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One of the most important parts of taking piano
lessons is the time spent practicing. It is also not something people
automatically know how to do – they must learn how to do it. The
following are a few practice techniques that we believe will be helpful
for you.
How Long to Practice
Question: How much should I
practice? Answer: As much as you can! You should,
however, try to get in a certain amount of time per day, which may
differ according to your level. Beginners usually require 20 to 30
minutes of practice each day. If you make it your habit to
practice each song 5 to 10 times a day, it will not only ensure that
you get to each of your songs every day, but in a week's time you will
have practiced each song at least 25 times, and as much as 70
times. You may even have the songs memorized by then!
An early intermediate student usually requires up to
30-45 minutes a day. To a beginner, this may seem like a lot, but
as
your songs become longer and the content more difficult, each one
becomes more of a challenge, and thus takes longer to work on.
You should try to practice until, by the end of the
week, you are feeling confident enough to actually want to play for
your teacher. If you do not feel that way, then perhaps you need to
practice more. If you are more advanced and your songs are very
long, you should be confident in at least one section of the music. We
know from experience that to feel confident for your teacher is a very
exciting feeling!
Practice Habits
A very common playing problem is
the habit of pausing at difficult spots, or in between measures. The
problem is usually that the student is playing too fast, and the
solution is very simple: slow down! Playing your songs slowly will help
fix those mistakes and make you feel better about your playing. Believe
it or not, it will also help you to learn to play songs that are
supposed to be played slowly, resulting in excellent technique.
Have fun playing the piano! Piano playing is a
stress reliever,
not a stress inducer. Most people, including adults, have a tendency to
want to be perfect the first time. Anything you are working at is not
going to be perfect right away, and the same goes for piano. You are
going to make mistakes – we still do. Remember that you are playing the
piano for fun. Don't let the mistakes get you down.
For the Parents
As we look back over our years of
practice, we are very thankful for our parents' encouragement and support.
Parents should be involved in their children's practice, especially when they are
young. A common
misconception is that if you don't know anything about music, it is
impossible to help. Not so! Parents can help their child just by
being
in the room listening to him or her play. That is when it is more
likely that your child will have a question and not hesitate to ask.
And if the child cannot read words yet, the parent can always read the
assignment back to him/her, and jog his/her memory, which can be a
great help that, in most cases, only the parent can do.
Another way to help, if you feel it necessary, is to
sit in the room with your child as he/she takes the lesson. This is not
always the best thing for the child, as he/she probably plays
differently when under the gaze of his/her parent. But if you believe
you will be of more help to your child, especially if he/she is very
young, this may not be the worst thing for you to do. You will also be
learning along with your child!
For us, practicing is a way of life. We eat, sleep,
and brush our teeth, and play the piano. Our parents would not have let
us quit. We have never heard of a person who said they were glad their
parents let them quit the piano -- it is always that they wished their
parents hadn't! If we wanted to play a video game or engage in
other frivolous activities, we had to
practice first. Period. To make that a way of life is one of the
most important things you can do for your child. And in the long
run you will be very glad you did, and so will your child.
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