PracticeTips

Keys to success

Future Home of Student Suggestion Box ....:Calling all present and former students!! Please share YOUR stories and practice tips -- funny stories.....We'd love to hear from you!

Training the Athlete

Nearly everyone can appreciate the training and practice needed to become a good football, or tennis player because most of us have tried these sports ourselves. Actually, the needs for muscular development, control, and coordination are just as demanding for the musician as for any of these other types of athletes, but because the muscles are smaller and subtle coordination is involved, their importance is less obvious - - - especially to those who have never learned to play a musical instrument. In music, ALL the senses and thought processes (except, perhaps, "smelling"!) are involved, so it is important to work with both instruments (the piano AND our bodies) on a regular basis.

Playing an instrument is a physical skill which requires conditioning, development, and "keeping in shape," as does any sport. Developing the necessary discipline and concentration for regular practice is a very difficult skill to learn and a young student cannot be expected to manage the entire learning process by himself. Return to listing of articles.

At home, YOU are the teacher!

Music teachers often wish that they could be at home for each practice session to help out! But, actually, the STUDENT becomes the TEACHER during home practice sessions! Most students don't know how to be teachers, yet, so help and guidance from a parent or older guardian can be of great help. See article on "10 Ways Parents can Help" Return to listing of articles.

Practicing is not the same as Performing

Most often, students (of ALL ages and levels of advancement) will simply "play through" a piece. But, actually, this is NOT practice. This will not lead to progress. Successful practice involves setting SPECIFIC goals for each practice session -- whether it be to memorize several measures or pages, or to drill the "weak sections' several times, or to add dynamics and expression, or to fix past mistakes, or to pick-up the tempo. Most often, your teacher will suggest some specific things for you to fix or work on for each specific piece. Follow these instructions carefully! If you cannot remember all the suggestions made at each lesson, consider tape-recording your lessons! Or, write down lesson notes immediately following your lesson. If you are not sure that you are truly PRACTICING instead of just PERFORMING, try tape-recording a practice session! Just let the tape run, and then review the tape later, away from the piano. You might be quite surprised what you learn! Return to listing of articles.

Don't "Play Until...."

Be careful that you are not simply "playing until ...." This means, that you don't just start at the beginning of a piece, and then play until you mess-up. Always THINK AHEAD before problem sections, so that you can prevent any mistakes from ever happening in the FIRST PLACE. Analyze the music BEFORE EVEN PLAYING THE FIRST NOTE! What's the starting note for each hand? What finger do you start with? Where are there hand shifts, tricky rhythms, or tricky leaps? Clap and count aloud these tricky rhythms BEFORE playing..."Map out" the hand position shifts (choreography) silently on the keys BEFORE playing.... etc. etc. etc. ALSO, always choose a slow enough tempo to avoid any mistakes, stumbles, or hesitations. Return to listing of articles.

Counting silently is NOT the same as counting aloud.

It never ceases to amaze me HOW QUICKLY a problem can be fixed by simply turning on the metronome to a "comfortable tempo" and counting aloud. This goes for saying letter names, or finger numbers, or "intervals" (step up, skip down, up a 4th etc.) as well. Try it! It might just amaze YOU TOO! Return to listing of articles.

The MAGICAL metronome

Most people don't realize that the metronome is actually magical. It's true. When you turn the metronome onto an appropriate speed, (one slow enough to avoid mistakes or pauses), it "magically" helps you learn your music in a matter of minutes! That magical machine does SO many things: It helps you count and keeps a steady beat; it shows your progress, as you're able to gradually increase the speed 2-3 notches at-a-time; it makes you look like a professional musician as it sits on top of your piano; it can even pass as a "bomb" inside your suitcase in the airport! (That really did happen to me once!); finally, it will make you SOUND like a real pro. When I judge competitions, I can tell who has practiced with their metronomes and counted aloud as they learned their pieces. I can also tell if they chose tempos SLOW ENOUGH to avoid making mistakes or "pauses" or hesitations, AND if they included practice at SLOW and MEDIUM tempos as well as fast tempos (tempi). These are the students who receive the highest scores and win the trophies and awards. Return to listing of articles.

