Timestamps / Chapters 0:35 1 - Practicing in ONE tempo 1:34 2 - Practicing on ONE instrument 4:57 3 - Having ONE practice method 5:55 4 - Isolating yourself from outside help 8:10 5 - Forcing things to happen 9:10 6 - Fighting your instrument 11:27 7 - Not having a Long-term perspective 14:36 8 - Never taking a break
Mistake #2 - practicing on only one instrument... Moving your piano or keyboard to a different location of the house can change the acoustics, it may also change the feeling of the action of the keyboard, and it may also throw off your memory.. if you practice at school, don't use the same practice room all the time... Mistake #7 is the reason most beginners quit, they expect to play advanced pieces in a matter of months, the reality is that it takes years just to get through the basics, and that's only if you are practicing consistently...
For number 8 I want to add that for me personally taking one day off a week from practicing is a great thing as well. I usually spend that day either with friends or family, go to the park or museum, try to listen to a piece I have never heard before, etc. If I do play piano that day I don't practice. I'll usually just have fun, maybe improvise, really mess around with a piece I played years ago, like if it's a major key I'll play a bit of it in the minor key, or a different key all together.
Yes, mistake 2!!! Play public pianos, go to piano stores etc. but if you want to play in public, you NEED this experience. I didn't have it, and failed mjserably on my first recital (to be fair they were ivory keys which I had never touched or even seen before). 9:35 my grand is pretty heavy, makes Chopin etudes and the final mvt of the Beethoven op 2/3 sonata a fair bit harder. Especially compared to my teacher's Yamaha upright. The added control is amazing though
Great tips Josh! One complaint - The Yamaha N3 (and N3X) you mention at 2:40, though digital, has the IDENTICAL action to that of a Yamaha accoustic grand piano (yes, it has a whippen, a shank, a hammer, etc) - I know because I have the N3X and needed to have it regulated a few weeks ago. It even simulates the vibrations into the pedals and the keys. So the experience is actually the same to that of an acoustic piano. I would argue it's actually better in some respects as it's never out of tune whereas many pianos I see are poorly maintained -and- out-of-tune. I do however also realize that practicing on an out-of-tune piano is also beneficial as, let's face it, we're all going to encounter some of those. :) I agree that pure digital pianos, though very convincing, have a different action (e.g. folded) and are quite different so you should ensure you use acoustic pianos where possible to round out your experience, but hybrids really shouldn't be lumped in the same category as pure digital pianos. Sorry, I often hear people lumping hybrids in with pure digitals and it gets my hackles up. ;) Clarification: The Yamaha NU series has an UPRIGHT action, the N series (NO u) has a grand action.
Glad to hear your views on how much time to spend on technical practice. I’m a 70-ager who learned piano in my preteens from a neighborhhod teacher. I quit even before developing real piano playing skills but have now managed to restore some sightreading ability that allows me to play pop songs. Your channel is obviously for performers and advance students but this is to let you know that you help me too! Thanks!
And recording yourself! Yes! I have my students do this all the time. They are always shocked at how they actually play vs how they are hearing themselves play, despite my warning that they will be completely shocked. :)
I have been watching you since the beginning of your channel. Even though I don't read well enough to play classical music, when I started watching. I didn't read enough to play the "Real Books" repertoire I enjoy hearing. Now I can at least read the tunes. I always look for things you say that help my playing, when I have time. I may not use most of it, but some of it helps the whole concept of musicianship.
Honestly, I didn't mind the voiceover on mistake #7. You could host a podcast and talk about your experiences in the world of music, stories about preparing for concerts, etc
Josh, that was soooo helpful. Practising slowly is what's making the biggest difference to my progress. (That and the fact that I've just had my piano tuned, which is almost like playing on a different piano )
Each piano have their own personality. To play is to communicate with that personality, and get a meaningful dialoge. This is especially true if you just always improvise everything, like me. Then you play better if you and the piano 'agree'. And one must not practice so much that you eventually get boored or exhausted. Fingerstrenght can be practiced at a table, dont destroy the piano (and your ears) with that.
