“If I don’t practice for one day, I know it; if I don’t practice for two days, the critics know it; if I don’t practice for 3 days, the audience knows it!” Ignacy Paderewski (1860-1941)
The objective of practicing is to find out how something is done …so that it can be done properly and forever! The definition of the word ‘practice’ is to perform or work at something repeatedly until proficiency and technical certainty and confidence is attained.
However, good practicing is not just a matter of mindless repetition while watching the clock!
Practicing is both a physical and mental activity. Frances Clark once said “Practicing is not a matter of time spent, but rather a matter of mind spent.” It requires constant mental alertness applied selectively where it is most needed.
You need to have a plan or goal to your practicing. Think of it like a “Game Plan” that you would have with your team members going into a football or hockey game. Instead of just jumping right into a piece with a trial and error approach – merely stumbling around and playing over and over hoping you fix something – analyze and evaluate what needs to be done first!
By focusing your attention on your goal – it will strengthen your powers of concentration. Have you ever noticed that when you’re watching your favorite TV show or playing your most challenging computer game, you don’t even hear someone calling your name? That’s because your concentration is completely focused on the TV or computer screen.
So try focusing your attention in the same way onto your practice goals.
Start with small goals … like fixing the rhythm in Bar 22-23 … instead of thinking you just want to play the piece better and faster! An organized plan and outline of what to do at each session during the week is extremely beneficial.
Teachers could create a suitable outline for younger students – and intermediate and senior students could benefit from making up their own or with the help of their teacher.
Once you are armed with a plan and goal … it’s time to practice!!
Here are some suggestions for productive practice habits:
• Go to the piano when you are prepared to concentrate and pay attention to what you are doing. Remember “Perfect practice makes for perfect playing!”
• Try to find a consistent time for your practice session – when you are alert and energetic – so that it becomes a general routine of your day – weekends included!
• Make sure that your environment is free from distractions and noise – would you watch TV while you were at a hockey or dance practice?
• Practice within 24 hours of your lesson. Studies show that retention drops off dramatically on new materials learned the longer you wait after your lesson.
• Refer to your practice outline and identify your problems.
• Study your music away from the piano first. Figure out what is causing the problem and how to fix them. Analyze the composition.
• Practice the difficult area first – otherwise they will never catch up with the easier areas!
• Practice SLOWLY and ONE HAND AT A TIME FIRST. Work at a slow pace that is absolutely free from stumbles or hesitations. WHY MAKE THINGS HARDER FOR YOURSELF BY TRYING TO DO IT SO FAST!! Slow work will impress on your mind the details you are working on. Yes, it can be a bit boring … but you’ll get it faster and thus spend less time on it!
• Count! Both silently and aloud. Utilize metronome to reinforce any problems
• Once you have conquered hands separately proceed to hands together work slowly, and gradually work up the tempo while maintaining accuracy. Remember that slow practice (both separate and hands together) even on the day of an exam or festival is extremely beneficial!! It helps reinforce technical and rhythmic precision, focus on dynamics and interpretive details as well as cementing memorization. If you can play through a piece slowly by memory … you’ll probably never have a memory lapse in performance!
• Practice in small sections or units so you can really focus and concentrate effectively
• Watch your fingering!!! Muscles must know for certain whose turn it is next to play! If you use a different fingering each time you play a passage – it’s like playing a totally new passage! Your muscle memory will not be able to kick in to help you.
• Try to drill any problem spots seven times perfectly. Psychologists say a task successfully enters our long-term memory after being attentively observed seven times. Stop between each repetition and think about what you are trying to develop – to accomplish.
• After you have done your seven perfects – take a small break to distract yourself – then go back and play the area again. If you can do it … you’ve got it!! If not, go back and drill seven times all over again. You’ll get it – don’t worry! Tiger Woods didn’t become a superstar with only one day of practice!
• Listen to what you are playing. Tape record some of your practice sessions. Pretend you are the Teacher! How would you rate and mark your performance? Review the tape with your Teacher at the next lesson.
• Add creativity to your practice routine to ease possible boredom. Vary the manner of your playing – practice incorporating various rhythms, articulations and touches, dynamic levels and tempos. When you go back to play it the written way – it will seem a lot easier after having mastered it in “altered” ways.
• For broken or arpeggiated material, try ‘blocking’ the notes together. (Create a solid version of the notes). This forces you to find the notes faster – and then when you go back to playing them individually as written …it’s a breeze!
• Don’t always start practicing your piece from the beginning. Start from the middle, start near the end, work backwards in sections! This will also really help with establishing some solid “goalposts” for your memory work.
Always remember that practicing gives a feeling of productivity and accomplishment! Try to think back to the positive and rewarding feelings you had when you gave a successful performance. Without the process of thoughtful practice and repetition – you would not have achieved that great feeling!
Remember, Wayne Gretzky would not be considered “The Great One” without his years of practice!
About the Author
Ms. Ildiko Skeldon runs a successful piano and theory lessons music studio in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada
She devotes her time to private music instruction, coaching, pedagogy, master classes and examining for RCM Examinations (Toronto)