Practicing the piano with specific goals in mind is so much more effective than just measuring the time spent and calling it good. This month, for my studio challenge, I'm inviting students to level up their practice by using focused practice strategy games during their practice. Obviously, effective practice includes spending time at the piano bench, but practicing with purpose not only helps the time pass quickly, it also helps students to be more productive so that progress happens in less time.
Gamified Piano Practice
I've seen the power of gamified practice during piano lab when students just don't want to stop their practice until they have completed the next level of Rhythm Swing or earned 3 stars to unlock the next level on Piano Maestro. That same excitement of flow and achievement that comes from video games and music apps can also happen on the bench when students approach learning new pieces with gamified strategies using practice game cards.
As a college student, my practice was definitely more focused and enjoyable when I paired it with chocolate chips and "3 in a Row" (or Cross the River) practice.
Boss Mode Practice
Overall piano practice success can also be compared to video game levels. I love this image about practice levels that Nicola Cantan shared in her recent Piano Teacher Turboboost that I attended. While we might not achieve BOSS MODE every week, TUTORIAL MODE can kill the fun if students are stuck in it week after week. The challenge goal is to look at what level you are currently practicing at and make personal improvements to LEVEL UP!
Are you washing the clean dishes?
Sometimes it can be tempting for pianists to just play through their favorite easy parts of music they know over and over (washing the clean dishes) instead of tackling trickier new music with purposeful focus (washing the dirty dishes). Instead, it's more effective to choose practice games with a specific purpose in mind.
Before you practice, ask yourself, "What goals do I have for my practice today?"
- Learn a new section of a piece that you have never played before?
- Make a piece you have already practiced more reliable?
- Memorize one more section?
- Improve your technique by learning scales or chords?
- Balance the melody and accompaniment?
- Increase speed to full tempo without mistakes?
- Play a tricky passage with consistent fingering?
- "Polish" by focusing on musicality and expression?
Pair the Purpose with a Practice Game
Once you know the purpose for the practice, choose the practice game cards that match the goals you want to accomplish in your practice session that day.
Learning a New Piece
- Divide and Conquer
- FERN
- Back Track
- Snail Dog Cheetah
- Nibble a Note
- 3 in a Row (Cross the River)
- Speed Section Level Up
- Detail Section Level Up
Making a Piece More Reliable
- The Great Race
- The Lap
- Beat the Dealer
- Feeling Moody
Specific Strategies
- Hippo & the Mouse (Balance Melody/Accompaniment)
- Nibble a Note (Tricky Fast Passages)
- Fingering Secrets (Tricky Tucks, Crosses, Leaps, etc.)
- Silly Scales (Scales)
- ALL Technique (Technique exercises)
Click here to access the Free Printable Piano Practice Game Cards. Some of these game ideas were inspired by the book The Practice Revolution by Philip Johnston, which I highly recommend! Others I learned from my own years as a student, or created to help students navigate tricky spots in their music.
Level Practice with Nightmares First
I love Philip Johnston's analogy of starting practice with the "nightmares" first. After dividing up a piece into musical sections, pick the scariest-looking section to level up first. Then the rest of the practice sections will feel like a breeze! If the "nightmare" feels too overwhelming, break it down into smaller chunks, switch back and forth between pieces, or slow it down. Experts say that slow, interleaved practice is super powerful! Watch this quick Ted-ED video about "How to Practice Effectively for Just About Anything" to learn more.
Practice Slowly!
.png "When I practice slow I learn fast! heidispianonotes")
This video by Piano Prof Kate Boyd about slow practice has some great in-depth ideas for intermediate students regarding slow practice.
Paper Clip Practice Steps
When I was a child, my piano teacher often suggested starting to learn new music by practicing slowly, hands separately, and working through the following steps that are more suitable for beginners.
1- Practice the left hand at a slow tempo.
2- Practice the right hand at a slow tempo.
3- Play hands together slow. (Start here in pieces with melody shared between the hands).
4- Play hands together at tempo.
5-FERN Did you remember to play with correct fingering and add expression in addition to correct rhythm and notes?
For some students, having a simple card like this, paperclipped to the page with a clip or Post-it, can help them move along the steps to track what they have completed, making their practice more focused and effective. Others might prefer to just glance at the page full of strategies and pick one to guide their practice instead of having little cards scattered about in their music books. They could instead just write the number of stage they have completed and start with the next step in their next practice session. This method helps the teacher quickly see at a glance where practice occurred during the week.
BAPDARP Piano Practice
You can read more about Stephen Thomas's BAPDARP practice in my previous post. Some elements like architecture, rubato and pedaling may not apply to beginner level pieces, but it is a great memorable checklist for intermediate level students to use for festival preparation!
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