5 Piano Practice Mistakes Nearly Everyone Makes

Welcome to LivingPianos.com! I’m Robert Estrin. In my years of teaching, I’ve encountered countless piano students who make the same mistakes over and over again. These errors are so common, and they can hold back your progress if you don’t address them. If you can recognize and avoid these mistakes, your playing will improve significantly. Here are five of the most frequent piano practice mistakes and the best ways to fix them.

1. Correcting, but Not Solidifying Your Progress

One of the most common mistakes pianists make is thinking that correcting an error is enough. You may fix a problem once, but if you don’t solidify that correction, it’s likely to resurface. To really make a lasting change in your playing, you need to practice the correction over and over again until it feels completely natural.

The key to solidifying a correction is repetition. But don’t just repeat it mindlessly—make sure you’re playing comfortably. Sit comfortably and ensure that your shoulders are relaxed. Play the passage until it feels effortless. This is where most pianists fall short: they think they’ve corrected something, but then, when they come back to it later, they slip back into old habits.

Here’s how to tackle this: Once you’ve corrected a mistake, go back a little before that passage and play through the section again, then a little further back, and eventually play from the beginning. By doing this, you’ll reinforce your new way of playing and avoid slipping back into your old habits.

2. Practicing Too Large a Section at Once

Another common mistake is trying to work on too large of a section at one time. When you try to refine an entire phrase or a large chunk of music, it becomes difficult to pinpoint exactly where things are going wrong. Plus, by the time you’ve finished the section, it’s hard to remember where the issues were, let alone fix them effectively.

Instead of practicing long sections, break them down into smaller, more manageable parts. This will allow you to focus on exactly what needs attention and refine things to the point of mastery. Once you’ve nailed the smaller sections, then you can start putting them together.

3. Practicing Too Fast

I can’t emphasize this enough: slow down your practice! Too many people rush through pieces because they want to play them faster. But this is a recipe for insecurity in your playing. You need to find the tempo at which you can play relaxed with security, even if it feels ridiculously slow. This is essential, especially when you’re working to refine your music.

Practicing slowly gives you the opportunity to gain confidence in your playing. It allows you to work through tricky passages without feeling rushed. When you’re comfortable playing slowly, speeding up becomes a natural progression. But if you always push yourself to play faster than you’re ready for, you’ll never achieve true security in your playing.

4. Not Having Clear Objectives

A big mistake many pianists make is practicing without a clear goal in mind. Are you trying to improve your left-hand technique? Bring out the melody more? Fix a fingering issue? If you don’t know exactly what you’re trying to achieve, you’re setting yourself up for failure.

Make sure you have a clear objective for each practice session and know exactly what you’re focusing on at any given moment. This will guide your practice and make it more effective. Whether you’re reviewing, memorizing, or working on a specific technique, knowing your goal is key to achieving it.

5. Not Practicing Performing

This is another mistake that many pianists make: not practicing performing. Playing in a practice session is different from playing in a performance. To simulate the feeling of a performance, set yourself up as if you were actually going to perform. Record yourself on your phone or other device, imagine an audience, and don’t stop playing once you start. This will help you practice staying focused and calm during a performance, and it will expose any areas that might need more work. Don’t just practice in isolation—make sure you also practice performing. Ideally, you can set up small performances for family members or good friends to get the feel of things before venturing to more challenging situations. This will give you the confidence you need when it’s time to play for an audience.

By addressing these mistakes and implementing these strategies, you’ll see a big improvement in your playing!

Let me know how these tips work for you. And if you’re interested in taking your playing to the next level, consider a free consultation through my Living Piano Mastermind Club.