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Anonymous said
on 11/22/2005 Most people do not enjoy practicing - I know I don't. Even Yo Yo Ma hates to practice, but there is no way around it. If you want to be good at any musical instrument, you can't expect to just sit down one day and play a piece all the way through perfectly.
You have to play each phrase in the music five or ten times over and over again until you know it very, very well. This is how the professionals play their pieces flawlessly.
Anonymous said
on 11/22/2005 This may sound weird, but it is better to practice more frequently with less time than it is to practice less frequently with more time. For example, you should practice 3 times a day (morning, afternoon, night) for two hours each instead of once a day for six hours. You will find that you grasp the music more and you are refreshed and on task each time you sit at the piano.
Anonymous said
on 11/22/2005 Learn and study your music thoroughly before you try to play it on the piano. Knowledge is power!
Anonymous said
on 11/22/2005 Your hands are doing all the work when you play, so take care of them! Keep your fingernails trimmed and clean. Make sure your hands are clean. Use a nice hand cream or lotion every day. Remember to practice every day!
Anonymous said
on 11/22/2005 NEVER stop trying. If you don't get it the first time, keep trying. You won't get better if you stop. It will just get worse.
Anonymous said
on 11/22/2005 There is NO substitute for practice. If you want to be good, you must be consistent. Set yourself a time limit every day and let nothing come in the way of it. Remain diligent!
Anonymous said
on 11/22/2005 If you are having difficulty with a certain part of a song, create an exercise out of it. You should be able to play it better afterward, and if encountering the same thing again in another piece, you'll know how to deal with it.
Anonymous said
on 11/22/2005 Start with the last measure of the piece. Learn it, then learn the second from the last measure of the piece and play that along with the next measure. Continue until you're at the beginning of the piece or section.
Anonymous said
on 11/22/2005 A good way to warm up is to play scales in parallel and contrary motion.
Anonymous said
on 11/22/2005 Treat difficult-to-play passages as a strength-training exercise, like any other athlete. Play the notes very slowly, but with great force, pressing as hard as you can. This will help develop strength, and next time you will be able to play it better.