How do you practice?

[bernadette60614]

Those who can teach and they also do....!

How do you, as teachers, practice?

[danhuyle]

When you're passionate about what you're doing, you'll commit more time to practicing.

I'm one of many pianists who has "all the time" they could ever ask for.

[bernadette60614]

Anyone else?

[keypeg]

You're asking teachers how they practice.  There are some differences.   The teacher already has all the skills and knowledge.  She will have general technique, while a student might be learning how to use pedal for the first time (or anything else).  She will know how to read music, know her chords, while the student is still acquiring these things.  So in that sense practising won't be the same.  For working on a piece, I think some elements will be similar.

I'm still a student, so I don't know if it's appropriate for me to give an answer here, but since there haven't been any I'll risk it.

I started working on a new piece.  The first thing I did was to go through it, analyze it for understanding it. For example, there's a note that is held and is written as an Eb and continues being held but is written as D#.  The middle notes of that chord are held for 3 beats while the chord changes, with the other notes descending.  Understanding these details helps.  I also see that my piece repeats the same themes in different keys, and other patterns.  I went over this with my teacher.

The way I've been taught to work, I divide the piece into smaller sections of maybe 6 - 8 measures.  I chunk smaller sections in those sections, and work only on notes and fingering first time round, going backward.  (m. 42 - m. 41 going into 42 etc. - maybe larger chunks if it's easy.)  That's a kind of groundwork, so that this part is familiar and automatic.  I've done that part.

Next is a "layer" which means a technical or musical element.  I'm learning to release notes and let my hands and arms move (that's the student part - I used to be fingery).  So I'm working on small sections, on when to pedal, how soon I can release a note or the hand, and learning not to dig in with held notes. --- Once this has become automatic, I'll work on dynamics, timing (possible rubato), interpretation.  These are also layers.  The layers are done in sections, the sections are brought together, and I usually have a play-through.

Besides this, as a student I'm pursuing some skills that I need to get: reading, some technical things that I don't have yet, playing various chord types up and down the piano.

[bernadette60614]

Excellent!  Very much what I need to know!

[keypeg]

Excellent!  Very much what I need to know!

Check your PM for the rest of it.   

[bernadette60614]

Thank you, kegpeg. I'm not quite certain how to respond on PM so I wanted to thank you here!

I'm still in pursuit of a teacher who will work with me the way yours does with you.  I believe I'm getting closer....

[keypeg]

Pms have "reply" just above them.  That opens a window.