10 Piano practice tips for students and parents

Let music surround you because your entourage is extremely important. Attending concerts and recitals, listening to fine music in your spare time and making friends who also enjoy music and play instruments, will increase your inspiration of becoming a musician. But without practice, playing any instrument is impossible.

So here are 10 tips that will help you practice the correct way.

1. Focus

Find a place to practice that is away from the family activity areas. There should be no distractions such as TV, radio, other children, pets or telephone. Ideally, the room should have a door that can be closed, to increase privacy and concentration. Make sure you're staying organized and you have a practice schedule.

2. Practicing time

For most young piano students, a reasonable amount of practice is around 30 to 45 minutes per day, and for older students or adults, doing this in one sitting may work. For some students, especially kids, 2-3 short sessions of 10-15 minutes per day is usually much more effective. Whatever your circumstances, the rough guide is to only practice (in any one sitting) for as long as you can, before you start becoming mentally tired.

3. Practice the right music

Practicing at least once a week the pieces you already mastered is a good way to maintain your repertoire. That will enable you to share what you have learned, with others. But are you learning something new? A correct practice session always includes working on a new piece or given section that it is to be mastered in the future, little by little. Follow the instructions given by your teacher in your notebook regarding your assignments.

4. Use correct finger numbers

There are many benefits to using the correct fingering, one of which is; by deciding upon a set sequence of fingering for each piece, and using that fingering consistently, you are calling upon your muscle memory to help you learn and perform each piece with stability. If you are consistent with your fingering, you will be more secure and confident when playing in front of others. There are also plenty of other reasons for using the prescribed fingers and it's a mistake not to use the correct / prescribed fingers.

5. Practice in the right speed

Practice in a slow speed. Remember, the slower you go the quicker you learn. So go SLOW. Give yourself a chance to take a mental note of each note or phrase within the given section. When you have it clear in your head at a slow speed, then you can gradually try increasing the tempo.

6. Practice the smart way

Instead of playing a piece from the beginning to the end, focus on " weak" sections within the piece and this way your practice session will become much more efficient and will promote more consistent level of proficiency throughout each piece.

7. Keep your eyes in the book

As much as possible, try not to look down at your hands, especially while you are still learning a piece. The reason for this is when students look at their hands a lot, they tend to learn the piece with mistakes, for example making up small parts of the piece, or playing it by ear (incorrectly) because the piece has not yet been learned / memorized and the student is not looking at the sheet music. So mistakes are bound to form.

8. Count out loud

The basic practice method of counting out loud shouldn't be ignored—even by advanced students. Counting out loud, especially during slow practice during the early stages of learning a piece, is a very effective way to develop your sense of rhythm. Plus, by linking your voice and your hands often helps to master the coordination between the two hands as well as the timing of the piece.

9. Pay attention

Listen carefully to your teacher and take his/her instruction seriously. Taking advantage of her years of training and teaching experience will give you the most for your investment of time and money.

10. Be patient

You are building a skill that you will use and enjoy for the rest of your life. This will take time and diligent, consistent work that cannot be crammed in at the last minute before your lessons, like you might do studying for a test.