5 Piano Practice Tips You Probably Haven't Heard

Summary

This video provides five insightful piano practice tips to boost your efficiency and learning. The first tip encourages practicing two things at once to enhance memory through spaced repetition. The second suggests starting with difficult sections of a piece and gradually expanding your focus. Tip three advocates practicing in musical phrases for better interpretation and mistake correction. The fourth tip highlights using overlapping measures, especially for continuous pieces like Bach. Lastly, the fifth tip advises selecting a main focus for each practice session to maximize improvement on challenging areas. These techniques are designed to refine your practice habits and accelerate progress.

Takeaways

• 😀 Focus on two things at once in your practice: Switch between two distinct scales or phrases to take advantage of spaced repetition and avoid diminishing returns.
• 😀 Incorporate spaced repetition into your practice: Context switching helps reinforce memory by revisiting learned material after a break.
• 😀 Start narrow, then zoom out: Focus on the most challenging parts of a piece first, then gradually incorporate the surrounding sections for a more holistic practice session.
• 😀 Mark difficult passages as 'fractures': Treat challenging sections as fractures in the piece and focus on strengthening them for better resilience.
• 😀 Practice with logical figures: Break pieces into phrases or figures, similar to reading sentences in a paragraph. Focus on logical musical thoughts rather than just notes or measures.
• 😀 Fix mistakes within the phrase: When you make a mistake in a phrase, go back to the beginning of that phrase to ensure you are practicing correctly.
• 😀 Use overlapping measures for continuous pieces: For pieces with smooth, continuous flow, practice overlapping measures to avoid unnecessary transitions and maintain fluidity.
• 😀 Work on transitions across bar lines: For pieces with fast notes running into slower ones, practice crossing bar lines to improve smoothness and control.
• 😀 Establish a main focus for each practice session: Choose one difficult or awkward passage to focus on throughout the session, returning to it between other activities.
• 😀 Spread out your practice throughout the day: Continuously revisit your main focus even when you're not formally practicing to accelerate learning and reinforce the material.

Q & A

What is the first tip mentioned for piano practice?

The first tip is to focus on two things instead of one when practicing. By learning two distinct scales or pieces simultaneously, you can incorporate spaced repetition, which improves memory retention and helps avoid the diminishing returns of repetitive practice.

Why is context switching beneficial during practice?

Context switching is beneficial because it allows your brain to revisit previously learned material after taking a break with something new. This spaced repetition helps deepen the learning process, ensuring that information is more effectively retained.

What is meant by 'narrow practice' in the second tip?

'Narrow practice' refers to focusing intensely on difficult sections or 'fractures' within a piece, especially the challenging passages. After mastering these narrow sections, you expand your focus to incorporate more of the piece, gradually building up to a complete performance.

How does the 'fracture' concept relate to piano practice?

The 'fracture' concept comes from the idea that difficult sections of a piece are like fractures in a bone that need extra attention to heal. By focusing on these difficult passages, you strengthen your overall playing and make the difficult parts more resilient, just as a bone becomes stronger after healing from a fracture.

What is the benefit of practicing in phrases or figures (tip 3)?

Practicing in phrases or figures allows you to approach the music in logical, musical 'sentences,' helping you interpret the music more naturally. This method also aids in correcting mistakes by focusing on specific sections and ensures that your practice is structured and effective.

How should mistakes in transitions between phrases be handled?

If a mistake occurs between two phrases or figures, the correct approach is to go back to the phrase before the transition. This ensures that you address the root cause of the mistake rather than just fixing the transition itself.

What is the purpose of using overlapping measures (tip 4)?

Overlapping measures help you practice pieces with continuous musical flow, particularly in Baroque music or fast passages. This technique involves playing across bar lines, making the transitions smoother and helping maintain the momentum of the piece.

How does overlapping measures apply to fast and slow notes?

Overlapping measures are especially useful when fast notes lead into slower ones, where the rhythm can bridge the bar line. By practicing overlapping measures, you avoid awkward stops and transitions between bars, ensuring a more fluid performance.

What is meant by the 'main focus' in tip 5, and how does it improve practice?

The 'main focus' refers to a specific section of music that is particularly challenging or awkward for the player. By dedicating focused practice time to this section and revisiting it throughout the session, you can efficiently address difficulties and improve specific aspects of the piece.

Why is it important to change the 'main focus' regularly?

Changing the 'main focus' regularly is crucial because it keeps your practice fresh and prevents stagnation. Each time a section becomes comfortable, you can choose a new focus area to challenge and improve, maintaining consistent progress throughout your practice sessions.