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How to practice piano

Young Boy Playing the Piano

Make time

 

Dedicate a daily time slot for practise. Depending on your age and standard, this could be between ten minutes and one hour; your teacher will tell you. Practise time must be without distractions: mobile phones should be out of sight and there should not be too much background noise (televisions for example).

 

Be consistent

 

Daily practice will improve your technique, concentration and musical knowledge. Making progress depends on always practising during your allotted practise time. However, there are occasions when other commitments prevent you from your usual practise routine, such as school exams. Don’t worry — your teacher will understand. Nonetheless, find a little time to practise at least some of what your teacher has asked. Practise it at least two or three times before your next lesson.

 

Repeat, repeat, repeat

 

Whether you have just begun a new piece or you have been playing it for a while, go over the difficult bits several times. Very difficult passages may need many repetitions before they begin to improve. Once you are confident, play the passage three more times, slowly and perfectly.

 

Play slowly

 

If you cannot play a passage at the indicated speed, there may be a problem with finger movement. Play slowly and mindfully, and see if you can identify where your playing is less precise.

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Play hands separately

 

Mistakes will happen occasionally. But if the same mistake occures more than once, you must understand why you made it. Play the passage slowly. Is the mistake in the left or the right hand? Play the same passage hands separately. Once you are confident, play the passage three more times, as before.

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Use the correct fingers

 

Good fingering is essential for creating the best musical sound at the piano, whatever the style of music. Most scores contain fingering indications. In some cases the fingering can be adapted to what feels more comfortable for your hands. Discuss this with your teacher who will help you find the best solution.

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Use a metronome (but not all the time)

 

Playing to a metronome may improve unsteady rhythm. If you are struggling with a passage and you notice you are suddenly playing slower or faster, set your metronome to a comfortable speed and play the passage several times. Then try again without the metronome.

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Listen

 

Listen to your own playing as if you were in the audience. Is your playing exactly the way you would like it to be? Are you playing the piece at the correct speed and with the correct dynamic? What else could you improve?

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Reflect

 

At the end of each practice session, play your whole piece without interruption. Try to simply enjoy playing it. Then think about how you played it. What was good about your playing? What needs more practice? Have you improved the parts your teacher asked you to practise? Next day, remember your answers to these questions and let them guide your practise.

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