How to Practice the Piano

First Order of Business:

The ability to play the piano cannot happen in one day. Not possible. It is a matter of consistency. Every day getting familiar with the piano, and each piece individually. If one gets very, very familiar with a piece (notes, fingering, articulation, dynamics, phrasing, tempo), you check it off that week. But that cannot be done in one day. Never. I have students try, thinking that they can learn everything the day of the lesson, but within two lines, I know the truth.

Consistency.

And, sometimes, to practice, a person just needs to first go sit down at the piano! By just sitting, the "hard part" is over.

Practice Expectations Each Day:

Parents should hear steady, slow practice, and three times through a piece. They should also hear some counting out loud and metronomes running, especially in the days following the lesson. And once in a while, just ask, “Are your nail joints round?,” and say, “Keep a steady beat,” and ask, “Are your fingers playing the piano?” They will know exactly what you mean!

Each piece should be played through a minimum of three times a day, six days of the week (five days if things are bad, understanding family trips that might make practicing impossible). The greater the number of runs through a piece, the greater the familiarity with each piece by the end of the week. This is a basic truth.

I sometimes see that students are at the piano, but they are not thinking about what is in front of them. Three times through a piece will not do any good if they are not mentally present!  To bring focus, counting out loud helps. Naming some notes out loud can help, too.

Some things you should see and hear:

1). Counting out loud verbally (fairly loudly), and use of the metronome.
2). Good technique! Each student knows what this means:

   A. Nail joints round at all times while playing, fingers playing the piano. No arms playing the piano! You know the arm is trying to play the piano by dragging the fingers into the keys if you can see it moving up and down at the wrist while the student is playing. Very bad sound results from this. Fingers fire one at time, and with tiny explosions of power.

   B. Relaxed elbows. Fingers can fire freely if the elbows are relaxed.


3). Keep eyes on the page while playing pieces.


A Very, Very Important Note About Counting Out Loud.

I have come to a conclusion:

One time playing a piece all the way through while counting out loud is equal to three days of practice! 

I come to this conclusion by watching the students and the results of their practice in the lessons. Students will play wrong things, which they practiced all week that way. To fix it, I have them count out loud while playing the problem area. It is fixed instantly! Instantly! It fixes wrong counting and wrong notes. It is a very powerful tool which, if used, will cause pieces to be checked off very fast, and familiarity with pieces to be greatly increased!

Listen for the occasional counting out loud, parents!

Tempos to practice at:

When a piece is new, I really expect that the tempo (speed) is going to be VERY slow for the first three or four days. (Students differ. Some can handle it just slow, some need to start slower. If the playing is confused with stopping and starting, it needs to go slower!). I also expect the student to be counting out loud during this time! It is extremely important to count out loud, especially when the piece is new! Extremely!! Playing a piece is complicated, and the brain needs the pianist to go VERY slowly at first to figure out everything that needs to happen. Counting out loud makes the mind take account of every note and every rhythm in the piece. (It actually corrects wrong notes!) The result of this kind of practice? Learning it very fast and accurately! Sometimes a piece is easier, so the speeding up happens sooner. Most of the time, it takes starting slow and bringing it up to speed slowly.

This is very meticulous and feels like a burden. But the results are wonderful.

In levels 1-2B, practice should take about 25-30 minutes. In levels 3A through 3B, about 40 minutes. In levels 4 and up, 40 minutes to an hour, as these are longer, harder pieces.

Again, parents should hear steady, slow practice, and three times through a piece. They should also hear some counting out loud and metronomes running, especially in the days following the lesson. And once in a while, just ask, “Are your nail joints round?,” and say, “Keep a steady beat,” and ask, “Are your fingers playing the piano?” They will know exactly what you mean!

Thank you so much, and keep up the good work!