Piano Playing Tips

It must be agreed that practice should involve knowing what to practice and how to practice.  Below are some tips regarding practice which as an accomplished pianist and performer, I have found have helped when developing my playing.

1. Don’t rush. Even if the piece is a fast tempo, you should always start slowly and gradually build up tempo when you start to master the piece.

2. Break down the piece into parts. Identify the areas which require more practise and concentrate your practice on those areas. Repeat the phrases and areas which require development regularly so you brain will remember the movements of your hands and fingers and eventually you’ll be able to play the phrase from memory.

3. Vary the phrases. Once you have identified the parts of the piece that require the greater amount of practice you should practice them all rather than concentrating on one area until it is correct then moving on. It will prevent you from getting bored with the practise and will prevent too much repetition.

4. Keep the beat. Regardless of what tempo your playing, always keep the beat. If the tempo is too fast for the practise, slow down to a tempo that is regular and that you can keep correctly. This will assist your memory and will prevent you from playing incorrectly when you ultimately play the piece at the correct tempo.

5. Listen to what you’re playing. You need to hear every note, how it sounds in the phrase and when being played with the other hand. If it doesn’t sound correct but after analysis of the stave is correct then not to worry. It will be correct once all the parts of the piece have been practiced and performed together.

6. Watch what you are doing. Keep a good eye on the music resisting from looking down at the keyboard too much. The more you develop your brain to read music the easier it will become. Slight glances to the keyboard are fine but don’t watch the keyboard all the time. In fact, your memory finds it easier to remember the way the page is written rather than the keyboard. Eventually you will be able to remember visually what comes next on the page. yes on the music. 

7. Relax and enjoy. It is so important to be relaxed at the piano and to have your seating at the right height. Stiffness in your arms and shoulders won’t develop your playing and will hinder your ultimate performance. After a while of practice, stretch, have a walk around, look out of the window, have a drink, for at least 10 to 15 minutes. Then return to what you were doing at the piano. Once you have done this a couple of times, it is remarkable to see how easier it is to play parts that were proving difficult.

8. Concentrate. This is so important. It is better to do 30 minutes good practice than 1 hours bad practise. Avoid distractions – turn off the TV and phone if needs be – even making sure that the room is at a good temperature that you’re happy to play in.

9. Keep a pencil and eraser handy. Sounds strange I know but the trusty pencil can highlight areas that require attention, you can mark notes on your page, fingering etc, and the eraser? Well that obvious. Use it to change your mind with your written advice.