This is one of the most important questions for any pianist. There’s a lot to consider, but I’ll walk you through a simple and effective structure. I like to think of a good practice session like a well-balanced meal. Start with a warm-up as the appetizer, move on to memory work as the main course, and finish with something fun like review pieces for dessert.
Practicing Is Mental Engagement
Good practice is about staying mentally engaged. If you ever catch yourself just going through the motions, it’s time to change something. Try a new approach or shift to a different task. The goal is to keep your mind active and involved with what you’re doing. These aren’t hard rules—just helpful strategies to keep your practice meaningful.
Start with a Proper Warm-Up
Warming up is essential, both for your body and your playing. If it’s cold and your hands are stiff, try running them under warm water. Then ease into your session with something slow and gentle. A scale or a lyrical piece is a great place to start. Avoid diving straight into demanding repertoire. You want to loosen up gradually to avoid strain or injury.
Work on Memorization While Your Mind is Fresh
When your mind is fresh, that’s the best time to work on new material. And learning music means more than just reading it—it means memorizing it. Memorization isn’t something you can cram. You need to build it slowly, day by day. Reinforce what you learned the day before and add just a little more. Recent passages will need the most attention, while older ones become more secure with each repetition.
Refinement: Focus on the Details
After you’ve worked on new material, shift to refining what you’ve already learned. This doesn’t mean playing through the whole piece repeatedly. Instead, concentrate on the problem spots that aren’t quite solid yet.
There are many tools for refinement:
- Practice slowly with a metronome, gradually increasing the speed notch by notch.
- Try hands-separately to isolate issues.
- Use rhythmic variations.
- Practice with high fingers for clarity.
- Go back to the score to check details playing without the pedal so you can hear things clearly.
This stage is all about thoughtful, focused improvement.
Pure Technique Work: Scales, Arpeggios, and More
Once your brain is tired from all the heavy lifting, switch to technique. This uses a different kind of focus and is a great way to round out your session. Practice scales, arpeggios, octaves, wrist exercises, or finger independence drills. You’re not thinking about a piece of music here—you’re strengthening the physical tools of your playing.
Review Pieces: The Fun Part
Now it’s time to reward yourself. Play some review pieces you’ve already learned and enjoy the music! You can still refine here if you like—maybe slow practice without the pedal or a check with the metronome—but the main purpose is to keep the music fresh.
If you don’t revisit your pieces regularly, they’ll start to slip away. The more often you play them, the more natural they’ll feel. And when someone asks you to play, you’ll have something ready to go with confidence.
Explore New Music Through Sight-Reading
Finally, try reading something new. It doesn’t have to be a piece you’re planning to study. You might explore other works by the same composer or flip through music that simply piques your interest. Sight reading is a great way to stay musically curious and expand your horizons.
A Balanced Practice Plan
To sum it up, a well-rounded practice session might look something like this:
- Warm up gently
- Work on memorizing new material
- Refine what you’ve already learned
- Do some pure technique work
- Enjoy review pieces
- Explore new music with sight reading
This mix keeps your mind engaged, your technique sharp, and your repertoire growing.
One thought on “How Should You Be Practicing the Piano?”
Great suggestions! Thank you…as always!