipline, and musical intention.

Are the following pieces of advice a motivation for practicing? 🎹

Students may hear from a teacher: “practice, practice, it makes you perfect” or “perfect practice makes it perfect”, “go home (room) and practice”, “just practice more."

1. Create a practice log or journal (write it by hand or on iPad or iPhone). Monitor daily how much time you spend practicing the piano. Practicing every day will give you the benefits of discipline, and skipping one day and practicing several hours on another day may not. Set up a daily time practice goal, for example, two hours, and stick to it. Be consistent!

2. Set a goal for which pieces you want to learn and improve. Remember that playing pieces through several times is not practicing. Focus on one or two pieces per day and master sections.

   
   

3. Before your practice sessions, warm up your fingers on scales, arpeggios, or studies. 15-20 minutes. During your practice session, when you notice you think about something else, take a break, stretch, practice breathing exercises, and, if possible, take a short walk outside. According to my experience, it will help you focus and concentrate better. Try to avoid distractions, for example, looking at electronic devices. Focus. Rest your mind. Practice without distractions and avoid automatic practice.

4. When you practice your pieces, look carefully at the teacher’s written directions, marks in the score, and recall comments and remarks during a lesson. Incorporate it in your practice sessions.

   
   

5. Study the musical score, dynamics, articulation, fingerings, and pedal—all those matter when you perform. Learn musical expressions from the very beginning; do not leave it at the end.

6. Memorization for any public concert is mandatory. Start memorizing the piece once you learned it well, and you “have it all under your fingers.” Step by step: start with small sections and expand to larger ones. Number the sections in the piece, then start from different numbers until you know it perfectly, with no memory slips. Repeat and repeat daily. Visualize the piece in your mind, from the beginning to the end.

   
   

7. In the final stages of learning the piece, start recording yourself and listening to yourself. Ask yourself questions: Would I play this opening differently? Perhaps more with a soft pedal? Experiment with different sounds, touch, and expressions.

8. Before a recital, jury, audition, or any performance, play for your family and peers and ask for their comments. You will be surprised by what a comment or suggestion can make a positive difference. If you still feel anxiety, for example, learn breathing techniques to calm nerves down, or practice yoga or meditation. Once your performance anxiety shakes out, you will play with confidence and assurance, and deliver an excellent, satisfying performance!

   Thank you for reading my blog.

   Dr. Kamilla Szklarska

   
   

   

   Beyond "Just Practice"