My goals for week #1

Steinbergbaum wrote:
Also, how do you guys practise, how did/do you learn (I'm especially interested in your learning process, thomandy, it's really amazing what you've accomplished)?

frank wrote:
I have a teacher for 45 minutes every week. You can learn many things by video, reading etc., but I think a teacher at your side while you are trying to play (and trying to be not too nervous helps a lot at the beginning, if your name is not thomandy. The rest of the week I practice about half an hour per day.

Thomandy wrote: Well, I have to smile when I read your comments
Well, first of all thanks for the compliments I must say its very motivating for me that you guys are so supportive of me as well Thanks!!

And yeah, its like Frank say, I also think its an great advantage to have a teacher! I might try to get into a school next year, and then I will get a teacher as well Smile ..

My learning process:
Well, I try to challenge myself with most of my pieces. In the beginning I chose piece that was very unlike each other, so I could learn different things. I read very early about how most pianists, even professional pianists go to fast when learning a piece! After that day I stopped playing fast in the beginning, making lots of mistakes, instead I went so slow that I didnt make "ONE SINGLE" mistake. Then I got to play the pieces good even faster, it just seam so slow in the beginning, and it is, but in the end you will have used less time!

Also I feel composing have helped my skills getting better faster, cause when I compose I sort of get to know the piano better. Where is the different cites, roads, buildings ect(basically meaning note relations, scales ect) but still I dont know where the special stones and bumps ect are! To put it in straight words, I still dont know the piano as if it where my own pocket!

Read about things when you are bored, listen to a lot of music that give yo inspiration and motivates you... And learns you how music should sound! Learn scales, basic theory, do some ex(Even though Im very bad at this ) but most of all try to have as much fun as you can! Im not very good at forcing myselfe to the piano! If I dont want to play, I dont. That might be dumb, but.. I dont know. I get an avrae of 1hour practice most of the days. Would have liked to get 1more hour, but.. Lack of motivation atm ... but still I get 1hour +/- avrage a day.

Also break practice into sessions. Its better with 2-3x20min then
1x60 min Cause your brain work on things in between! Like sleep is Great for my progress on a piece. I play it slow before I sleep, then when I wake up I know how to play it a lot better

In a session on 1hour; Get some scales done, other ex, but use most of your time on a piece, maybe 20-40min learning, playing and perfecting already learned pieces If you practice HARD like Bach, get 5-10min pauses every 15-30 min depending on how hard, to avoid injuries! Also other pieces, but Bach is often very physically demanding!

Yeah, I have probably forgot a lot But I think I got a lot in there as well Good Luck!

VictorCS wrote:I use two very effective methods to remember when practising:

"If you are trying to imprint something, say the physical groupings/shifts in a given passage, it is not advisable to repeat it more than three or four times in a row, since your mind will begin to wander, and mindless practice is not much use."

Wandering is no good, then you play without progress.

"You create associations at key points, triggering the memory of what comes next. Since it involves muscle memory, it is useful to keep to hands poised, lightly in touch with the keys, while reading the music. Removing the hands completely, or completely relaxing them, requires you to re-orient yourself at the keyboard in mid-phrase."

When you draw a line with a pencil, you dont wanna lift the pencil up, and then put it down again to continue.