Positive Steps to Piano Practice
When we go to piano lessons, we review our projects and songs. Then we learn new fragments to songs and strategies to help us remember and understand, what we are playing. We also share improvisations, composition, and things we have learnt or discovered.
That is only one session in our journey to learning the piano.
We also have practice time and that is a huge chunk of learning to play the piano.
Did you know that we forget nearly 66% of what we learn within one day! So, it is imperative that we look at our notes and practice the same day or as soon as possible the next day.
So just practicing on your own can be frustrating. What if you can’t remember what the notes mean or you have forgotten what we learnt or you have got in a muddle with a playlist piece, or can’t work out how to do the improv or composition?
That is where a coach is important.
The coach is the person who comes to class with you, if you are a younger student, or a friend that in in your class if you are independent.
The coaches’ job is to help you.
They may not be able to play the piece, but they will be able to guide you with what we did in class. Help you to find the corresponding videos, read your notes for you, talk to you and encourage you. Check that you are not playing too fast, or too slow. And most importantly share that special time with you.
Using the Better Practice app.
This helps keep you consistent and accountable. It has the list of immediate projects and all your songs in the playlist. It gives you the opportunity to ask the teacher a question. You can send in a recording or encourage other students. It links directly into the Simply Music curriculum making it stream line when practicing.
Your coach can mark off your songs as you play them, making sure you take the time to do them well.
If you are in level 1 or working as your own pace in higher levels, you may not be using the Better Practice App yet. Using a playlist sheet and ticking off your songs each day as you play them helps to keep you on track.
A coach is an important role. It like going to footy training or net ball training. If you don’t have a coach that pushes you and encourage you, then you won’t develop your skills as well as you want.
Sometimes I get comments like “I don’t want to push them, it’s just for fun, I want them to go to the piano when they feel like it”
Do you go to football training when you feel like it? What if you don’t feel like playing the game this weekend? What if its raining?
If you want to achieve and reach your goals you need to put some effort in. The teacher and your coach are ready to support you.
This term I am looking forward to us all working together – Student, Teacher, and Coach.
Let’s prepare our minds for a great term.
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