The very first piano lesson takes careful planning and pacing.
Students listen attentively while you go over the material with them.
They understand the importance of good posture at the keyboard. Children
remember to sit tall, while arms hang loosely from the shoulders. Songs
sound great but when the child goes home, parents tell me that their
kids do not know how to practice. Hopefully, these 10 tips will help!
1. Practice warm-ups first
When your hands are warmed-up properly, you will be able to approach a
new song with greater ease and with less mistakes. Lack of tension
produces more beautiful tones. Use scales and finger exercises for your
warm-up. Always use curved fingers.
2. Practice slowly
Your brain cannot retain music information in detail when you play fast.
It is necessary to play slowly and carefully at all times. Don't push
your speed. Take it slow and steady. Play each warm-up slowly at first.
When you can play smoothly and evenly you may gradually increase speed.
3. Practice short passages
Each day practice just one passage, and practice it very carefully and
thoroughly. In the long run, this makes for a better practice session.
When you have a short piece or song to work on, you will not feel
overwhelmed.
4. Practice at the same time
First thing in
the morning you are refreshed and ready to go. For others, school and
homework come first. Follow up with a practice session in the afternoon
or early evening.
5. Practice chart
A practice chart or
journal is a record of your practice sessions, including what you
practice and for how long. At the end of each practice session, write
down exactly which piece you studied and the number of minutes spent on
it. Make a specific list, set goals and try to meet them. Check each
goal as you complete it. Make practicing a game or challenge.
6. Practice with correct fingering
Learn
a song with the sequence of notes stepping up and down the keyboard.
Learn the form of the movements to play the piece comfortably. Learn to
be fluent in responding to finger numbers. If you are consistent with
your fingering, you will be very secure and confident when playing in
front of others. I can't emphasize good posture enough because it makes
playing easier and enjoyable.
7. Practice right where you left off when you made a mistake
Students
always start from the beginning of a song. They become very good at
playing the beginning of a piece, but tend to be less proficient towards
the end. Start over at the measure where you hit the wrong note.
8. Practice counting out loud
Counting out loud is good advice for the beginner student, especially
during slow practice in the early stages of learning a song. It is an
effective way to develop your sense of rhythm. Hearing your voice and
your hands helps you with coordination between two hands as well as the
timing of the piece. Counting the beat will help you play rhythms
correctly. Counting out loud gets much easier with practice.
9. Practice each hand separately to the end
Take a few measures and within that segment play the Left Hand several
times until you can play it comfortably with a rounded hand. Do the same
with the Right Hand. Next play both hands slowly until you can play the
segment comfortably before advancing to the next section. Decide if you
want to practice each line or a couple of measures 2-3 times. Use a
little weight when dropping into a key to make louder tones.
10. Practice looking at the music
As
much as possible, try not to look down at your hands but look at your
sheet music. It's fine to occasionally look down at your hands,
especially after the piece has been learned. When you look at your hands
just try to remember where you are on the sheet music, and do not move
your head. Just move your eyes. When you look back up at the sheet music
it will be easier to find your place on the sheet music.
No comments:
Post a Comment