How to phase practice time

[martinn]

I am advancing from early intermediate to intermediate, soon I believe. When practicing I feel I need to change both my practice time and methods. Up until now I have used about 30-40 minutes a day, but I start feeling it is not enough. What is a good schedule for increasing practice with advancing ’levels’  and what type of practice will be more important ? It feels now I have so much more to achieve, so I have to hurry, and that may not be the best start for practice. Still, there is only limited leisure time. I am just an adult amateur. BTW I have increased the practice to two 30 min sessions quite some time ago, and on some days more.

[dizzyfingers]

The amount of time and how you spend it is very subjective, and can change from day to day, week to week ...  if you do some searches you'll find more posts about Practice Management.

Since it's a hobby, you should practice as much as you want ... 1 hour, 2 hours, or more.
You can always start new pieces, or perfect your old pieces, work on your technique - scales, arpeggios, etc., and read new music.

[lelle]

Everyone will have different opinions on what type of practice should be done in what proportions. Some isolated technique practice is likely useful. The most important thing is just to not over-practice and push through if you feel discomfort or are mentally too drained to practice well.

[martinn]

not over-practice and push through if you feel discomfort or are mentally too drained to practice well.

I am lucky with not feeling discomfort or strain, yet, but having too many other things to think about may well be my biggest problem.

[lostinidlewonder]

As you advance the quality of your practice, your practice method, needs to improve much more so than the time. Setting goals as to what you want to complete per session is much better than just practising and seeing how you go.

[lelle]

As you advance the quality of your practice, your practice method, needs to improve much more so than the time. Setting goals as to what you want to complete per session is much better than just practising and seeing how you go.

What do you think are some good goals to set that are reasonable to accomplish within a session?

[martinn]

What do you think are some good goals to set that are reasonable to accomplish within a session?

Those goals are different for each person and level and composition, I believe. For now I focus on the most problematical bars for me, where I have memory lapses and non-fluidity, bars where my fingers want to play the wrong notes, and where I and my teacher detect timing errors, for example. These for learnt compositions. With new material, I take something hands separate, something hands together and go slowly.