Best time to practice?

[in_love_with_liszt]

I just was thinking for a second about what would be concidered the "best" time of the day to practice piano. Old guidlines dating back to before the 19th century suggest that children practice in the morning. Although in the morning I tend to have a bit more energy and a fresh mind, at night(sometimes really late at night) I find I have much more passion, feeling, and romance, even if I'm a bit fatigued. I'm guessing this depends on the person...

[Clare]

Yeah - I sort of have the same feeling. I really enjoy doing the nitty gritty things in the morning, like practice scales and studies and little technically challenging things, but in the evening, I like to do things like perform a piece to myself or others, and I really love doing sightreading then too.

[donjuan]

Sometimes in the morning, I cant really get my fingers moving too fast, too soon.  However, I find the piano sounds best in the morning, and worst around noon.
hmmm funny...
donjuan

[belvoce]

I prefer to practice at night.

[thierry13]

I don't like practicing the morning... not enough waked up   The afternoon, yeah it's good, but the best is really at night. The problem is that i have a brother who go to sleep at 9(PM). So i rarely have the occasion practicing at night ! But when i can i really love that  

[janice]

I agree with Clare, that it seems like morning is best to get the nitty-gritty stuff out of the way.  I do like 30-45 minutes of Hanon, scales, arpeggios, etc. in the morning, to get warmed up for the day.  I can't do anything that causes for thought in the morning!  I'm not a pleasant person before noon!!  Chat starts at 11am, so I am a grouch for an hour! LOL

[Tash]

i generally practice in the morning during weekends and holidays cos i find it a good way to start the day (good before studying for exams too cos it gets your concentration going). but then if i'm at uni or in the past was at school then i'll come home, eat something and do one then- they tend to be quite productive.

i can imagine night practices would be good however i can't do them cos my parents would go nuts. but i like to do art at night and always produce the best stuff then, so i guess the night is good for doing everything well (and thus the reason why piano recitals are usually held in the evening)

[Motrax]

Well, I'd say piano recitals are held in the evening more because people have work during the day than anything else.

Morning practice is wonderful. So is afternoon practice, and evening practice is perfect too.

It's probably more appropriate for me to say when I can't practice, rather than when I can. I have "off-hours" where practice never seems to go well:

(Assuming I wake up at
11-1:00 is bad.
4-6:00 is bad.
8-9:00 is generally bad.
Anything after 9 is fair game.  

[Shagdac]

With my work schedule, I have to be able to practice at various times. For me, it's not so much the TIME of day that makes a difference in my practicing as it is
HOW I practice. By this I mean, I can't be too tired, too stressed, too many other things going on....as long as I am able to sit down, focus, and am feeling physically well, anytime of the day works for me!

S

[in_love_with_liszt]

For the people that want to try night practices but are prevented from doing this because of family, having the piano in the basement is great for this, if possible. Although it can be very depressing durring the day as many basements feel like steel caves. With spiders...ewww.

[f0bul0us]

Sometimes in the morning, I cant really get my fingers moving too fast, too soon.  However, I find the piano sounds best in the morning, and worst around noon.
hmmm funny...
donjuan

Hahahahhahahah! It sounds best the first few seconds after you blow your nose.

[alvaro_galvez]

Well,  I have a bit of an odd schedule.
I get home at around 6 PM and practice until 9:30 PM, then I get up at 6:00 AM and practice until I got to school 7:20 AM.

I just have to take a bath before practicing and I do fine with everything.

[donjuan]

Well,  I have a bit of an odd schedule.
I get home at around 6 PM and practice until 9:30 PM, then I get up at 6:00 AM and practice until I got to school 7:20 AM.

I just have to take a bath before practicing and I do fine with everything.

Iam just curious, but you arent at school from 7:20 AM to 6:00 PM, are you?
donjuan

[alvaro_galvez]

Nope, until 3, but I have tennis lessons and I go to the gym.

[donjuan]

Nope, until 3, but I have tennis lessons and I go to the gym.

cool, I also play tennis!  But I prefer Table Tennis.  I found tennis too exhausting and less rewarding.  Sorry for going off topic.
donjuan