Practicing piano or other instruments for many is one of the most boring, annoying, and frustrating experiences. (I should know) It is also one of the main reasons why people quit playing. (In my case that would be a total of three times) But what if I told you that maybe… just maybe, we have been doing it wrong. And what if I told you that there might be other ways to turn this experience not only into a less dreadful one but also into something we might look forward to.

After testing different methods and strategies for practicing I believe I have found a way to make this process a little more manageable and a lot more efficient. I have broken it down into a few cruicial steps:

1. Embrace the complexity of every song:
   Most of us tend to get pretty overwhelmed when we look at a new song for the first time. It often looks complex and difficult, which send us off in a spiral of confusion. As a result many dive straight in without spending any time to figure out the steps that will get them there the fastest. They do not give themselves a chance to step back, take a breath, and devise a strategy that will let them learn the piece more efficiently.
   
   A song has multiple sections and layers. As a result we must understand the importance of each one of those in order to create the final finish. Think of it as a puzzle. You could try to chaotically put pieces together in the hopes that some will fit, or you could begin by adopting a more systematic approach. For example, build the edges first; separate the pieces into colours; or begin by assembling specific objects. Similarly, trying to play the whole song again and again in an effort to perfect it is one of the most common mistakes everyone makes as it often results in a choppy, unarticulated, and chaotic performance. It also takes much longer to reach your final goal.
   Which leads me to my next point…
   *See: “How To Perfect A Song With…” for more information
   
2. Project Management
   Having a clear plan of execution would almost always get you to the finish line faster and with the least amount of pain. What that plan looks like would depend on the level you are in and the kind of song you are working on. However, the main method will almost always be the same:
   
   1. Melody:
      Figure out your notes. Look for patterns. Differenciate between the parts that are easy and those that would require more work.
      
   2. Rhythm:
      Some songs have a more complex rhythm than others. If that is the case, make sure to spend a little time to count the beat without playing. Try to clap the pattern until you feel confident with the result and can recreate it without reading from the page.
      
   3. Flow:
      Focus on bringing the whole song into a slow and steady pace. This will give you a chance to stabelize it and hear what the whole song is supposed to sound like.
      
   4. Speed:
      After you have brought the whole song into a steady pace I would advise to gradually increase the speed using a metronome. This is especially important for tunes that are super fast.
      
   5. Dynamics, texture, and phrases.
      Now this is the phase where the magic happens and it is a whole beast on its own. Anyone (who has an ok knowledge in music) can learn to play a song. It takes a lot more, however, to convert a song into a piece that leaves the audience in awe. It requires tampering with the strength and flexibility of your fingers, drilling the dynamics into the flow, choreographing each wrist lift and elbow extention etc. This is the part where you need to listen and watch people perform the same piece and chose the style that is closest to yours.
      
      I understand that this sounds overly complex to many of you but I promise you that the hardest part would be to do it the first couple of times. It is like riding a bike. At first it is overwhelming and scary but then it becomes something we doo not even think about. Bit by bit it will start to make more sense and eventially you would not even need to look at the checklist. You would just do it all in the moment.
      
      I strongly believe that if we learn to approach everything we do in a logical, cool headed way with a clear and outlined plan we all will see an increase of productivity and efficiency of major proportions. What’s even more important is that we will be left with a sense of accomplishment rather than defeat and will realize that we do not need to spend so much time on practicing. Speaking of which…
      
3. Scheduling practices
   The typical mentality for practicing a music instrument has always been: “practice makes perfect”, insinuating an exclusive corelation between successful results and time spent with the instrument. Although I agree that more practicing will certainly get you to your goal I think the mere focus on time is a bit outdated, inflexible, and due for a revision in my opinion. Let me explain…
   
   The first problem that I have with the old ways of practicing is that telling someone to practice for a specific amount of time does not factor in their day to day schedule. More specificially it does not consider fluctuations in mental exhaustion and concentration levels, which as we all know can vary quite a bit from day to day (especially if you are dealing with young students).
   
   The second problem is that focusing on time as opposed to goals undermines the complexity of each song and the phases we have to go through, which exert differnt levels of pressure on our concentration. For example, working on a new song requires a lot of focus and analysis, which often depleats your ability to stay sharp for long. In comparisson, working on stability and putting the song together requires that you drill and improve your muscle memory thus allowing you to probably go for a longer practice session.
   
   The ideal practice, in my opinion, would be one involving an array of different elements with frequent switching betwen songs and phases. For example: begin by exploring new sections that require focus and analysis, while your mind is still sharp. When you feel tired move to another song that is in later stages of learning, maybe one that requres focus on dynamics or speed. Switch back to the first song and play the new section again once or twice only. Then chose a third song or a small section (a drill) that focuses on muscle skills. You could even do warm ups, like scales in phase 3. The idea is to give your brain more chances to “rest” by switching safely between tasks.
   
   Remember that you can even do two practices in a day. You do the more mentaly challenging work first and come back later for drills, scales or working on the overall sound of the song. It is very important to know when to walk away. Stuborn playing and chasing a specific task that you have set out to accomplish is counterproductive if you do not always check in with yourself to see if your concentration, productivity and enjoyment levels are still at a good place.
   
   When we focus on goals insted of setting specific time expectations we are more likely to increase efficiency. It also makes practicing more bearale and rewarding. In addition, if we check in with ourselves and give ourselves permision to switch tasks (or stop all together) when we no longer feel interested, we are less likely to feel intimidated and more likely to stop fighting the urge to avoid practicing.
   
4. Rewards
   I find that when I introduce a specific award at the end of the practice that is only associated with piano my students’ level of commitment increases and their reluctance to sit down and practice decreases a bit. So don’t be afraid to treat yourself to something special everytime you finish your practice. You might find yourself a little more excited to do your bit.

To summarize everything in just one sentence it would be “Quality over quantity”.

Now, some of you might argue that allowing everyone to dictate how long to spend with their instrument might lead to poorly conducted short practice sessions, which in return will reap poor results (especially when it comes to children). That is why it is extremely important for tutors to provide proper outlines for each section as well as a step by step guide on how to get from A to Z. They should allow their students to pick their goals and work on those. And you never know… you might find yourself pleasantly surprised to find out that the student has spent longer than anticipated.

Then comes the argument about excellence and mastering songs, which in all retrospect, does require more time. This, in my opinion has a different level of importance that changes depending on the student’s age and level. I recommend it and support it fully when the student has strong concentration abilities and shows signs that they can handle it. Every student is different and it really comes down to the ability of the teacher to detect their feelings and structure a practice session that will fit their skills and increase their motivation.

If there are two things that you can take away from this is to dedicate sometime to create an action plan and remember that it is always good to know when to walk away. You can always come back to finish the job once you have had time to relax and replenish your concentration levels.

Good luck!!!