AMOUNT of daily practice

[cziffra]

How much do you guys practice per day?

I have read many different recommended "hours-" horowitz needed 4, liszt more than 8, chopin and hummel forbade more than 3, some say practice as much as is needed, not a specific hour amount, yet often i can go for something like 3 or 4 hours and not even finish half of what i need!  and i concentrate quite fully the entire time and yet i don't get everything done, which kinda makes the 3 hours i did spend on it all seem pretty useless.  like painting half a wall- what's the point if you don't paint it all?  

is it bad to not get all of what you want fully finished, even if you're concentrating and spending ages on it?

perhaps a better question is how do you go about tackling a very large amount of pieces in with a minimum of daily practice, like 3 hours as chopin says.  it seems impossible, and i feel inefficient and lazy.  

i'd love to get some feedback and other ways to think about daily practice from other people.
Thanks.

[Celeste]

What's wrong with painting half a wall? Paint the other half the next day. Also, even though you think you might be concentrated, maybe your not. Take breaks. It might help you accomplish more. Don't take too long of breaks, or else your hands won't be warmed up. Don't worry about the amount of work you will get done. Just do it; you will make yourself nervous and frantic if you try to get too much done. Ever tried to do something really fast, but you end doing it much slower. That's what will happen.

[amee]

Dear vindin,

Even though you cannot finish all your pieces in your practice time, you are still improving on the pieces you have worked on.  Practice the others the next day.  

How much time you need to practice really depends on your own preference and concentration.  Some people can go for hours and hours without stopping; others need frequent breaks.  

I've been reading Josef Hofmann's book, Piano Playing with Piano Questions Answered, and in there he recommends no more than two hours practicing at a stretch, with a five minute break every 30 minutes.  He also says morning is the best time to practice because you're mind is fresh.

Don't practice when you are frustrated, angry, or tired.  If you do, you won't improve at all and it could have the opposite effect.  

[rachfan]

Hi Celeste:

Those are all good answers above.  Practice needs vary by the individual, difficulty of the pieces, efficiency of the practice method, skillful listening, and unwavering focus.  So there is no one correct answer to the question of "how long should I practice".   You've already identified the key element on your own, and that's concentration.  

I find in my own case (when I used to be able to practice, which I can't now due to some constraints), a four hour session was perfect for me.  For someone else, it might be two or perhaps five hours.  But the moment you start thinking of something during practice other than the score, or extraneous matters start bombarding your mind, and you can't refocus, then that's the time to quit for the day.  Just as that's happening, you'll notice you're making silly mistakes too.  It doesn't matter whether you finished your planned agenda or not.  As long as you practiced intelligently, attentively, and very carefully, the dividend will be paid the next day and for the days to come as you continue to practice that piece.    

[10Fingers]

Quantity is not that important.
The quality of your practise will determine how good you'll improve technique as well as musical understanding.
If you are a beginner, I'd recommend no more than 1 hour per day. If you're intermediate 2 hours would be appropriate (that's how much I practise), but it's very hard to concentrate that long.
Just take your time at a sunday and try to hit 4-6 hours of serious practise, it's really hard and exhausting!

regards, Thi  

[ThEmUsIcMaNBJ]

I practice for 6-8 hours a day....  With 5-10 minute breaks inbetween every 2 hours...  I seem to get everything done, but everyonce in a while I'll have MASSIVE homework one day (im in highschool), and theres no way I can even attempt to practice that day...  In that case that whole week is screwed for me and I get nothing done...  Hopefully I can fix that in the future ^^

[chopinetta]

I practice a lot of times a day, like a minimum of 3 times... every practice time is around an hour or so... so that's it...