Our "Super Brains"

Did you know that we all have Super Brains?!? Bet you didn't know that our brains are SO smart, that they will REMEMBER anything you consciously put into them! That includes mistakes, too! If you play a section wrong, it takes SEVERAL repetitions (maybe even 100's!) of playing that section CORRECTLY, to "erase the mistake in your brain." It's sort of like having to walk MILES and MILES in order to burn off the calories of eating 1 chocolate chip cookie!!) Make sure you put the information (music) into your brain CORRECTLY the FIRST TIME, to save hours and hours of practice simply FIXING your mistakes! Return to listing of articles.

Keep that Doctor's Appointment!

Every student should write-out a daily schedule of times which are available for practice. Parents of younger students can help in this project. Post this schedule on the piano and/or in a "public" place for all family members to see. Students should observe this "Practice Appointment" just as you would a Doctor's Appointment. (Truthfully, it should be a LOT more fun than most Doctor's appointments! If it's not, perhaps we should examine practice techniques, expectations, or other outside activities and conflicts.) The ideal time to practice is immediately after the lesson. (That same day, or the next day at the latest.) Ideally, practice schedule could be divided between early morning, when you are the freshest, and afternoon or evening. Return to listing of articles.

Quality over Quantity . . . .

The length of each practice session should be suited to each student's age and level of advancement. For a child beginner, age 4-5, a daily 15-20 minute practice session (or 2, 10-minute daily sessions) should be sufficient. For beginning students ages 6-8, you may need 20-30 minute practice daily sessions (or 2, 15-minute daily sessions, or 3, 10-minute daily sessions) in order to complete the practice assignment. Students age 8-10, might aim for 30-45 minute daily sessions, and students ages 10/12-18 might aim for 45-60+ minute sessions. The serious, more advanced piano students who generally win the piano competitions and are able to perform the advanced literature, usually practice several hours each day. Many college music majors and concert pianists practice anywhere from 4 to 9 hours daily. Obviously, as the pieces and assignments become longer, more practice time will be necessary.

What's EVEN MORE IMPORTANT than the amount of practice time is the QUALITY of PRACTICE. The old adage, "practice makes perfect" can be misleading. Simply spending time with an instrument is not enough. Perhaps you should say, "Perfect practice makes perfect." Only careful, ACCURATE practice makes "perfect". The quality of performance reflects the quality of practice. More important than the time is what is ACCOMPLISHED during practice. Parents can help by making sure your child follows the practice instructions of the teacher. The practice periods should be scheduled when your child is freshest and will not be distracted by TV, other family members etc. Basically, practice periods should be short and frequent (take occasional 30 second or 1-minute breaks and "stretches"...walk around the room... go eat a snack, etc.) Return to listing of articles.

10 Ways Parents or Guardians Can Help

Younger children can gain the most from the time and money invested in music lessons with a combined teacher/parent/student effort, even if the parent or guardian knows NOTHING about music! Generally, the younger the child, the more parental supervision required, however, I have listed some ways in which everyone can help below:

1) Ensure that your child is regularly present at lessons AND at the regular special events and group musicianship classes.

This is necessary for effective progress and continuity of instruction. Otherwise, it is a waste of time for you, your child, and the teacher. Be sure that all music books and materials are brought to each lesson.

2) CHECK OVER THE PRACTICE ASSIGNMENT.

Review the practice assignment daily, and help the student complete the practice chart. Initial at the "Parent's Initials" prior to the next lesson, to verify their practice totals and review the previous lesson's grade. The written assignment sheet will include a list of items to be included in each week's practice. If you're not sure of what is expected during practice, ask the teacher. Your child will probably enjoy playing old pieces and just "fooling around" with music. This kind of experimenting and improvising is to be encouraged, but it should be IN ADDITION TO practice of the

assigned pieces. Go through EACH music book as well, to make sure a particular assignment was not accidentally left off of the student assignment sheet.

3) Help the student organize the practice session.

