An intermediate player can play some tunes with a band or play along track. They usually have to read the music though from a fake book due to a lack of confidence. They are keen to move it up a notch. They feel overwhelmed with the amount of possibilities in a practice session.
Below are some ideas on how to spend your time. Yes, it is a lot, but over the course of a week and little bit of each can be worked on. Over time your experience will accumulate. Have fun.
6. Repertoire work, your new pieces 7. Theory work 8. Singing intervals 9. Jamming with tracks, apps, or original recordings. 10. Repeat step one.
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I had a date for the Grade 10 exam, a few months out. Whoa! Piano thoughts dominated my waking hours for the next 90 days.
First thing I learned? Thinking about piano is a form of practice. In my mind I saw myself performing the music. My mind sought solutions to tricky parts I saw coming in the music. I was excited. Second thing I learned? A firm date quickly eliminated procrastination. Third thing? This was really exciting. As Los Angeles Clippers’ Doc Rivers said, "pressure is a privilege". This was real, this was difficult, but this was doable with focused effort and lots of practice. Fourth thing? I started to listen in earnest to both professional recordings of my program and myself. Record, play, listen became my method. I'd learned how to practice. I nailed it and won a scholarship for the highest mark in my district. David Consider:
The ability to discriminate these individual elements will help you play more expressively. Here is an exercise:
Happy listening. David Piano at the benchWhat to practice and why
Finally, be patient, enjoy the process. If I can help, call me. David Practicing in the times of the Covid-19 outbreak is going to be a challenge for some.
Some lucky people will use the extra time to jump right in. For this group I suggest ramping up practice amount slowly to avoid injury. The book, “The Musician’s Way” suggests increasing practice time 10% per week to avoid problems. Warming up before hand with a short cardio and stretching routine will also be beneficial. For those too stressed to practice and/or focus try these tips:
Good luck, David “How good do you want to be?” Start with this question followed with: “how should I spend my time?”
Success will depend on the depth and breathe of your practice. My most successful students have made peace with time and possibility. Yes, time counts, but patience and realistic expectations count for more. Learning has piano follows a well trodden path. You just must follow it to succeed. There is no secret. Just time and hard work. We must be realistic with the fact that course correction will be needed regularly. Life is messy. So:
Call me, I can help. David I've got happy students who practice more than an hour a day, others who practice an hour a week. Because their time matches their realistic expectations, they are happy. Could they all practice more? Of course. I could too.
My thoughts this week. David Revised January 2023 Practicing Blue BossaOne effective way of practicing jazz is the "Bill McBirnie method". Bill plays along with professional recordings. He has told me that he might spend hours playing along with dozens of recordings of a particular tune he is working on. Here are the videos I used to practice Blue Bossa this week on the vibraphone. Pay attention to the articulations and the differences in the last phrase, (measures 13-14-15-16). There are interesting differences to explore.
Composer Igor Stravinsky said something to the effect of: we find inspiration through work, not the other way around. Amateurs wait for inspiration to work; professionals get to work knowing inspiration will follow. Good advice when sitting in the practice room waiting for the muse to strike before beginning. David My decades old copy of Opus 821 by Czerny. Still on the piano.
When I want to work on my tone, I go here. When I want to work on the different physical moves required in piano performance I go here. This work covers all the keys in very short 8 measure exercises. I'm able to work on finger independence, arm weight, rotation, octaves, staccato, legato, portato, drop, thrust, dynamics, balance, and tone. Last weekend I attended the National Ballet of Canada's performance of "etudes". It is a 45 minute ballet of bar moves and set pieces to the etudes of Czerny. It was fun to recognize many of the pieces. It was instructive to hear the music interpreted by the dancers. Click here for a free copy: https://imslp.org/wiki/160_kurze_Übungen,_Op.821_(Czerny,_Carl) Happy practicing.
Many people want to play the piano. A few people must play the piano. The many are vague, the committed are focused. A committed student says things like, “I want to pick up where I left off 30 years ago and finish my grade 8 piano, can you help me?” Or, “I want to play piano duets with my children, or grandchildren to support them in their piano studies? Or, “I want to play in a band”. Or, “I’m deeply in love with Beethoven’s op. 1. I played level 10 in my youth. Now, life has given me the time to get back to it. Please help me get back into shape”. “I love the romance of piano lounge jazz. Can you show me how to improvise like Diana Krall?” The small actionable steps needed to proceed will vary by the student’s background, but the steps will revolve around the following:
Syllabi, such as the Royal Conservatory of music provide, break down the learning process in small actionable steps. Jazz pedagogy does the same. I’ve also created one for recreational players who come to my studio. I will create or direct you to the appropriate syllabi. I look forward to working with you. Best regards, David PS. Click on the picture below to learn more about adult learning. You will be directed the magazine's website. A valuable resourse. Graham has a some effective ideas. As always, patience and application wins. A former student came by today of a lesson after a one-year absence. He played some stride piano. He sounded so much better than I remember. So, I start asking some questions about what he has been up to in the practice room.
