Piano and Music Videos

I’m Robert Estrin. Welcome to LivingPianos.com. Are you struggling to break a bad practice habit? Science might have the answer for you. Let’s explore how to replace detrimental habits with effective techniques.

Understanding the Habit Loop

Understanding the habit loop—cue, routine, reward—can help you identify and alter unwanted behaviors. Replacing a bad habit with a positive one that offers a similar reward is key. Let’s discuss strategies to rewire your brain for better practice habits.

Implementing Change

By applying this approach, you can transform detrimental habits into productive ones, paving the way for continuous improvement. For example, if you find that you aren’t implementing practice of scales and arpeggios in your practice, but you see the value in this, try putting your Hanon book right in the center of your music rack and make it a new daily routine to start with just five or ten minutes of scales and arpeggios. It’s simply the act of starting that makes all the difference in the world. Once you do this for several days, it becomes routine, which is exactly the point! You can do this with almost anything in your piano practice, as well as in your life.

By understanding and applying the science of habit formation, you can effectively overcome bad habits and cultivate a more productive and fulfilling practice routine.

I’m Robert Estrin. Welcome to LivingPianos.com. Want to improve your piano skills overnight? Literally? Let’s discuss how sleep plays a crucial role in musical learning.

The Role of Sleep in Learning

Sleep is essential for memory consolidation. Scientifically proven, practicing before sleep can improve retention and enhance skills. We’ll explore how to align your practice schedule with your sleep patterns for optimal learning.

Optimizing Practice and Sleep

By ensuring adequate rest, you’re not just recharging your body but also solidifying your musical learning, making sleep an essential part of your practice routine. This doesn’t mean that you have to hold off on practicing until just before bedtime. Instead, keep your normal practice regimen. Then, sometime before going to bed, revisit what you have practiced and played during the day. Your music will permeate your brain while you sleep and help with retention. By prioritizing sleep and aligning it with your practice schedule, you can enhance your learning efficiency and overall performance quality.

I’m Robert Estrin. Welcome to LivingPianos.com. Have you ever found that despite hours of practice, your progress seems to plateau? What if the key to more effective learning isn’t practicing longer, but practicing differently? Today, we’re exploring interleaved practice—a scientifically backed method that could revolutionize your approach to learning music.

Understanding Interleaved Practice

Traditional practice often involves focusing on one piece or technique repeatedly before moving on to the next—a method known as blocked practice. Interleaved practice, on the other hand, involves mixing different pieces or skills within a single session. This approach forces your brain to constantly retrieve and apply different strategies, enhancing learning and retention. Essentially, anything that keeps your mind engaged produces the most dramatic results in the work you do at the piano. So try mixing things up to make your practicing more engaging.

Scientific Evidence

Studies have shown that interleaved practice can lead to better long-term retention and transfer of skills compared to blocked practice. By continually switching tasks, you’re training your brain to be more adaptable and resilient, which is crucial for live performances where unpredictability is a given.

Implementing Interleaved Practice

Start by selecting a few different pieces or techniques to work on in a session. Rotate between them every 10-15 minutes, or whenever you feel a decline in the productivity in your practice. I remember listening to my wife practice for orchestral auditions. She would go through the list of music excerpts repeatedly and alternate with other practice techniques such as longtones and scales, then bring back the toughest excerpts time and time again, bringing fluency and solidity to her practicing. Initially, it might feel more challenging, but over time, you’ll notice improved recall and adaptability. Remember, the goal is to make your practice sessions more dynamic and engaging.

By incorporating interleaved practice into your routine, you’re not just learning pieces; you’re training your brain to be more flexible and responsive. This method might be the key to breaking through plateaus and achieving greater musical mastery.

The Piano Pillars System uses this technology. You can learn more about that here:

I’m Robert Estrin. Welcome to LivingPianos.com. Have you ever played a piece flawlessly in your practice, only to stumble through it when playing for people? It’s such a common experience that many musicians face. You should know that you are not alone! Today, we’re going to explore why this happens and how to bridge the gap between practice and performance.

Understanding the Discrepancy

In the comfort of your practice space, you often play with ease. But performing introduces variables—nerves, audience presence, just people watching you, and unfamiliar environments. You can feel this way even when playing for people in your own home! Traditional practice methods may not prepare you for these conditions. We’ll delve into how the brain processes practice versus performance and discuss strategies to simulate performance conditions during practice.

The Role of Practice Habits

Repetitive, error-free practice is the first step to prepare you for real-world performance challenges. You want to be so well prepared that you have a high degree of confidence before playing for people. Introducing variability and simulating performance conditions can enhance your ability to adapt and have resilience when you perform. This is so important because when you play for people, you introduce the fight-or-flight response. Your pulse is faster, your palms may get sweaty, and your entire physiology is heightened. Rather than being thrown off by this, you want to enjoy the ride and take your audience with you on this exciting journey into your music.

Strategies to Simulate Performance Conditions

You can incorporate methods like recording yourself, performing for friends, or practicing in different settings to mimic performance pressure. I can’t stress enough the importance of mental rehearsal and visualization techniques to build confidence and reduce anxiety. When you have any performance opportunity coming up, imagine in great detail sitting and playing for people in that specific environment. Then, when you get there, you will feel at home! So often people mistakenly try to ignore the audience and pretend they are playing by themselves. This misses the whole point of performing! You want the excitement that playing for people produces. You can utilize this energy to inspire your playing. Every performance opportunity is a new learning experience. When things go wrong, you’ll know what to practice so you will be even better prepared next time you play for people.