[BoliverAllmon]

I agree, it depends on the person. I personally have a very hard time practicing for more than an hour at a time. I start to feel burned out around the hour mark. Maybe from concentrating so hard. I do get alot of work done though in an hour. I learned the first 2 pages and memorized them from Alla Turca in an hour. I believe the real work comes from the mind. Mental practice is probably the most important practice. I continually play the piece in my head over and over. Once your brain knows what to do the fingers just seem to respond and work accordingly. I only actually sit and play the piano for about an hour, maybe another hour later that day, but I am practicing all the time during the day.

BoliverAllmon

[JTownley]

My 2 cents for what it's worth. I've been on both sides of the spectrum. I find that I reach a saturation point where more practice does me absolutely no good at all. Check out some of my piano videos at http://www.JoeTownley.com    I got there in two years w/ only 1-2 hours a day. Couse I had some technique before a 20-year layoff. Most practice should be going to extending your repertoire, not trying to make your technique better. That only comes with time. Helene Grimaud says she does most of her practicing AWAY from the piano.

[Davek]

BoliverAllmon very true, i had an hour of practice today and i was working on the chopin ballade in g minor and i was soo surprised how much i got done, and it was sooo great.    

[amee]

Josef Hofmann said there were 4 ways of playing the piano;

at the piano with the music, at the piano without the music, away from the piano with the music, and away from the piano without the music.  

Also wherever he was, Artur Rubinstein was constantly drumming his fingers on whatever was nearest at hand - the back of a chair, a table, anything he could reach.

[chopinetta]

that's really funny, amee. sometimes, when i'm in the classroom bored, i do that too. i like drumming and tapping my fingers on something, imagining the piano in front of me, and humming as well. so that makes it, away from the piano with the music!

[roxy_chick]

i pratice for 4 hours a day

if  i dont i feel really bad

clarissa

[d1musicman]

When I was in my method classes becoming a teacher someone told me that people can concentrate for their age in minutes. (if you're 12 years old, you can concentrate for 12 minutes). Thats' why kids are so jumpy; they can't concentrate very long. I'm sure there are exceptions to the rule.

Even though I'm almost 30, I only practice for 20 minutes at a time. After 20 minutes I take a 5-10 minute break and then go back to practicing. It gives my brain a chance to relax and re-charge. I don't usually practice for more than 2hours a day (5-20 minute sessions), but it wouldn't be to hard to go longer because I don't get tired with frequent breaks (mentaly or physically).  I will play through an entire piece that is longer than 20 minutes, but that's not practicing, that's performing (or practicing the performance) which is different from regular practice.

I don't know if that makes sense, but it's my 2 cents...

[10Fingers]

Musicman,

you have made very good points, that's exactly the way I practise. It's important to take a brake as soon as concentration vanishes.  

Take care!

Thi

[jonathandodd]

With a heavy homework schedule+cello practise to do as well, I practise a measly 1-2 hours a day  

[DepravedPianist]

:-/
Come now ladies and gentleboys. Am I not the only one to find this post to be rather useless. I would sure hope that you all have now come to realize that you will practice as much as is necessaryly required to get to the skill level that you desire. Practice is a discipline, and like practicing the piano, we likewise must practice at practicing properly. Some things to keep in mind is that you must never play the piano carelessly; regardless of where you are and who is or isn't watching. Another things is to practice everything as if it where the most difficult thing you have ever practiced. If you practice a technical spot in your studies carelessly it can take days to undo it with dilligent practice.

In regards to practicing your age, ie i'm 21 so I should theoretically practice only 21 minutes do to some deficite in self disipline or whatever. I think this theory is complete nonsense. I'm no super human, believe you me, and at the university where I attend it is quite common for myself as well as others to practice from breakfast till dark. Stopping only for food and restroom use. And before I got here I absolutely loved studying all day. Please I will reiterate once more, I am no superhuman. I simply have placed the piano as my second highest priority second only to Christ Jesus.

I believe that we all can create great art, with MUCH practice. But one last thing to keep in mind is a tidbit from the genius that was Glenn Gould.

"The purpose of art is not the momentary ejection of adrenaline, but rather the gradual lifelong construction of a state of serenity and wonder."