He said:
Yeah student! Cheers, David Expert musicians know what they are doing. Their experience comes from working on, maintaining, and mastering the skills in the following four quadrants of piano study.
If I can help you, call me. Best, David Story revised 2023 You will be recording your practice sessions. The equipment needed for your practice session includes a professional recording of your work, pencil and eraser, cell phone equipped with a recording app, and earbuds.
The first step is listening to a professional performance of your piece. If it is short, listen to it all. If it’s long, listen to the part you will be working on. Watch the score while listening. The second step involves writing the fingerings on every note in the piece. A key step is to use the editor’s suggestions as a starting place; you fill in the missing fingerings. The third step is to record yourself playing slow enough to execute the expression markings and fingering patterns before you while visualizing, in your mind, the professional recording. Now, listen back to your effort and assess yourself while watching the score. Now with your corrections in mind repeat the recording, playing, and assessment steps. I practice this way to prepare music for the Toronto Concert Band. I hope this helps! Updated May 2023 What can you accomplish in one hour of daily practice? With a good plan you can accomplish a lot. Here is a sample plan. 1. Warm up 2. Technique 3. Sight reading 4. Repertoire development 5. Reviewing completed material Warm up: Best advice I ever got? Go for a brisk walk before practice. Work up a sweat. Then your brain will be ready to work. Technique: Start slowly concentrating on playing with a lovely tone your assigned scales, chords, and arpeggios. Sight reading: Good sight readers read music like others can read a book. This is a skill that can be learned with practice. Repertoire development: Attack those annoying bits in pieces in the following way.
Away from the piano? Listen to the music you are playing or want to play. Go to concerts, be inspired. Cheers, David Story revised October 2023 Today I've posted a slightly tongue-in-cheek set of random thoughts on practicing.
Have fun. David revised July 2023 The idea is to conect technique and drills with the music at hand. ............. Practice techniques 1. Use a metronome. 2. Practice in small chunks. 3. Play your scales , chords and arpeggios in a focused musical fashion by varying the rhythm, dynamics, articulations and balance between the hands. 4. The greatest shortcut is "Bench time". In other words, more practicing. 5. Never ignore correct fingering. 6. Posture and hand position are important. 7. Be aware of your breathing. 8. Listening to music away from the piano. Try to identify the form, dynamics, articulations in professional performances. It really will help you to play more musically. 9. Record your practicing. 10. Enjoy the journey. ............... Most neglected and overlooked by students 1. Fingering 2. Dynamics 3. Chunking 4. Connecting theory with the music 5. Slow practice ................ My top four activities in practicing 1. Ear training 2. Slow practice 3. Bench time 3. Technique Cheers, David Story www.davidstory.ca "Without a sound you have nothing?" Glen Hall What does this mean? Playing simply with good tone and beautiful phrasing is more important that playing fast, playing loud, or trying to play above your level. Artistry is possible for beginners who understand this. Cheers, David 1. Communicate with your teacher your goals and aspirations. 2. Do your homework, consider that the so called boring bits are the important bits. I know, I take drum lessons. The new teacher is trying to get me to play quarter notes properly with the good tone and arm motion. This is requiring hours of concentrated effort. But, the musicians I play with can hear the difference already. 3. Participate in recitals. Everyone needs positive, self esteem building events. 4. Explore music outside of lessons: Sight read, attend concerts, listen to music, buy a music magazine, watch Youtube videos, attend a summer camp. (I'm going to Louisville Kentucky and Oxford England this summer for music training in both drumming and classical music). 5. Read Time Power by Brian Tracy. The best book on time management I know. Amy Chua's books are an interesting read for both parents and mature music students. 6. Remember musicians live to practice, performance is just the icing on the cake. Cheers, David Story Piano Teacher and drumming enthusiast. There are many ways to think about our musical development. I've produced the following: Level one, student: At level one the student learns to control their hands. i.e. the hands do what they are told. I'm told this takes about 10,000 hours. I believe it. This level is about technique, repertoire, ear training, theory studies, concert going, and practice, practice, practice. It is about following the teachers' directions, and maintaining and nourishing your personal curiosity, patience, and faith in the process. Level two, professional: At level two you have professional hands that do what they are told. At this level you practice maintaining and refining your skills. Level three, artist: At level three you have something interesting to say and the ability to communicate it. Artists blend this elevated level of creativity and skill into dazzling musical displays. How do you become an artist? I don't know. However, I do know you must go through the first two steps to reach level three. Too many folks try to skip all or part of the first two steps in their haste to be "artists." This is misguided, naïve, and foolish. Conclusion? Get off the internet and go back to the practice room! Cheers, David Story January 2023 update |
You've got to learn your instrument. Then, you practice, practice, practice. And then, when you finally get up there on the bandstand, forget all that and just wail. AuthorI'm a professional pianist and music educator in West Toronto Ontario. I'm also a devoted percussionist and drum teacher. Categories
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