Most optimum time for a Practice session

[kghayesh]

I am quite confused these days because most of the time I am at home and so i can practice a lot, but i had some problem.

I don't know how to organize my practice... Say for example i am planning to practice for 6 hours this day. I can make them in 6 one-hour sessions or in 3 two-hour sessions or evem all in one 6-hours session!! The time of the sessions may vary, for example i can make a 1 two-hour session then 3 one-hour ones followed by a couple of 30 min...

So, options are many and everything is possible. All I want to know is what is the best and most optimum time for a practice session so that you get most of it ??

[barnowl]

I'm in the same boat as you, kghayesh, and my money says the responses will come down to:

1. Whatever schedule is most effective for you.
2. But loooong practice sessions are probably less effective than shorter ones - like an hour or two at a clip, a break, another hour or two, etc. Hell, I think Gould said he practiced just an hour or two a day.

I'd be interested in how you break down your practing - how much time you spend on scales, drills, music, and so on.

[emmdoubleew]

Too long of a good thing is a bad t hing. I'd say 1 hour practice sections max, ideally 2 or 3 of them. Your brain pretty much stops takin information after a while.

[tyler_johnson]

Don't put a time limit on it.  It's kind of like taking a crap; when you're done, you just kinda know.

[barnowl]

Don't put a time limit on it.  It's kind of like taking a crap; when you're done, you just kinda know.

Funniest post I've seen here so far. And so true!!!!!

Thanks!! 

[nomis]

I am quite confused these days because most of the time I am at home and so i can practice a lot, but i had some problem.

I don't know how to organize my practice... Say for example i am planning to practice for 6 hours this day. I can make them in 6 one-hour sessions or in 3 two-hour sessions or evem all in one 6-hours session!! The time of the sessions may vary, for example i can make a 1 two-hour session then 3 one-hour ones followed by a couple of 30 min...

So, options are many and everything is possible. All I want to know is what is the best and most optimum time for a practice session so that you get most of it ??

You shouldn't really set a time limit...have a list of things that you want done and try to achieve them by the end of the session. However, ideally, you shouldn't spend more than 20 minutes on one thing, as you will be likely to be wasting your time.

[ada]

I find the less time you have to practice the more efficient you are. (Unless you are a professional concert pianist, in which case you'd approach practicing like a full time job.) This applies generally to time management, the busier you are the more you seem to achieve.

The only time I get to practice is 5am -7am or 9.30pm to midnight. This means I'll get between about 1 and 4 hours a day (at the very longest), usually between 1.5 and 2, and often I'm hanging out to play during the day.

But I make every minute of that time count.

If I had all day to practice I don't think I'd use the time as well. It's a nice thought, but I suspect the reality doesn't live up to the idea.

[choykaiwen]

The Value of the Morning Hour above any other time is not generally appreciated. Th mental freshness gained from sleep is a tremendous help.

So says Josef Hoffmann.