Rob Young Piano

Having a regular practice routine is one of the key tools to succeeding at learning an instrument. Practice should always be at the best times of the day, and the phrase “practice a little and often” is paramount here.

Each practice session should normally start with warm-up exercises. These most often take the form of scales and arpeggios, and at a slow tempo. If your practice session is with the piano, the warm-ups would usually be hands-separately at first and then hands-together. They are generally to get the hands used to the feel of the instrument once again and the touch and range of the instrument.

The session should then move on to the main pieces for practice. These should be played at a steady speed. If it is the first time that the piece is being attempted, play should commence from the beginning of the music. For subsequent attempts, the more difficult passages of a piece should be circled. Play should then target the more difficult sections of the tune at a slow speed, taking care to note the chord shapes, finger markings and extra dynamics as appropriate.

For instruments such as the violin, accenture and phrasing should also be noted. Of particular importance are markings such as staccato and legato. Always have a pencil to hand whilst practicing, in order to make proper note of the fingering.

To conclude a practice session, its always a good idea to have a look at a piece that you have never seen before. That’s where sight-reading is useful. There are a variety of good sight reading books to choose from, and for a strong chance, pick a piece that is your standard, around 8 bars long, and in a familiar time signature and key. Play the piece through a couple of times, first of all to become well versed with its structure, and second of all to be familiar with the more finer details of the piece.

Above all, practicing an instrument is supposed to be fun, so how about winding down the session by playing through a piece that you enjoy?

For more tips on playing and practicing, book an introductory lesson with Rob Young Piano. Call 07950015269, or get in touch via the contact form!