Why We Practice
Wednesday, February 28, 2024 by Billy Roberts | Piano
Daily practice requires motivation.When I talk about daily practice, I am simply referring to a routine that we do four to five days per week. Most students benefit from a couple of days to simply take care of whatever else is going on in their lives. Still, three questions must be considered, even if not spoken: What is our motivation for a daily routine? How much should we practice? Why do we practice to begin with?
I believe that the best motivator is a sense of confidence that one is making progress and doing something worthwhile. Method books provide a steady pace at which beginners and intermediate students can see their progress over time. Interspersing a few challenging repertoire pieces along the way can help them gain a sense of competence. Competence fuels confidence, which fuels motivation. Candy and sticker sheets also help, especially with younger children. Advanced students can sense progress by recognizing that gaps in their technique continue to be filled. Students at all levels know they are progressing as they continue to amass a variety of pieces that they can play for family and friends.
The next question is how much practice time is enough. I recommend 20-25 minute sessions as a minimum daily routine, and this is often enough for beginning and intermediate students. There are two reasons that this works well. First of all, four to five sessions per week is sufficient to develop good habits and technique, but by not pushing for long sessions this helps develop a routine that students can stick with. Secondly, twenty minutes is long enough to strengthen the right muscles if done consistently, but it is a short enough period of time to not promote injury.
I personally love it when I have an hour and a half to two hours to practice in one block, but I’m not constantly playing that whole time. Taking plenty of rests when I sense that any muscles are being overworked, alternating hands during difficult passagework, mentally practicing by occasionally just reading the score without playing, and occasionally getting up for a good stretch are all ways that I get the most from a longer session. For a short session, typically 20 to 25 minutes, a student should spend the first 5 to 10 minutes with scales, Fingerpower, Dozen a Day, or similar exercises. This still allows 15 minutes to focus on the music during the remaining time.
With short sessions being the norm, many busy students wonder when they should do theory. Teachers who give prizes for the number of minutes practiced typically count theory homework as practice time. I feel like if you only have 20 minutes at the piano, then theory is something to be done another time. But, it needs to be done. If you really don’t have any other time, it’s worth taking time away from your fingers one day per week in order to get it done. Thus, there is a balance, and theory assignments should be kept to a manageable length. Most students need some theory taught to them during lesson time. It is not sufficient to simply send the book home and ask them to learn it on their own.
In summary, a balance of method book pieces and challenging repertoire keeps students motivated along with a daily routine that builds confidence. Students should be encouraged to keep up this routine four to five days per week, and a little candy after a good lesson doesn’t hurt. This will lead to steady progress over the long term. In the end, progressing steadily but surely will lead to confident performances. Both the end results and the journey itself should each be a part of why we practice.
