Practice Tips

1. BE ORGANIZED: Identify exactly what you plan to accomplish and check of each accomplishment.

2. FOCUS ON ONE GOAL AT A TIME: When you try to fix everything at once, you become Jack. You know, "Jack of all trades and master of none!"

3. CONCENTRATE DURING PRACTICE: Five minutes of concentrated practice is far more valuable than hours of "mind wandering" playing. Your mind must be engaged at all times. Muscle memory is not mastery.

4. WARM UP: Scales and arpeggios are most effective, but sometimes playing pieces you already know well can get your fingers moving. Finger and hand massage is great in the winter and for older arthritic hands.

5. PRACTICE SLOWLY: Practicing slower, especially while learning new pieces,  allows the brain to receive, process and execute information at a more reasonable speed. Practicing at different tempi will bring your understanding of a piece to a much higher and articulate level.

6. Try to AVOID MISTAKES BEFORE they happen: Mistakes with rhythms are difficult to repair. At a conference I was once told "for every single time a mistake is played,  a correction must be played ten times to erase the error."

7. PRACTICE IN SMALLER CHUNKS: The brain absorbs musical information much more readily when it is not overwhelmed by quantity. 

8. SCHEDULE YOUR PRACTICE SESSIONS for each day: Be sure to consider when you will be able to to think clearly. A written schedule can help you create and attain a consistent  routine.

9. A PRACTICE JOURNAL: is a log of your practice sessions, including what you practice and what goal was targeted. Younger students will keep track with a practice plan their teacher has provided.

10. STUDY AWAY FROM THE PIANO: Some of the most valuable piano practice can be accomplished without a piano. Analyzing the score and practicing "mentally"  will improve critical thinking skills and memory.

I hope these tips will help to keep you happy and productive during practice.

Practice Plan
Feel free to select and print a copy as needed.