One of my favorite ways to practice is to start at the end of the piece. Like the last 4 measures. Then add 4 measures at a time all the way back to the beginning. I used to find I'd play a piece from the top, then goof something up, and go back to the top! I'd end up playing the beginning many times more than the end. So I start from the end! It's a great confidence builder when you already know the part coming up!
Thanks! So, a couple weeks of slow practice have gone by. It's about the best thing I've ever done to improve my playing. You get a feel for the piece, and a sense of how to make it feel like a cycle.
You can also practice larger sections hands separately gaining speed before putting the hands together. Slow practice is also essential to check your work. There isn't just one way to practice, however, slow practice is definitely a part of a successful practice routine.
That is absolutely correct. That is why sometimes I recommend practicing micro segments of music up to tempo to get a feel for how to play a passage or section up to speed. You can play only 2 or 3 notes up to speed, hands together. Then you can practice the next 2 or 3 notes up to speed. Finally, put the 2 groups of notes together and continue working in this fashion putting together tiny segments of music up to speed.
Hi. We really appreciate your advice. I also would like to add to start studying the most difficult passages. I am trying to learn Chopin's Ballade #1. I broke it into pieces starting at the coda (pag 9). I said to my self: if I am able to play it well enough, then I would keep reading any other difficult passage. So far, so good.
You are genius and I think this a good advice and that is what I have done I do follow the same and it makes easy to learn and develop lots of confidence to overcome some hard part of the song Thank you for such good advice
So true. Before starting lessons again O would get up the sheet music or synthesia/online pianist and play it at 70-80% tempo and think that I could play stuff easily. Then I took those pieces to my new teacher once I started lessons again after some years and I found the pieces were a lot more challenging than I thought because I had practiced them too quickly. Now I start between 30 and 50% and you really start to see the difference when you listen back.
Van Cliburn said that he always started his practice sessions by playing scales very, very slowly. He said just crawling slowly through the scales helped him so much!
In Chuan's ebook "Fundamentals of Piano Practice", it says that if you learn a fast piece of music at a slow tempo, then you hit a 'speed wall' when you try to speed it up, cos you use different hand shapes and muscles when going very fast compared with very slow. Do you disagree with this?
Slow practice does not use the same muscle memory as your performance level memory for fast sections. You may be just wasting muscle memory. This might change from person to person but for me I end up damaging the fast parts I need most expression with so it is a big no no for me.
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One of my favorite ways to practice is to start at the end of the piece. Like the last 4 measures. Then add 4 measures at a time all the way back to the beginning. I used to find I'd play a piece from the top, then goof something up, and go back to the top! I'd end up playing the beginning many times more than the end. So I start from the end! It's a great confidence builder when you already know the part coming up!
very good, I am a piano teacher from Hungary, teaching Trinidad and Tobago and tell my students every day about slow practice! Thank you!
Good looking out, message received.
Slow practice may very well be the single most important approach to attaining hand independence and coordination
Thanks! So, a couple weeks of slow practice have gone by. It's about the best thing I've ever done to improve my playing. You get a feel for the piece, and a sense of how to make it feel like a cycle.
You can also practice larger sections hands separately gaining speed before putting the hands together.
Slow practice is also essential to check your work. There isn't just one way to practice, however, slow practice is definitely a part of a successful practice routine.
That is absolutely correct. That is why sometimes I recommend practicing micro segments of music up to tempo to get a feel for how to play a passage or section up to speed. You can play only 2 or 3 notes up to speed, hands together. Then you can practice the next 2 or 3 notes up to speed. Finally, put the 2 groups of notes together and continue working in this fashion putting together tiny segments of music up to speed.
Hi. We really appreciate your advice. I also would like to add to start studying the most difficult passages. I am trying to learn Chopin's Ballade #1. I broke it into pieces starting at the coda (pag 9). I said to my self: if I am able to play it well enough, then I would keep reading any other difficult passage. So far, so good.
I love piano
Nice new videography, wonderful topic. You're a blessing. We appreciate your work.
Very insightful advice. Thank you very much!
You are genius and I think this a good advice and that is what I have done I do follow the same and it makes easy to learn and develop lots of confidence to overcome some hard part of the song Thank you for such good advice
This is good and wise advice. I follow it myself but hearing it from you is reassuring still.
Very, very helpful! Thank you.
Your video's are a joy to watch! I love to see you talking, your enthusiasm and you have some amazing advice!
So true. Before starting lessons again O would get up the sheet music or synthesia/online pianist and play it at 70-80% tempo and think that I could play stuff easily. Then I took those pieces to my new teacher once I started lessons again after some years and I found the pieces were a lot more challenging than I thought because I had practiced them too quickly. Now I start between 30 and 50% and you really start to see the difference when you listen back.
Van Cliburn said that he always started his practice sessions by playing scales very, very slowly. He said just crawling slowly through the scales helped him so much!
Excellent advice, so very grateful to you sir, blessings to you always
Very good advice.. Thanks
Your words are always inspiring
Thank you so much for taking the time to share this...I really needed to hear it. Rick - Tennessee
Thanks again for another great tip
Thanks! this is the best advice ever!
how do we learn to read? slow and one letter then another.
Thanks very much! That's very helpful.
You. Are. Amazing.
No matter how excruciating slow passage can be for some extremely chromatic pieces, it's about the ONLY way I can assure I learn pieces!
Thank you
very helpfull video for beginners like me, thanks Robert.
Thanks 🎉
Love these videos!
This seems like great advice. But what is "slow", exactly? How many BPM?
2
i love your voice!
In Chuan's ebook "Fundamentals of Piano Practice", it says that if you learn a fast piece of music at a slow tempo, then you hit a 'speed wall' when you try to speed it up, cos you use different hand shapes and muscles when going very fast compared with very slow. Do you disagree with this?
I practice slowly with pedal. Is this okay?
Practicing slowly with the pedal isn't bad. But you should try practicing without the pedal to really clean up your playing even more!
If you can play it slowly you can play it quickly
Slow practice does not use the same muscle memory as your performance level memory for fast sections. You may be just wasting muscle memory. This might change from person to person but for me I end up damaging the fast parts I need most expression with so it is a big no no for me.
I find that I'm too impatient XD I need to learn to do enough slow practise before I speed up haha
Piano
Piano
"If you can play slowly, you can play quickly"
Nah just kidding. Only way to get good is practicing 40 hours a day all day everyday.
Never perform solo in perfect time....so boring. My Tenth Prelude coming soon!