Looking for advice on practice schedule

[sannya]

TL;DR: I turned to the dark side AI to help plan my piano practice and journey. I sincerely ask for your help to validate it so I don't blindly follow.

For context, I'm an adult learner who have been learning to play piano by myself on and off for a while. I can read music score in both treble and bass clefs thanks to basic music education from school, can sight read slowly super simple pieces. Recently I've started taking lessons from a great but old school teacher, whose focus a great deal on tone production, arm weight and relaxation technique, as well as dynamics and phrasing. The way she train me is through super simple passages (think Piano Adventure 1 for kids) and technical exercises (think Hanon but with dynamics and phrasing). Which is great for correct the bad habits I gave myself over the self-taught years, but I do practice about 2hr daily so I got bored after the first 3-4 days with just the work from the piano lessons. I did ask her once on how I should structure my 2hr daily practice, and she was kind of dismissive but said I can practice my own pieces on top of whatever she gave me to fill the time. I started Bach Invention 1 about a week ago on my own, and find it's great for practicing hand independence, which is not a focus of my teacher at the moment.

So I got curious. I admitted that I turned to the dark side of AI asked Chat GPT about what other piano skills that I should be building, and ask it to write a sample practice schedule for me to incorporate those skills at my level. I kinda like it. I sincerely hope you can help me to critique it to make sure it is not only machine hallucination.

On piano skills:
Below are the pillars + the ideal pieces for your current stage.

1. Hand Independence (Voice Separation & Contrapuntal Control)
Why: Essential for Bach inventions, Mozart clarity, Chopin inner voicing, Ravel textures.
 Your lessons aren’t focusing on this, so you’re smart to supplement yourself.
Techniques to Practice

• Bring out a melodic line in one hand while the other plays accompaniment softly
• Staggered entrances (canon-style playing)
• Legato in one hand, staccato in the other
• Slow practice focusing on “who is singing”

Ideal Pieces for Your Level
Bach

• Invention No. 1 (great choice!)
• Invention No. 4 (slightly harder, excellent for independence)
• Invention No. 8 (flowing RH, steady LH)

Kabalevsky
Prelude Op. 38 No. 6 — crisp lines, independent hands.

Clementi
Sonatina Op. 36 No. 1 — simple but teaches balance beautifully.

2. Articulation Control (Staccato, Legato, Portato, Finger Precision)
Why: Needed for Mozart & Beethoven; cleans up technique; prevents “mushy” playing.
Techniques

• Scales in staccato + legato contrasts
• Finger staccato vs. wrist staccato
• Light alberti bass patterns
• Detached phrasing without tension

Pieces at Your Level
Classical

• Haydn Minuet in G Major (from Hob. IX)
• Beethoven Sonatina in G Major (Anh. 5 No.1)
• Kuhlau Sonatina Op. 55 No.1 (excellent Classical articulation training)

Burgmüller
Op. 100 No. 3 (“La Candeur”) — light articulation
Op. 100 No. 14 (“Styrienne”) — crisp and dance-like

3. Rhythmic Control & Coordination (Evenness, Motor Skill, Tempo)
Why: Mozart/Beethoven require exact control, and later Chopin/Ravel require rhythmic fluidity but internal stability.
Techniques

• Metronome pyramid practice
• Different rhythms on same pattern (long-short, short-long)
• LH–RH coordination drills

Pieces
Czerny Op. 849 (a step up from 599): Start with Nos. 1–5 for evenness and coordination
Kabalevsky: Easy Variations Op. 40 — superb for rhythmic clarity
Bartók: Mikrokosmos, Vol. 2–3 (excellent modern rhythmic instincts)

 4. Ornamentation & Classical Phrasing Skill
Why: Essential for Mozart K.331/K.310, Bach embellishments, Chopin trills and turns.
Techniques

• Slow trill practice without tension
• Grace note articulation (before-the-beat vs. on-the-beat)
• RH poetical shaping
• Two-note slurs (hugely important!)

Pieces
Bach

• Minuet in G (BWV Anh. 116)
• Minuet in G minor (BWV Anh. 115) — great for ornaments

Mozart: Tutorial pieces with simple appoggiaturas, such as Nannerl Notebook Minuets

Burgmüller: Op. 100 No. 7 (“Innocence”) — two-note slurs and grace notes

5. Tone Color & Expression (Your Teacher’s Specialty)
You’re already getting this, which is excellent.
But you can support it with musically satisfying short pieces that let you apply expressive playing.
Pieces
Schumann – Kinderszenen (your earlier question)

• No. 1, 4, 5, 8 — perfect for you right now
• No. 7 (Träumerei) — stretch goal in a few months

Grieg – Lyric Pieces (easy selections)

• Arietta Op. 12 No.1
• Waltz Op. 12 No.2

6. Pedaling Control & Tone Layering
You don’t get much pedaling in Czerny or Hanon, so supplement it.
Techniques

• Half-pedal
• Clear pedal changes between harmonies
• Balancing layered textures with pedal

Pieces
Tchaikovsky – Album for the Young
Morning Prayer (pedal delicately)
Sweet Dream

Grieg (same as above)
 Easier Chopin Preludes
Op. 28 No. 4 (E minor) — perfect for learning clean pedaling
(suggested schedule in comment)

[sannya]

On weekly schedule:
Here’s a realistic weekly structure that balances:

• Teacher requirements
• Your personal goals (independence, technique variety, repertoire)
• 2–3 hours/day practice
• Avoiding injury and over-training

Below is a very practical plan you can adopt immediately.

Daily Structure (2–3 hrs total)
0. Warmup (10–15 min) — required by teacher

• Scales (1–2 keys): slow + medium
• Hanon (1–2 patterns): your teacher’s focus → tone, arm weight, relaxation
• 2-note slur exercise: to apply tone + phrasing

This fulfills your teacher’s technical goals without taking too long.

Then do 3 Blocks (each 20–30 min)
Choose from the categories below.
This allows you to fit teacher homework and your own growth.

BLOCK A — Teacher Homework Block (20–30 min)
Czerny Op. 599 (your assigned pieces)
Piano Adventures Kids Book 1

Focus on shaping, tone, phrasing exactly as teacher wants
Treat this like “clean tone practice”
This makes sure you're meeting teacher expectations fully.

BLOCK B — Your Current Project Piece (30–40 min)
Right now: Bach Invention No. 1
Purpose:

• independence
• clarity
• articulation
• coordination

Break it into micro-sections, hands separate, etc.
Put this block when you feel mentally strongest, because Inventions require focus.

BLOCK C — Supplement / Musicianship Repertoire (20–30 min)
You choose 1 piece at a time, rotating weekly.
Choose ONE from the categories:
1. Expression + Tone (complements your teacher)
Schumann Kinderszenen 1 or 4
Burgmüller Op. 100 No. 3, 8, 10
Schumann Album for the Young No. 1, 2

2. Rhythm + Articulation
Burgmüller Op. 100 No. 2 (Arabesque)
Gurlitt Op. 101 No. 7 or 17

3. Light Classical
Kuhlau Sonatina Op. 20 No. 1 (first movement)
Clementi Op. 36 No. 1 Allegro

4. Ornamentation + Baroque Light Pieces
Bach Minuets
Bartók Mikrokosmos Book 2 (great for rhythm + ear)

You only need 1 of these pieces at a time — but choose one that develops a skill not emphasized in your teacher's homework.