Practice Pointers

I have vivid memories of practicing the piano in the dark hours of the morning growing up. I would set the twist dial timer, the kind you could hear tick down the seconds until it would give out its piercing ring, and I would begin. I will admit that there were days that I would cheat. I would fast forward the dial half way through my lesson, and depending on my mom's attitude that morning, she would or would not call me on the carpet about my cheating.

Those were the early years. Then piano clicked for me and I wanted to practice for me. I found that with more practice, the lessons were more fast paced and I could get more music under my belt to practice. I also found that the speed in which I could go through music increased, and it was always fun to get new books in the genre that I loved. My sight reading improved dramatically, and I was really having fun.

But until I could get to that level, I had to go through the mandatory practice expectations of my parents and my teacher. I would not have ventured on my own to the piano in the early years, but I am grateful that my parents expected it of me in order to travel the road to a better quality piano experience, and ultimately becoming a better player.

I encourage parents and students to set a specific time of the day to practice piano. Sometimes it takes consistency in one's schedule to make it work.  Whether it is before school, the first thing done upon coming home from school, or the last thing accomplished before bedtime - there usually is a time of day that is consistent enough for each student to insert piano time.

The amount of time to practice is up to the student. How much do they want to get out of their lessons, their books, their learning?  It will also depend on the level of the piano student. A beginner will certainly not have enough items to practice for 30 minutes, whereas an intermediate or advanced student should have enough music to last 30 or more minutes.

Practice time is not just about playing the music, but playing sections of the music and fine tuning technique. Not only should the notes be consistently accurate, but the phrasing, dynamics, and beat should be as well.  Putting it all together takes time, and practice.

I found this quote during an informational parent-student meeting when my daughter was joining 5th Grade Band. It reads: Practice only on the days you eat. That makes me smile.