When learning a new repertoire piece, I learn/practice a piece at three different tempos. Say the tempo is 100bpm. I play/practice at 25 bpm, a quarter tempo left hand, right hand then both. Then 50bpm, half tempo, left hand right hand then, both hands. Then at full tempo 100 bpm, left hand right hand then both. Works for me.
Fantastic list. The Yamaha NU/N’s are actually hybrid pianos - they have authentic piano actions with whippens/mock hammers and pedal resistance etc. Playing as many different pianos as possible, especially when I was younger, was invaluable. They all feel/respond so differently. It was tough dealing with foreign pianos at performance venues that weren’t well-maintained.
Yup yup yup. Perfect advice 🙏🏻 my teacher also emphasizes many of these points but sometimes one can forget to actually follow them…Playing other pianos is a big one for me 😂 I am way too comfortable with mine 🙄
Mistake #7 is forgetting to film mistake #7. 🤣 That was a great one. Reminds me of Victor Borge's skit. There are three things I can never remember. Number one: ...... That makes it four.
#5 the more I play the more I think the whole thing is tension management. Your hands can pretty much play anything if you haven't wound them all up beforehand.
Josh, I really appreciate all of your videos! Especially your encouraging words on winter wind etude ! I’m working on this piece and making slow progress ❤
No. 6 is very interesting. I had never thought about that before. As a grad student in piano I have the run of the my school and can get on most of the instruments there; but I have never thought that when playing on an unfamiliar piano I might try to force out a specific sound or tempo that didn't fit the instrument. I think that if I'd done that many of my past performances might have gone better.
About the only playing on one instrument, yeah .. Completely agree! I'm taking organ lessons from my church organist on a pipe organ, and it is WAY different than my electronic organ at home... The acoustics are way different, and it's throwing me off going back and forth. But I'll get it eventually!
These are some great tips, thanks a lot. With fast passages I noticed that my brain literally needs some middle and slower reps in different tempi after several fast reps of a passage because it somehow needs to observe exactly what's happening to keep everything in order... fully agree that breaks are important. Danae Dörken mentioned a study which showed that 45 minutes practice, a 15 minute break focussing on something completely different like taking a walk, again 45 minutes of practice was the best option. After 40 to 45 minutes my concentration usually fades (except sometimes it's really fun and I can practice for 1 and a half hour or so) and I actually need a break, plus after two sessions I need to take a nap ^^ But even routines, idk... sometimes I practice half an hour, then an hour and then again two 45 minute sessions. Nature always changes... love your courses - these are really helpful.
Really good advice, tips, discussion - all points! Thank you! Very helpful! Began learning piano at 62 and in my 7th year., meeting with a teacher once a month. This was great for me at this point in my learning. Thanks! I will check out your 10 points. And have visited your channel webinars from time to time. Thanks for all that you do in helping learners like myself.
Thank you very much Josh!! your videos are always insighful. Just today, I was so upset with my Bach and Chopin practice until I watched your video and reached to point no:7. gotta have some positive attitude. freshman MA piano student here. Keep up the good work🙂
Thank you Josh. it was very helpful indeed. I am practicing Gymnopedie No.1 these days and I am learning how differently this piece is played by pianists (I mean hand and fingers distribution between the chords). I need to focus on slower practice.
tip 7 was one of the reasons I made slow progress lesrning new pieces these days I remind myself that I dont have to perdorm it the same day and its okay to move on
I think Josh's tip #2 here is particularly applicable if you're prepping to perform on an acoustic piano that's different from yours. Even with my current affordable, maintenance-free digital setup, I find it helpful to try things out on acoustic pianos once in a while. While digital and virtual pianos can vary in quality and in action, they're still pretty homogeneous compared to the many quirks and intricacies one finds in acoustic pianos. Two identical pianos, owned by different people, stored in different conditions, maintained by different techs, to the owner's individual preferences, can sound and feel vastly different from each other to play on, so that trying something out at a piano store or at a friend's house or in a school or church rehearsal space, might reveal things in your playing that you don't notice just playing on your own piano. Even if you're gigging on your own digital stage piano that you take to the venue, it still doesn't hurt to try things out on an acoustic piano now and again.
