What should I practice at the piano?
What to practice is the perennial question? Here are some of the thoughts gleaned from decades of personal practice and observing countless students.
If I can help, call me. David revised August 2022
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Winter is here, let's have some fun. David ![]()
You may sound more confident by simply playing louder. Try 10% louder to start. see what reaction your playing has on listeners. Another take on fake it to 'til you make it. Secondly, crescendo when the melody rises and diminuendo when it falls, unless the composition or arrangement says otherwise. This should help remove some of the timidity in your playing. Have fun. David Revised August 2022 Practice time is precious because of the myriad demands for our attention. Wasting it by messing around is counterproductive to our success. One illuminating solution, for more productive practice, is to know how we spend our time practicing. Do we carefully plan out our activities or do we run willy-nilly in all directions? It has been claimed that 90% of young music students play a piece through once, not even stopping to correct mistakes. Here is a way to find out where you stand. At your next practice record yourself on your phone. Later in the day listen back and ask yourself: 1. How did I spend my time? 2. How focused and methodical was I? 3. How did I sound? 4. What did I accomplish? 5. Did I meet my preplanned goal? For more on practice habits, as observed in the wild, check this out: (Http://www.escom.org/proceedings/ICMPC2000/Sun/McPherso.htm) If I can help you manage your time, call me. David Revised September 2022 Yesterday fourteen piano students got together in a jazz club and jammed with a bassist and drummer. What a blast!
Here is some feedback from students:
Next up February, Covid willing. If you'd like to join us, call me. David Revised September 2022 Breakfast piano minute is back for another round of videos. Please enjoy the peaceful piano music. Self-assessment is difficult because our minds play tricks on us. For more of the science of the dangers of self-assessment Google “Dunning-Kruger effect”. There are several tactics students can employ to overcome or at least minimize the “Dunning-Kruger effect”.
David Revised September 2022 What is practice math? Kim practices 10 minutes a day and Rachel puts in 60 minutes a day. …and a year goes by.
Now let’s compare experiences. Kim is having the time of his life, he’s learned a few pieces, played in a recital, showed off to his non-playing friends. Rachel is also having the time of her life, she’s learned a few pieces well, played in a recital to great family fanfare, and showed off to her non-playing friends. They are both a success. Everyone is happy, including the piano teacher, because there was clarity of purpose explicitly communicated by parents to the teacher and the child at the commencement of lessons. David Jamey Aebersold gave an illuminating demonstration this past summer on the importance of being able to skillfully play your instrument. He assembled students in the auditorium at University of Louisville. He then plucked one “lucky contestant/musician/newbie” to join him on stage. (The repeat campers knew what was coming and sat the back of the room). Jamey would then hand them a microphone and instruct them to sing/scat/hauler a jazz solo along with the jazz chords he would randomly play on the piano. Guess what? Everyone could scat. Some sang very well, others just so-so. But the consensus amongst the “singers” was that they could scat better than they could play. Hmmm. “So, the problem wasn’t in your head”, he said, “it’s in your hands”. He continued, “now go home, take lessons, practice like crazy and the jazz will be easier. You can hear the music; you just can’t execute.” (My paraphrasing) Jamey's second reveal, a thin repertoire is symptomatic of larger issues. One morning he asks the musicians, “How many of you can play 50 jazz standards from memory?” I enthusiastically raised my hand. Looking around the 250+ room there were very few hands joining me. "How many can play 25, 10, any?" (The overwhelming answer was zero.) Jamie’s 1st conclusion, it’s hard to play freely when your head is in a book. Jamie’s 2nd conclusion, trust yourselves to play without a book/sheet/app in front of you by starting with simple tunes like:
I can help you get started playing by ear. Please call me, David Revised September 2022 Jazz is primarily about rhythm and articulations, those tricky bits that are impossible to notate. Harmony is like math, fun for many and much easier to get your head around for most than rhythm and articulation. Or so beginners believe. But when the moment of truth arrives at a jam session theory goes mostly out the window and instinct kicks in. Adam Maness explores this theme in his video "Why do I still suck". Jorge Mabarak, on Facebook, puts it well, theory is a tool. I propose that rhythm is the key. And ear training is the secret. Here is a practice time breakdown that may work for you:
If I can help, please call me. David Revised September 2022 All I would add to these fine words is the following: do these things long before they are teens.
