So...you want to start playing the piano? Or you want to give your child lessons? I hate to break it to you, but the success is going to depend on ONE main thing. PRACTICE. Yes, the old, completely played out Carnegie Hall joke is true.
So how do we create the habit of practice? I'm going to suggest four different things: time, location, regularity, and mind-body state.
Time: Practice the same time every day! Some students practice the best in the morning, some in the afternoon, some in the evening. This may have to do with your schedule, or your personality. But if you are having a hard time maintaining this, you just might be a morning person and not know it! I have a good friend who swears by morning practice, but is in no way a "morning person". It is just when her brain is the most primed.
Location: Practice in a place that is YOURS. It should be away from distractions, but not tucked away in a depressing, dark corner. Windows work great for practicing, televisions don't. Framed art near your piano may be inspiring. Perhaps even a meaningful memento near your piano! If you are looking for lessons for your child, emphasize that the piano is theirs, and as such, they should treat it nicely and with respect. Put it in a place where it will often be seen.
Regularity: This is more important than length of practicing. Five days a week with half an hour is much better than two days a week for an hour. Those shorter sessions may be much more concentrated and mindful. And it is much easier to create a habit if you're doing something nearly every day! This is especially important for children. I used to practice immediately after getting home every day, even before homework!
Mind-Body State: Approach the practice sessions when happy! Leave the practice sessions when happy! This will encourage you to continue with this habit and put whatever you've done in your session in your mind much more efficiently!
Even three of these is going to go quite a long ways towards to creating the habit of practicing! Good luck! It's worth it...
May I expand on your advice above?
ReplyDeleteYou suggest that practice itself is highly personal. The student/performer, regardless of age, has to find the "practice cocktail" that works best for her/him, it's true. Not everything works for everyone.
I had a horrible time practicing when I was a kid, but have learned a few things as an adult. One is that *more frequent* but *significantly shorter* practice sessions help me synthesize much, much better- and faster. Six ten-minute sessions a day equal one hour of practice-that's an even shorter session than you suggest above. Support that by setting aside an hour/half hour every few days to focus what you've synthesized during those short sessions promises excellent results too.
Practice in your head. Although you mention practicing in a place that is "yours" alone, that's not always possible, and raises the issue of performance anxiety - doing what you've practiced in the safety of privacy in front of a silently staring audience. I've addressed this two ways:
1) Keep my early practicing private, in that excellent, personal space.
2) Not being afraid to practice someplace different twice or three times a week, or with people around, or with many, many distractions. One or two ten-minute sessions a week that are significantly different than more regular practices help build my focus and concentration and diminishes the potential for stage fright.
3) Practice in your head! Instead of spacing out on the bus ride to school, or while standing in the lunch line, imagine yourself, see your hands, successfully playing the music you're practicing. Wiggle your fingers in formation, it stimulates muscle-memory. That directly relates to the "Mind-Body State" you mention above.
I'd also add that you should MAKE IT FUN. I was traumatized by a lot of strict rules and discipline as a kid. It had very negative effects on my ability to learn an instrument. As an adult I've done away with the trauma and heaviness surrounding "practice! practice! practice! I'm paying for those lessons!" and reminded myself that, above all, this is something FUN. Kids need to have the same sense of FUN. I remind the kids I work with that they should be having lots of fun, and I laugh with them when they make mistakes, and holler with them when they don't. If practicing gets frustrating, take a break. It WILL come, but you have to be receptive to the *process* of learning to play. Practice doesn't have to be a drag, it can be a blast with the right attitude.
Lastly, every little thing you do to enhance your practicing is cumulative. Every element supports every other element and it all gets focused into playing the music. All these ideas can help you build a regular discipline of practice, and a kind of practicing that gets results, and most importantly - doesn't feel like "ugh...practice."
Nick, thank you for this well-thought out response! In particular, I enjoy your ideas about how to deal with performance anxiety related to private practicing. I personally often have to figure out how to make the most of very little time in order to maximize my own practice.
ReplyDeleteFun is of utmost importance! Whenever I have had my students perform in a studio recital, I spend the next two months working very mindfully with them on a specific goal: sometimes it's working on finger strength or independence, sometimes it's posture, but sometimes it's how to have more fun with their music or how to make it more personal to them! I think a lot of piano teachers neglect these all-important elements.