I heard Babayan play the Chaconne Bach/Busoni last Saturday in Quebec city. It was one of the best versions I've heard so far! I'm looking forward to hear your version too :) Awesome content btw!!!
You suggest recording yourself. I tried, but even knowing it's being recorded makes me nervous. I've played in front of 500 people, making mistakes. Let's just say I panic. Any suggestions to help this???
My biggest issue is not following the advice I give my own students. My students are successful, so I am doing something right :), but I often have to pretend that I am my own student and listen to my own advice! My other issue is with getting outside help. I used to play pro myself (before health issues), so finding a teacher or outside help isn't all that easy. If Josh were near me, that would be perfect to have occasional lessons here and there, but regular weekly lessons with a regular teacher isn't the same thing when you are peers/colleagues with other teachers.
Yes, although good to play on various pianos, I've grown to see the accessibility of the electronic pianos does have value, I really prefer acoustics pianos, the electronic ones I really don't like; I tolerate at best.
Did Chopin ever write any music that was not incredibly difficult? And why is his name pronounced Show-pan, but spelled Chop-in? Thank you for another excellent video.
A couple of good options to start with would be Prelude in A major, Op.28 No.7 or Waltz in A minor, B.150. I’ve covered both in tutorials on this channel and these are the pieces I generally start with for a student’s first Chopin piece
@@texaswildcat6425 Oh yeah, I have practised in a church on a nice Yahama something or other, in exchange for hymns the next morning 😱I have a Yamaha N2 at home, and Josh's video reminded me that I can adjust the weight of the action...must look that up.
@@MarkNorgate Ah, too rich for me, I have the same upright Everett studio piano since my parents bought it 50 years ago. Needs a little tuning but otherwise for an upright it does pretty good. Playing on baby grands and others is a luxury for me. Getting ready for a recital playing Chopin Waltz in B minor. Nervous as all get out. Havnt done a piano recital in close to 40 years-ish. Don't ever let something stop you from practicing like i did for over 25 years. Always keep going. God bless y'all🕊 💐
Timestamps / Chapters
0:35 1 - Practicing in ONE tempo
1:34 2 - Practicing on ONE instrument
4:57 3 - Having ONE practice method
5:55 4 - Isolating yourself from outside help
8:10 5 - Forcing things to happen
9:10 6 - Fighting your instrument
11:27 7 - Not having a Long-term perspective
14:36 8 - Never taking a break
no way it's dihydrogen monoxide
I love #7 the most. It is truly a mindset that I should adopt more often. Long-term perspective and patience!
Mistake #2 - practicing on only one instrument... Moving your piano or keyboard to a different location of the house can change the acoustics, it may also change the feeling of the action of the keyboard, and it may also throw off your memory.. if you practice at school, don't use the same practice room all the time... Mistake #7 is the reason most beginners quit, they expect to play advanced pieces in a matter of months, the reality is that it takes years just to get through the basics, and that's only if you are practicing consistently...
"Never a taking a break" harmed me so much in the past. Frequent boredom and frustration were the result.
For number 8 I want to add that for me personally taking one day off a week from practicing is a great thing as well. I usually spend that day either with friends or family, go to the park or museum, try to listen to a piece I have never heard before, etc. If I do play piano that day I don't practice. I'll usually just have fun, maybe improvise, really mess around with a piece I played years ago, like if it's a major key I'll play a bit of it in the minor key, or a different key all together.
Yes, mistake 2!!! Play public pianos, go to piano stores etc. but if you want to play in public, you NEED this experience.
I didn't have it, and failed mjserably on my first recital (to be fair they were ivory keys which I had never touched or even seen before).
9:35 my grand is pretty heavy, makes Chopin etudes and the final mvt of the Beethoven op 2/3 sonata a fair bit harder. Especially compared to my teacher's Yamaha upright. The added control is amazing though
Great tips Josh!
