Practice Tips that Every Student Should Know!

• Practices should be a planned activity for a particular time of day. The same time every day usually helps with continuity, instead of trying to “fit it in.”  If your child is operating on the latter premise, you will most likely find that he/she gets to the end of the day, and then it’s too late, or there is too much homework, and practice gets missed.  In light of this, I would suggest right after school since they’ve been in an academic setting all day, and music will provide a refreshing break from this or some kids like to practice first thing in the morning when they are fresh.

• Create a Sanctuary. Try to limit distractions such as noise, TV, devices, interruptions from other family members or siblings.

• Shorter practices 4-5x a week are better than fewer longer practices.  Our bodies and minds tend to remember things we practice better when we hit them multiple times rather than cramming everything in at once.  A practice chart is always useful and can apply some incentive. If they know they receive a special seal of excellence when they complete the week or a particular piece, it also helps them keep a record and celebrate their achievement.  Students really enjoy checking things off their list and keeping track and It is a wonderful way for them to learn the discipline it takes to succeed at anything they might choose to pursue in the future!

• Impress upon them how important it is that they practice their book pieces and scales every day and then choose 1-2 pieces off the bonus list for extra practice. This could be a sheet music piece or a piece they know by ear.  This will allow them to achieve a variety of repertoire without trying to get through the entire list everyday. If list is too long, it might discourage them, and at some point they might simply have too many songs to manage it. But with that said, I do stress that they do need to hit a little bit of everything, not just the pieces they like to play. 😉  Again, a review chart can really come in handy, and help the kids keep track of what they reviewed already.

• Make a game of it! I always tell my students that they can make their practice as fun or as boring as they want. Having them choose the order, or create challenges for themselves add spice to a regular routine. I’ve had kids come up with whole board games before to use during practicing, and don’t discount how much they are processing their knowledge to do these things. They end up teaching themselves as they reinforce things that were covered in their lesson in new ways.

• What to do when practicing gets interrupted for special events: Out of town or traveling?  Have your child practice “away from the piano” by tapping the rhythm of songs, singing, or identifying the notes, or listening to their pieces!  This is another very valuable form of practice. You might even be able to find a piano in a hotel that they are not using or request one ahead of time. It’s important to plan fun time and down time too, but what better way to prove to your child how important an activity is, then by doing a little even on vacation. Having company over the weekend?  Have them put on a little concert for family.

• Practice in sections, the smaller the better, and don’t always start at the beginning. Sometimes starting at the end and playing the add-on game helps them build confidence because they are always playing toward the part of the piece they know best!

• Make sure they know about the different types of practicing. I call these the 4 P’s. Sometimes we are “Preparing a piece” = learning the notes and rhythm. Sometimes we are “Polishing” a piece = adding dynamics, articulation, proper balance, shaping, pedaling…the list can be endless. Sometimes we are “Performing” a piece = This is a very different type of practicing that involves playing from beginning to end with as few mistakes as possible and now matter what “YOU KEEP GOING.” You don’t actually want to back up and fix things, but instead practice keeping your focus and recovering when something unexpected happens. This is where you’re recording device will become your best friend. 🙂 Lastly, and LEASTLY, we are sometimes just “Playing” through. I say, leastly as a joke to drive a point home. Most students think this last category IS practicing, but it’s quite the contrary. When you are practicing, you are listening, you are problem solving, you are fixing or improving something. That’s not to say that playing does not have it’s place. Sometimes we are surveying a new piece, or reviewing an old piece and just want to find out where the “rusty” places or “tricky spots” are. Or sometimes, we are just playing for fun or relaxation. Although, it is not the most effective type of practice, it does have some benefits and aesthetic value to just play for the joy of it.

• Utilize practice partners such as a metronome or recording equipment frequently. This will help polishing your pieces for performance faster and help you to stay “in-time.” Playing duets with a family member or parent or playing along with a recording is another fun way to accomplish this.

• Specialized Types of Practicing depending upon the style of piece or section:
  • Slow Practice–This is the big one! I always tell my students that this is a concept that works inversely. (Or in opposites) If they want to learn a piece with a lot of details quickly, they MUST first learn to play slowly. (For little ones I actually say SNAIL SLOW, and they start to giggle, or sometimes I say I’m going to give them a speeding ticket!) Conversely, if they truly want to learn a piece slowly, then they should plan to play super fast. (This always stumps them for a second. LOL) Try it! You’ll be amazed how fast this concept hits home when you explain it this way.
  • Speed Practice = practicing something at a faster tempo than necessary, so when you slow it down, it’s just……right. 😉
  • Ghosting = especially effective for practicing passages with tricky voicing or layers of voices. The student plays the layers that are supposed to come out the most with good tone, while only silently tapping the keys of the notes that need to be soft. Eventually they learn to “whisper” these notes.
  • Leapfrog practice = When a large jump is necessary, do we really need to see our hands hit the keys? Or do we really just need to see the keys with our eyes? Just like driving a car. Our hands will naturally go where we are looking. Unlike driving, we want to make our movements as efficient as possible. We don’t need to make huge arcs with our movements or activate unnecessary muscles to help. In this case forego the scenic highway, and just take the most direct route to your goal.
  • Early bird practice = Preparing your hand by touching the keys a microsecond before you need to be there. Especially good, when one hand is completely preoccupied with doing something else at the same time.
  • Speed Shifting in Slow Motion = Best used when practicing technique such as scales and/or arpeggios. This could be part of a regular exercise regimen, or a spot practice within a piece of repertoire. For example: the student plays the scale slowly, but does the tucks and shifts as quickly as possible. This is the nitty gritty of practicing slow to be able play with velocity later.
  • Pedaling techniques: Legato, una chorda, flutter pedal, 1/2 pedal, 1/4 pedal, Sostenuto pedal (and what passages to use it on), Waltz pedaling, Stylistic pedaling (Baroque vs. Classical), Fortepiano technique, pedal release, pedaling for RH vs. LH., etc, etc.

For a Demo of these techniques, Please visit my Youtube Channel by clicking the link below:

Overall, you want to help students make practice as fun, balanced, and as effective as possible. When you think about it, besides music, this is actually the greatest gift we can give our students. The ability to plan, problem solve creatively, listen, and self-evaluate. If they master these skills, then they’ve already succeeded in winning the endgame.