10 steps to successful performances

How to Practice 10 Steps to Successful Performances

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1. Practice Away From The Piano

You Can Pick Up A Lot Of Things When You Look At The Music Away From The Piano: Phrasing Dynamic Markings Rhythm Things Your Teacher Marked For You In Your Lessons Sing The Melody To Understand The Music Memorization - Close Your Eyes And Test Yourself.  ▪ Can you see your fingers playing the keys as you are performing

with your eyes closed? 

2.  Think About What Are You’re Trying To Say Musically 

What Is The Piece About?  What Is The Composer Trying To Convey? What Are You Trying To Say Through This Piece?  How Do You Feel About This Piece?  Does Your Piece Tell A Story? Do You Ever Think About The Mood? Find Adjectives to Describe the Various Passages.   

Worried HappyShock/Surprise Wildly

Pained

Rowdy/SinisterReverent

SadlyLovingly Peaceful

Thoughtful Regal/StatelyBizarre/Silly

Jokingly/WittyArguing/FightingScary/FrighteningCommanding

GiddyDiabolical/Devilish

3. Set a Goal to Improve Each Time You Practice a Section  

Don’t Play Your Piece 100 Times Without A Goal Practice 4-8 measures at a time carefully examining:

1. Hand position2. Notes & Rests3. Fingering 4. Counting 5. Evenness 6. Touches – Staccato, Legato, Tenuto, Accents7. Sound quality of each note  8. Phrasing 9. Dynamic control 10. Pedaling

4.  Repetition

Repeat and examine carefully in short sections. Mark phrases & work through the most difficult one first. Work through the section slowly without mistakes.  Repeat correctly with concentration. Don’t repeat mindlessly.  Never practice with a mistake – not even once. Our fingers

tend to remember what we do the very 1st time do something. For each 1 time that you play something wrong, you need to

play it 7 times correctly to undo the damage. Try to remember the corrections from your lessons and

practice them correctly.  It is very important to practice immediately after your lesson

while you still remember your corrections. 

5.  Break The Piece Into Sections And Focus On Each Section Individually. 

Each time you make a mistake….Stop! Examine your mistake.  Figure out the reason for your mistake before

you start correcting it, especially the technical problems. 

6.  Focus On The Problem Areas

If you encounter a very difficult section in your piece: Practice that section by itself hands alone.  Don’t continue before you straighten out the

problems. 

7.  You Should Not Practice More Than Two Hours At A Time. 

Take a short break after 1 hour or if you feel tired.  You won’t be able to concentrate if you continue to practice for a long time.  Taking a short break is good for you. 

8.  Practice Slowly But Not Mechanically

75% of practice @ 75% of finished speed This doesn’t mean you should play like a machine.  Always keep the music & expression in mind.  Always practice with dynamics & phrasing. Always balance melody & Accompaniment.

9.  Work Very, Very hard

Piano Playing Requires So Many Qualities Intelligence, Spirit, Wisdom, Emotion, Imagination

& Physical Skill  To get all of these elements to work for you, you

need to work very, very hard. 

10.  Manage Your Time

Everybody is busy….But everyone has the same 24 hours in a day.  Manage your time well, you will have enough

time for all the things you want to do.  You must make time for daily practice if you want

to play well.