One complaint - The Yamaha N3 (and N3X) you mention at 2:40, though digital, has the IDENTICAL action to that of a Yamaha accoustic grand piano (yes, it has a whippen, a shank, a hammer, etc) - I know because I have the N3X and needed to have it regulated a few weeks ago. It even simulates the vibrations into the pedals and the keys. So the experience is actually the same to that of an acoustic piano. I would argue it's actually better in some respects as it's never out of tune whereas many pianos I see are poorly maintained -and- out-of-tune. I do however also realize that practicing on an out-of-tune piano is also beneficial as, let's face it, we're all going to encounter some of those. :)
I agree that pure digital pianos, though very convincing, have a different action (e.g. folded) and are quite different so you should ensure you use acoustic pianos where possible to round out your experience, but hybrids really shouldn't be lumped in the same category as pure digital pianos.
Sorry, I often hear people lumping hybrids in with pure digitals and it gets my hackles up. ;)
Clarification: The Yamaha NU series has an UPRIGHT action, the N series (NO u) has a grand action.
i cant believe you are sharing this golds for free. Thankyou Josh, it is going to improve my practice session a lot.
Would it help to play another instrument? Like a harp?
Glad to hear your views on how much time to spend on technical practice. I’m a 70-ager who learned piano in my preteens from a neighborhhod teacher. I quit even before developing real piano playing skills but have now managed to restore some sightreading ability that allows me to play pop songs. Your channel is obviously for performers and advance students but this is to let you know that you help me too! Thanks!
And recording yourself! Yes! I have my students do this all the time. They are always shocked at how they actually play vs how they are hearing themselves play, despite my warning that they will be completely shocked. :)
Thanks Josh
I have been watching you since the beginning of your channel. Even though I don't read well enough to play classical music, when I started watching. I didn't read enough to play the "Real Books" repertoire I enjoy hearing. Now I can at least read the tunes. I always look for things you say that help my playing, when I have time. I may not use most of it, but some of it helps the whole concept of musicianship.
Perfect, and perfect timing for me, I'm in a frustrating place and really appreciate this reminder of the long term goals
Honestly, I didn't mind the voiceover on mistake #7. You could host a podcast and talk about your experiences in the world of music, stories about preparing for concerts, etc
ole tú!! que buenos videos maestro!!!!
Thank you Josh !
Josh, regarding the Schmidt exercises, how can I find them, or whats the complete name of the book/studies?
Josh, that was soooo helpful. Practising slowly is what's making the biggest difference to my progress. (That and the fact that I've just had my piano tuned, which is almost like playing on a different piano )
Each piano have their own personality. To play is to communicate with that personality, and get a meaningful dialoge. This is especially true if you just always improvise everything, like me. Then you play better if you and the piano 'agree'. And one must not practice so much that you eventually get boored or exhausted. Fingerstrenght can be practiced at a table, dont destroy the piano (and your ears) with that.
When learning a new repertoire piece, I learn/practice a piece at three different tempos. Say the tempo is 100bpm. I play/practice at 25 bpm, a quarter tempo left hand, right hand then both. Then 50bpm, half tempo, left hand right hand then, both hands. Then at full tempo 100 bpm, left hand right hand then both. Works for me.
i cannot thank you enough for this video, Josh. I’ll keep these precious advices in mind. Your work is truly appreciated Sir.
AMAZING VIDEO ❤❤❤
Excellent reminders, regardless of what genre or style you play. Thank you for posting, Josh.
Fantastic list. The Yamaha NU/N’s are actually hybrid pianos - they have authentic piano actions with whippens/mock hammers and pedal resistance etc.
Playing as many different pianos as possible, especially when I was younger, was invaluable. They all feel/respond so differently. It was tough dealing with foreign pianos at performance venues that weren’t well-maintained.
Yup yup yup. Perfect advice 🙏🏻 my teacher also emphasizes many of these points but sometimes one can forget to actually follow them…Playing other pianos is a big one for me 😂 I am way too comfortable with mine 🙄
I also talk about this all the time on my channel and with my students! Experimenting with different pianos helps SO MUCH!
