Practice Tips: Use Your Head

 "Use your head."

   "Think before you act."

    Either of these sound familiar to you?

   

   When you're practicing piano, that clip above from Toy Story 2 is definitely not the way I want you to be using your head!

   However, if you're going to practice effectively, you do need to be using your head in the figurative sense of the phrase.

   OK, OK, let's break that statement down. Let's take a look at two different ways you can practice.

   Way #1: You sit down. You play your songs three times over. You completely forget your scales, or your sight reading, or both. And, while you're playing your song, you're not paying attention to what you're playing. You know you've got the notes down, so why do you need to pay attention to the rhythm, your fingering, or the fact that you've made the same mistake every time you've played this song in the last week? You aren't really listening to what it sounds like. And when you do hit a tricky passage, you get frustrated with yourself, wondering why you can't make it work.

   Way #2: You sit down. You start with your scales/technique to warm up your fingers, and then you do whatever it is you're most likely to forget about, like your sight reading. Whatever songs you're working on, you are actively listening to. When you hear something that's not quite right, or a passage is tricky, or you read your notes (isn't that a great idea?!) and see that your teacher has asked you to work on a particular passage, you ask yourself, "How can I practice this to solve the problem?" You might play the song all the way through the first time, then stop and work on the hardest passages. You might spend some time playing slowly and checking your finger numbers. You might clap and count the song before you start playing to make sure you know your rhythm. But whatever you're doing, you are doing it with a reason. You are either practicing this way to solve a problem. Or you are practicing in a way that will keep you focused on what you're doing (like breaking a long song up into smaller chunks, so you take the time to hear each section). 

   Which way do you think is going to help you get really good quicker?

   If you answered #2, you are correct! 🎇🎉🎇

   When you think before you play, the results will be beautiful. Yes, it's harder to practice Way #2. But, believe me, when your recital or Festival class comes up, or when your grandma or aunt asks you to play for her, or when you find that piece of music that you just love and you want to be able to play it well, you'll be glad you took the time to use your head.