Good luck David Revised October 2022 "How do I play/teach swing rhythm?" The perennial question of non-swingers. The exercise below may be helpful. The video illustrates the concepts.
If I can be of help, contact me. David Revised September 2022
These ten activities will simplify the process of learning a new piece of music.
David Revised September 2022 Playing the piano well is not easy, but it is possible with time, effort, and focus. Click on the photo to enjoy the whole story.
David After the demonstration, I break it down. So....hang in there.
David ![]()
Number 3 is the saddest. “I tried teaching myself “. Trying to teach yourself from YouTube or some half-baked app is like trying to teach yourself to drive a car from YouTube. Let that sink in for a moment. A teacher will make you a plan, sequence the material for you, respond to your concerns, and inspire you. Number 1 and 4? " I have no talent; I have no rhythm." I take ballroom dance classes with my wife. She is a natural and trained dancer. I’ve no talent or rhythm. But I’m having fun every week. Nobody cares, not even my wife. We are having way too much fun dancing to worry about my lack rhythm or talent. If I can help you overcome the resistance, call me. David Story Revised September 2022
David Revised September 2022 My first demonstration of pedaling using the Midiculous software. Mark Pritchard is with Patricia Pritchard.
5 September at 10:20 · "One of my friends asked "Why do you pay so much money for your kid to play the piano”? Well I have a confession to make; I don't pay for my kid to play the piano. Personally, I couldn't care less about what instrument they play. So, what am I paying for? - I pay for those moments when my kid becomes so tired they want to quit but don't. - I pay for those days when my kid comes home from school and is "too tired" to do to their lesson but they go anyway. - I pay for my kid to learn to be disciplined, focused and dedicated. - I pay for my kid to learn to take care of her body and instrument. - I pay for my kid to learn to work with others and to be a good teammate, gracious in failure, and humble in success. - I pay for my kid to learn to deal with disappointment when she doesn’t get that recognition she’d hoped for, but still she goes back week after week giving it her best shot. - I pay for my kid to learn to make and accomplish goals. - I pay for my kid to respect, not only themselves, but their teachers and fellow young musicians. - I pay for my kid to learn that it takes hours and hours, years and years of hard work and practice to play beautifully and that success does not happen overnight. - I pay for my kid to be proud of small achievements, and to work towards long term goals. - I pay for the opportunity my kid has and will have to make life-long friendships, create lifelong memories, to be as proud of her achievements as I am. - I pay so that my kid can be creating something beautiful instead of sitting in front of a screen... ...I could go on but, to be short, I don't pay for piano playing; I pay for the opportunities that learning to play provides my kid with to develop attributes that will serve her well throughout her life and give her the opportunity to bless the lives of others. From what I have seen so far I think it is a great investment!" Here is the sport's version: “Why do you pay so much money for your kids to do all their sports”? – Wisconsin Wrestling Online (wiwrestling.com) David Revised October 2022 ![]() I. Dust off your instrument. 2. Watch some YouTube concerts featuring pianists playing the music you love. 3. Find your metronome. 4. Read some inspiration material about folks like yourself who have succeeded. 5. Start noodling on the piano. Review some old favorites. Explore some new music. Dream. 6. Plan practice time in your schedule to succeed. The happiest students know what they want, why they want it. They've made time for it, and stuck with it. Come join us. David. Jane is learning how to play chords to her favorite pieces. This is how I've recommended she spend her time. Practice time breakdown 25% scales and chords with metronome at various tempos 25% review of old work 25% new pieces 25% sight reading tunes off the internet. Notice the search terms in the image below. Click on images and viola things to practice. David October 2022 Update: Jane is still in lessons. She is currently learning how to create and play walking bass lines in jazz standards. Revised October 2022 Keeping a positive attitude on the piano bench, when the going gets tough, is a perennial dilemma for us all. I found the following activities helpful on my learning journey as a percussionist. (I took up the study of percussion at age 50 on a dare from a piano student)
David Revised October 2022 3 Mini-shorts Breakfast piano minute |
You've got to learn your instrument. Then, you practice, practice, practice. And then, when you finally get up there on the bandstand, forget all that and just wail. AuthorI'm a professional pianist and music educator in West Toronto Ontario. I'm also a devoted percussionist and drum teacher. Categories
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