Mistake #7 is forgetting to film mistake #7. 🤣 That was a great one.
Reminds me of Victor Borge's skit. There are three things I can never remember. Number one: ...... That makes it four.
#5 the more I play the more I think the whole thing is tension management. Your hands can pretty much play anything if you haven't wound them all up beforehand.
Josh, I really appreciate all of your videos! Especially your encouraging words on winter wind etude ! I’m working on this piece and making slow progress ❤
No. 6 is very interesting. I had never thought about that before. As a grad student in piano I have the run of the my school and can get on most of the instruments there; but I have never thought that when playing on an unfamiliar piano I might try to force out a specific sound or tempo that didn't fit the instrument. I think that if I'd done that many of my past performances might have gone better.
Ive been practecing piano on 20 bpm. But ill check out your way.
Thank you Josh, for continuously putting out videos after all these years and congratulations on 175k subscribers!
About the only playing on one instrument, yeah .. Completely agree! I'm taking organ lessons from my church organist on a pipe organ, and it is WAY different than my electronic organ at home... The acoustics are way different, and it's throwing me off going back and forth. But I'll get it eventually!
These are some great tips, thanks a lot. With fast passages I noticed that my brain literally needs some middle and slower reps in different tempi after several fast reps of a passage because it somehow needs to observe exactly what's happening to keep everything in order... fully agree that breaks are important. Danae Dörken mentioned a study which showed that 45 minutes practice, a 15 minute break focussing on something completely different like taking a walk, again 45 minutes of practice was the best option. After 40 to 45 minutes my concentration usually fades (except sometimes it's really fun and I can practice for 1 and a half hour or so) and I actually need a break, plus after two sessions I need to take a nap ^^ But even routines, idk... sometimes I practice half an hour, then an hour and then again two 45 minute sessions. Nature always changes... love your courses - these are really helpful.
always a pleasure tuning into your channel Josh! I have become a much better pianist since I found your channel! Thank you
Brilliant thank you
really like your channel,
great stuff 🎶
Really good advice, tips, discussion - all points! Thank you! Very helpful! Began learning piano at 62 and in my 7th year., meeting with a teacher once a month. This was great for me at this point in my learning. Thanks! I will check out your 10 points. And have visited your channel webinars from time to time. Thanks for all that you do in helping learners like myself.
Thank u Josh
Thanks for all the helpful tips and advice.
Wonderful! Thanks!
Thank you very much Josh!! your videos are always insighful. Just today, I was so upset with my Bach and Chopin practice until I watched your video and reached to point no:7. gotta have some positive attitude. freshman MA piano student here.
Keep up the good work🙂
Thank you Josh. it was very helpful indeed. I am practicing Gymnopedie No.1 these days and I am learning how differently this piece is played by pianists (I mean hand and fingers distribution between the chords). I need to focus on slower practice.
Thanks Josh for your video, it has helped me alot!
Thank you, Josh! I loved your hints...
Thank you for these golden rules and reminders. It's really useful and helpful! Make friends with the piano from a long-term perspective.
tip 7 was one of the reasons I made slow progress lesrning new pieces
these days I remind myself that I dont have to perdorm it the same day and its okay to move on
I think Josh's tip #2 here is particularly applicable if you're prepping to perform on an acoustic piano that's different from yours. Even with my current affordable, maintenance-free digital setup, I find it helpful to try things out on acoustic pianos once in a while. While digital and virtual pianos can vary in quality and in action, they're still pretty homogeneous compared to the many quirks and intricacies one finds in acoustic pianos. Two identical pianos, owned by different people, stored in different conditions, maintained by different techs, to the owner's individual preferences, can sound and feel vastly different from each other to play on, so that trying something out at a piano store or at a friend's house or in a school or church rehearsal space, might reveal things in your playing that you don't notice just playing on your own piano. Even if you're gigging on your own digital stage piano that you take to the venue, it still doesn't hurt to try things out on an acoustic piano now and again.
