How do your objectives as a performer inform and shape your practice technique? (Part 2)

How do your objectives as a performer inform and shape your practice technique? (Part 2)

Smart Practice

No good performance happens without a good practicing routine. However, this is often misinterpreted as having to practice long hours. On the contrary, although more practice hours should of course be beneficial, I strongly believe in the importance of ‘smart practice’ over ‘lots of practice’.

Do you spend hours practising the piano and don’t see any improvement in your playing? During piano lessons I teach my students how to write an effective practising schedule.

From the beginning we have to have a clear idea of how we want the piece to sound. Regular repetition builds our self-esteem and confidence and it’s important to practise both small sections and the piece as a whole.

According to Steve Peters “Security and confidence stabilise happiness, therefore they are important to establish. There are two choices for confidence: to base your confidence on your belief in your ability, or to base it on doing your best. You can never guarantee what you can achieve and therefore (…) you will constantly see the threat of failure. You can guarantee to make the best effort (…) and have full control. This will mean you see life as full of opportunities.’’

A clear and targeted approach to my practice ensures that I am getting the most out of my valuable practice time and that I am working towards achieving my overall objectives as a performer. This is especially true and important if you have lots of other commitments such as teaching work, studies and not to mentioned real life. I have often in the past taken on too many projects or projects that are grouped very closely together which have often diluted my practice time, focus and ability. Having learnt this lesson from bitter experience, not only do I always try to use my practice time wisely, but I also ensure that I don’t have other commitments which may affect my time and ability to properly prepare for that given performance.

Please get in touch if you’re looking for piano lessons London to help you with memory lapses and to learn how to practice effectively.