It's a good idea to follow the order suggested in the assignment notebook. (Begin with KT&T, then 5 minutes or so of Sight-reading or flashcard drill, then specific work on new pieces, review of older pieces, and finish up with a few examples or pages of your written theory assignment. If you have a listening tape and worksheet for that week, perhaps you could schedule this activity for a separate session. (Perhaps even share the musical example with the other family members!) If you find that a particular piece is being reassigned for several weeks in a row (or months!), then there is a need for more effective practice. Help guide the student through the teacher instructions in the music and on the assignment worksheet.

4) Encourage daily practice.

Practicing 6 days a week is reasonable and allows one day off. Although Sunday is the most logical day off, it can be used as a make-up when practice cannot be done a week day.

5) Prevent distractions during practice.

Your child will be able to concentrate and gain more from practice time without interruptions from phone calls, friends, brothers/sisters, pets, TV, stereo, loud conversations etc. Be firm and consistent - - - your child (and his friends) will respect you for this.

6) Provide a successful learning environment.

Make sure there is adequate lighting, and that the student adjusts the piano bench as needed. This is IMPERATIVE for developing a healthy technic. The bottom of the elbows should be level with the tops of the white keys. Students should not sit too close to the piano. A footstool should be provided if feet cannot reach the floor (feet should not "dangle") Carpet squares make wonderful (and cheap!) seat height adjustments!

7) LISTEN AND SHOW YOUR INTEREST.

All it takes is 5 minutes of your UNDIVIDED ATTENTION, a few times each week (turning off the TV, putting aside the newspaper, stopping work in the kitchen etc.) Motivational studies show that children progress faster and derive greater benefit from their lessons when parents show a genuine interest in the music study. (Both parents.) It really doesn't take long, and it gives you and your child an opportunity for a little "private time" together. This will help develop self-sufficiency and self-motivation in practice.

Encourage your child by showing an interest in the music he/she plays, expressing appreciation for and admiration of his/her efforts, and praising him/her for improvement and achievements. Plan opportunities for your child to play for family gatherings, especially when these gatherings precede a piano recital or other performance. However, do NOT insist that he or she publicly perform a piece that is unsure, as his failure to play well could mar any future enjoyment he might derive from performing for others.

8) When in doubt, contact the teacher.

If you have any questions about lesson assignments, or practice procedures, or want to discuss your child's progress or special concerns, please feel free to set up a time for a private telephone conference. Of course, this should be done at a time when your child is not able to listen in. Always consult the teacher before giving musical help to your child. There are many "traditional misconceptions" about piano technic which are having to be countered with in this 21st century (such as the fallacy of "playing with curled fingers" or "holding a bubble/orange/ball" etc.) Your help is welcome when it complements the teaching at the lesson, however, it is important that the teacher and parent efforts be coordinated so as not to disrupt the learning sequence or confuse the explanations presented in the lessons. This avoids attempting something that may be too difficult, or, for which there has been

insufficient preparation.

9) Provide a well-maintained instrument.

The keys, pedals, bench etc. should work properly. For a piano, tuning is extremely important. If the piano at home is out of tune, a child's ear may be confused when playing on the teacher's piano. Ideally, the piano should be tuned twice a year, or as the seasons change. Late fall (about Thanksgiving), after the heating season is well underway, and late May/June are usually recommended. The stability of tuning is affected by temperature changes, drafts, and humidity. Therefore, try to avoid placing the piano on an outside wall or near a poorly insulated window, radiator, heating duct, or air conditioner. During winter months, a room humidifier may be desirable if humidity drops below 20%. The most common mechanical keyboard problems are keys that stick or don't work, and pedals that squeak or don't work. The cost of such repairs is often modest. The best time for repairs is during a routine tuning, and the technician can usually tell you in advance the approximate cost. If major repairs are suggested, it is a good idea to get a second opinion.

10) Finally, realize that PLATEAUS are as normal in musical learning as in any other type of learning.

At times, progress will appear to be at a standstill. Help your child learn to be pleased with the "small" progress and be patient with the "slow" progress. Remind him or her of how subtle their own physical growth is! They may grow several inches a year, but they cannot visibly SEE this growth, even though it's definitely happening! Remind them how far they have come already in their musical development! At one point, it was hard for them just to push down a key or draw a quarter note! Just remember the story about the little Chick at the top of this page! Perseverance! Stay the course. OR, read the article about the butterfly below!