I’m Robert Estrin. Welcome to LivingPianos.com. Is repeating the same passage over and over the best way to practice? Maybe not. Let’s explore the benefits of variable practice.
Understanding Variable Practice
Variable practice, which involves altering tempo, dynamics, or articulation, challenges your brain to adapt, leading to more flexible and resilient performance skills. We’ll discuss how to implement variability in your practice routine.
Benefits of Variability
Embracing variability in practice prepares you for the unpredictability of live performances, making you a more versatile and confident musician. There are key areas you can explore to open up your musical horizons. Playing on different instruments can be enlightening. Simply changing the sound of your piano by either opening it up fully if it’s normally closed or vice versa can change the way you hear your music, inspiring new ideas when you hit a wall in your practice.
Don’t be afraid to experiment wildly.
Even if you discard 99% of what you do, you may come up with something new that you love and incorporate into your playing. It could alter the way you approach all the music you play! Don’t judge. Just try things, no matter how crazy they may seem at the time. Play faster, slower, louder, softer; even play erratically, letting the music take you to places you normally wouldn’t dare go. This is a great way to expand your musical creativity.
By incorporating variable practice into your routine, you enhance your adaptability and deepen your musical understanding, leading to more expressive and confident performances.
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3 thoughts on “Variable Practice: Why Exact Repetitions May Not Be Best”
Robert-
One of my teachers had me occasionally try three odd things in my practicing (1) practice in total darkness (2) especially for scale work, practice while sitting on the floor (3) set alarms to go off randomly.
There was famous broadcasted performance decades ago where the pianist playing some concerto was visited by a fly who camped out on her nose for a period of MINUTES. She finished and claimed to have never noticed the fly.
A great performance can sometimes be mind over matter!
Great advice. as usual. Thanks