Great, Josh! 🙏
Golden tips as always, Looking forward to not making these mistakes, thank you a lot Josh!
Practicing for a long periods I’ve started to notice pain in my forearms. Is this common or is it down to poor technique?
I think you might be practicing with too much tension. Maybe you should try to relax your arms
I heard Babayan play the Chaconne Bach/Busoni last Saturday in Quebec city. It was one of the best versions I've heard so far! I'm looking forward to hear your version too :) Awesome content btw!!!
Waw! Thanks Josh, those tips are so valuable not just for practice,but some of those tips actually apply to every day life!
Thank you, definitely needed this,🕊
Thanks Josh - these are very good tips. Keep on making valuable piano content! You're helping lots of us piano players on TH-cam.
Thank you so much
Great advice/reminders and new things to think about and be aware of. Thank you 😊
Smart! Thanks!
You suggest recording yourself. I tried, but even knowing it's being recorded makes me nervous. I've played in front of 500 people, making mistakes. Let's just say I panic. Any suggestions to help this???
My biggest issue is not following the advice I give my own students. My students are successful, so I am doing something right :), but I often have to pretend that I am my own student and listen to my own advice!
My other issue is with getting outside help. I used to play pro myself (before health issues), so finding a teacher or outside help isn't all that easy. If Josh were near me, that would be perfect to have occasional lessons here and there, but regular weekly lessons with a regular teacher isn't the same thing when you are peers/colleagues with other teachers.
Thx so much, Josh.
Ma boy Josh is a G
Peace, Josh.
Thanks
Yes, although good to play on various pianos, I've grown to see the accessibility of the electronic pianos does have value, I really prefer acoustics pianos, the electronic ones I really don't like; I tolerate at best.
Did Chopin ever write any music that was not incredibly difficult? And why is his name pronounced Show-pan, but spelled Chop-in? Thank you for another excellent video.
A couple of good options to start with would be Prelude in A major, Op.28 No.7 or Waltz in A minor, B.150. I’ve covered both in tutorials on this channel and these are the pieces I generally start with for a student’s first Chopin piece
@@joshwrightpiano Thank you, I will look them up.
regarding the pronounciation of his name
he's french and the french language is weird
@@roberthurless4615 you can also check out the op. posth. C# minor nocturne, but it is a bit demanding when it comes to voicing and sound production
@@most_sane_piano_enthusiast Not weirder than any other language...😊He was actually born in Poland from a French Father and a Polish Mother.
Josh it would be awesome if you make some video about breathing and playing inhaling exhaling you know and anxiety as well
I discuss that in this video: th-cam.com/video/5DryFByazTU/w-d-xo.html
The only practice mistake I make is not practicing.
I buy an upright then switch to play digital piano between upright
Then every note i press on digital piano is an accent distortion sound 😂
I need a teacher who can teach me to play Liszt's transcendental etude number 12.
Mistake no.9
Seeing anoter video on TH-cam about practicing instead practicing.
And anoter one.
And anoter....
Is it fair to say.”slow and steady wins the race ……..or maybe slower?”
:L
I have to start going to church? That’s it, I’m switching to clarinet.
Adieu 👋🏻
Their's are usually, not always, but usually kept well tuned, so it could be beneficial. Food for thought😉
@@texaswildcat6425 Oh yeah, I have practised in a church on a nice Yahama something or other, in exchange for hymns the next morning 😱I have a Yamaha N2 at home, and Josh's video reminded me that I can adjust the weight of the action...must look that up.
@@MarkNorgate Ah, too rich for me, I have the same upright Everett studio piano since my parents bought it 50 years ago. Needs a little tuning but otherwise for an upright it does pretty good. Playing on baby grands and others is a luxury for me. Getting ready for a recital playing Chopin Waltz in B minor. Nervous as all get out. Havnt done a piano recital in close to 40 years-ish. Don't ever let something stop you from practicing like i did for over 25 years. Always keep going. God bless y'all🕊 💐
Thank You,Josh!!!