Practice Techniques

Practice Techniques

Remember that discipline is not a dirty word. The gift of discipline is a lifelong present to your children. Practicing an hour everyday will not make them hate the piano. On the contrary, the better they play, the more they enjoy music.


Assignments:
There are many ways to practice a piece. Here are just a few suggestions:

1. Get warmed up with a scale to check hand position- five finger or in octaves, according to your ability.
2. Begin 8 measures, then 16 measures, etc. from the end of a song, instead of always beginning at the beginning.
3. Play the piece at least three times a day. If it is a difficult song, try playing only 2 m., 4 m. 8 measures at a time, but repeat these numorous times.
4. Play the scale of the piece first and the I,IV, V chords. If you are more advanced, arpeggios and scales in 4 octaves for speed.
5. Break the piece into left hand and right hand practice.
6. Create your own music. Improvise for at least 5 minutes a day.

Just read new music for the fun of it. Listen to a lot of music. Try Leif Ove Andsnes, piano,http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wmc-Ga8R3gA