Helping pianists improve

[rhimmon]

Hi everyone,

Being both a professional pianist and teacher myself, I am trying to improve the productivity, efficiency, and satisfaction of practicing the piano. It would help me to understand any input from fellow pianists and/or piano teachers on:

If you had a magic wand, what would the ideal experience practicing piano look like?

(e.g., problems you want solved, things that work great for you and/or your students and you want more of, missing things you wish you had, etc.)

Any input -- *even if it's just one thought* -- would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you,
Rhimmon

[keypeg]

Rhimmon, it would be interesting to read some of your first thoughts on this to get the ball rolling.  Otherwise we're doing all the work, and don't really get to know you.   

[jamienc]

The post above is accurate, but I’ll bite…

Sound on the piano is generated by how your body initiates that sound, so craft your practice around your physical gestures as opposed to the opposite, which is to assess the sound you make after having forgotten how you made it.

[pianocavs]

Hi, rhimmon.
I am a piano teacher, and I have been pursuing the same goals you mention.
I have found some key points that have facilitated the understanding and progress of my students.
I wrote and published a book called “Music Theory Applied to the Piano” that I use for my classes.
It is a bilingual (English / Spanish) book at introductory level.

What is most closely related to gaining productivity and efficiency when practicing piano, especially for beginners, is on pages 303, 304, 305, 315, 316, 317, 318, 319, 320, 368, 369 and in the examples such as those on pages 536 or 538 that can be executed on the MuseScore platform by clicking on the blue arrows included in the book that open the scores on said platform.

The rest of the topics included in the book can also help indirectly.
Although this book is at an elementary level, you may want to take a look at it.
You can download it for free from the following website:

https://piano-maps.com/libro-book-download

It is in pdf format.
Any comments will be greatly appreciated.

[rhimmon]

@keypeg: fair point. my ideal practice session boils down to a few things that help to keep me focused and engaged. I need a structured routine. I like knowing exactly what I’m working on. whether it’s technique, repertoire, or prepping for a performance, or even sight reading, improv, or composing. I like a lot of things, but at any given moment, some sort of structure keeps me from wandering off and just noodling around.

To that end, I like to set specific goals for each session. whether it's working through a tough section or sharpening up some tricky fingering. I need something concrete to aim for.

Also, variety is a huge one for me. I get bored doing the same thing over and over, so I like to mix it up. it could be as simple as switching between pieces, changing focus areas, or sometimes just improvising to break things up. Breaks are crucial also, especially to avoid injury like RSI.

I try to stay mindful in each session because I know I don't want to be mindlessly running through pieces; I really want to be digging into what I’m working on and why. It helps me stay present and actually get better -- instead of just putting in time.

One thing I really love is when I get into a flow state. that's when time just flies and I’m fully absorbed in the music. I'm referring to the flow state from Csikszentmihalyi's book "Flow"... I definitely feel that sense of losing track of time when everything is clicking--those are the best sessions.

At the end of the day, I want to make sure I'm enjoying myself. that's a huge thing for me. practice can be tough, but finding moments of joy in the music is where it's at.

That’s just my take on what makes a good practice session for me. I know everyone’s different, but I figured I’d throw my two cents in.

@jamienc: well said

@ pianocavs: that's awesome. I'll def check that out and let you know my thoughts

[momopi]

Hi, rhimmon.
I am a piano teacher, and I have been pursuing the same goals you mention.
I have found some key points that have facilitated the understanding and progress of my students.
I wrote and published a book called “Music Theory Applied to the Piano” that I use for my classes.
It is a bilingual (English / Spanish) book at introductory level.

What is most closely related to gaining productivity and efficiency when practicing piano, especially for beginners, is on pages 303, 304, 305, 315, 316, 317, 318, 319, 320, 368, 369 and in the examples such as those on pages 536 or 538 that can be executed on the MuseScore platform by clicking on the blue arrows included in the book that open the scores on said platform.

The rest of the topics included in the book can also help indirectly.
Although this book is at an elementary level, you may want to take a look at it.
You can download it for free from the following website:

https://piano-maps.com/libro-book-download

It is in pdf format.
Any comments will be greatly appreciated.

Great book, thank you!

[lostinidlewonder]

What is a pianist? Highly advanced trained one or the average piano student? For the average student keeping them engaged and enjoying the learning process is paramount, for the well trained pianist they often are highly motivated already.

 Since the largest sample space of students is the former the priority is then to simply to keep them engaged and actively wanting to play and practice the piano. There's absolutely nothing wrong with breaking tradition and using modern tools for that. I think as teachers we are all the more effective if we embrace modern tools such as learning through apps and AI assistance.

We also should engage students with repertoire they enjoy, we certainly dont need to do the traditional pathway too. This requires teachers being able to arrange exciting pieces on the fly for students in lessons so they can play their favorite tunes. Heck thats why am I doing so much Kpop demon hunters songs now lol.

[jonathannyc]

Hello Rhimmon,

For myself, I do not have an 'ideal' practice session, only the intention of acquiring more skill with a composition, and if I have done that in a practice session, then it was a good workout.

We can choose different goals on different days: learning another 8 or 16 measures of a new piece, refining passages we already know, or resolving specific technical problems, and so forth. Clarity of goal, with a defined set of methods to achieve it, will determine our success.

From my perspective as a teacher, everything depends upon the student's intentions, age, and skill level.

I no longer teach children, but I have taught hundreds over the years, and their progress is more dependent on a highly engaged parent than on any teacher. If the parent is not involved, the game is over.

With adults, the issue of intentions is equally important. If they are taking piano lessons as an end in itself, as a pleasant cultural excursion for an hour, practicing will not be a priority for them.

For adults who are serious-minded, ambitious, and like to practice, all good things are possible. For them, as for myself, clarity of goal is the top priority, then defining the exact techniques we use to achieve that goal. It's always case-specific.

Best regards.
___________________
https://www.bakerpianolessons.com/