Good Night

[BoliverAllmon]

Here is what my teacher says about practicing. She says that it doesn't really matter how much time you spend on practicing, but rather how many times you practice the passage or piece. She tells me that no matter what you don't get up from the piano until you have practiced the piece or passage a minimum of 3 times. Now, you can continue after the 3 or you can come back later and do 3 more, but you have to do at least 3 times.

BoliverAllmon

[amee]

My daily practice time fluctuates - sometimes I can do 4 or 5 hours, sometimes only about 90 minutes a day.  Usually my practice time is in between somewhere.  

Arrau said his teacher when he was younger made him stay away from the piano for a month during the summer to prevent him going 'stale' over practicing.  He stated it was always an experience when he got back to the piano.

[chopinetta]

my practice time usually depends on how long i get the passages right. i think it depends on the persons' needs.

[guitarwolf]

I practice 4-6 hrs a daybut recently pinched a nerve I think in my left pinky finger. Its tingly and hurts a little. Has anyone else ever had this happen to them? If so how can I prevent it in the future, its already set me back a day.

[BoliverAllmon]

I know my friend dislocated his pinkie finger. It took a while to heal completely. The main reason was because he wouldn't stop playing the piano. What would help those is to massage the finger and the whole hand. It helps loosen everything up and get the kinks out. The biggest thing to remember is not to rush things or you will be out for an even greater amount of time.

boliverallmon

[ThEmUsIcMaNBJ]

How can someone only practice an hour or 2 a day, and still get a lot done?  I practice 3 or 4 times more than that and still wish I had more time...  I have to practice 5 pieces at a time right now plus the warm up...  And in a 6 hour practice session that only gives me about an hour a piece.  If I only did two hours that would only give me like 10-15 minutes a piece!    I guess if you take out the hour warm-up u get more done...  just doesn't seem like enough though...

[dreamaurora]

Musicman, I do not really agree what you say. But anyway, everyone is entitled to their opinions. One thing you have to note is that more hours spent on the piano DOES NOT EQUAL that you will have quality time practicing. I do practice 6 hours a day, but not many people have the luxury of doing that because of working or study commitments. The more realistic amount of time people will spend on piano will be 1-3 hours per day. Its not the amount of hour that counts , but its what you do during the hours that count. You mention you practice 5 pieces everyday, anyway, I don't believe in practicing too many pieces at once. All the concert pianists I met so far, including my teacher, practice at maximum only 1 or 2 pieces one day, and the rest of the completed pieces for their performances they will go through only once or twice everyday.

Focus is extremely important in pieces, only by focusing you can focus maximum music making. By having a lot of time devoted solely to a single piece, you will have ample amount of time to analyse and 'feel' the piece you are practicing, and also doing your homework on the background of the music helps a lot, and also, never ever continue practicing a piece more than one week without guidance of a teacher; if you have musical and technical errors, they will be harder to erase.

I have followed this method of practice , with music making my aim priority. Many people seem to forget this in practice, their goals is just to play as many notes as possible, but frankly speaking, sounds really horrible.

Believe, 1-3 of practice hours spend wisely making music is much more rewarding that 6 hours of continuous practice trying just to master the notes.

Cheers

[ThEmUsIcMaNBJ]

I never said that I sit there and practice badly for 6 hours...  I just said I don't see how you can do a lot in 2 hours...  And of course I have guidence from a teacher every week for every piece.  And if practicing one piece for an hour is not enough time to get "into" it then practicing that hour or two would not be enough to do good practice.  Because 5 pieces I spend an hour on each usually, with great focus and concentration.  But if an hour is not enough as you said then you already answered my question that 2 hours a day is far from enough to get anything done.

[Franz_Liszt]

I usually practice 3-4 hours a day, with the most being 6 hours. Practice seems to be faster when I concentrate. I usually spend 7-8% on Sight Reading, 5% on Technique, and the rest on Repertoire.