creative keys

 

Have a set practice time every day.

Open your notebook and follow the instructions written there specifically for you.

Keep fingernails trimmed at all times.

Count out loud.

Go slowly when learning a new piece or working through a difficult section or exercise.

Break your piece up into smaller sections and work on one section at a time.

Play each hand alone a few times before trying hands together.

Use that metronome!

Play with curved fingers to gain more control.

Write in the counting.

Clap or tap the rhythm before playing even one key.

Look for repetition or patterns in the music.

Master the scale, primary triads, and arrpeggios of the key that the piece is in.

Watch that fingering! Using the correct fingering from the beginning will gain you mastery much faster.

If something sounds wrong check for wrong notes, sharps or flats, incorrect hand positions, etc.

Take your time to do it right from the beginning. It's much faster and easier to take it slow and be attentive from the start, than to have to unlearn and re-learn material.

If possible, practice right after your lesson while everything is still fresh in your mind.

Record yourself playing and follow along with the music. You may be surprised at how many mistakes you notice.

Sit far enough away from the piano so that your elbows are slightly in front of your body.