Hi, I'm interested in everyone's practice routine.

I just sit down and start playing the parts that gave me trouble the most, which is usually the arpeggios or cadenzas. I can usually sit for 20-30 mins playing the same section and after I get bored I play the hard parts in the next song. Usually I alternate left hand and then right hand and then both. At the end, I try to play the parts I've worked on in that session musically and in real time.

But the thing is I never record myself which I should... Anyway, how do you guys practice the piano?

Thx

2-3 hours working on "new" pieces (those where I'm still learning the notes) before I go to work-

1/2 hour of scales etc and roughly 2 hours of working on older pieces (those being polished and maintained) in the evening after work - I rotate these and have printed out blank calender sheets to keep track of them

I work on sections sometimes just a measure or two and use a timer. I also block off sections where I wish to end with post it notes so I don't run over into the rest of the piece.

I see, so new pieces in the morning and polishing old pieces at night. You must be very dedicated to be practicing 5 hours total and have a full-time job. Also, have you read Chang's online book "Fundamentals of Piano Practice"?

I'm only a beginner (started over Christmas) but I try for at least an hour a day - sometimes more. I always play both hands at once with a new piece - I'm too impatient to do left and right hands separately first. I practice scales now and then (sounds slack I know) but I want to keep my playing relatively fun. I don't use a timer or video myself though.

15 min of scales and Hanon after breakfast.

30 min of technique after lunch.

60-90 min repertoire at night.

This may vary in contens or time, but more or less that's my routine.

Working full time, it's impossible for me to practice more on weekdays. During weekends I try to catch up.

Interesting thread…

I honestly don’t have a routine practice regiment, per-se. Depending on my mood, I’ll sit down at my grand piano and start with some arpeggios in C. Then, I’ll play, and possible sing, one of my favorite tunes/pieces that I already know fairly well. Lately, I’m drawn to Hoagie and Ray’s “Georgia on my mind” and “I can’t stop loving you”. When I play those pieces the way I want it to sound, I get a euphoric feeling all over me, like a strong narcotic. Then, once I get warmed up, I’ll play a hot rock-n-roll tune with lots of chops and get my heart pumping pretty good.
Then, I’ll think of a tune/piece, I’m unfamiliar with but would like to play. I’ll work on that a little while.

Lately, I’ve been working on reading music out of a church hymn book. This is somewhat of a new experience for me, but I’m interested in it. If I’m interested and enthusiastic about learning something, it makes it much better and easier to work on it (not that it’s easier to learn).

All in all, I can’t think of any hobby or pastime that I have enjoyed as much in a long, long time!

Take care,

Rick

P.S. My practice time is usually in increments of about 30 minutes to an hour; Sometimes longer on the weekends.

I didn't actually start scales really until about a year after I started. I just played around with music to songs I like and concentrated on learning to read the music. I didn't get real far that way, but hearing a bit of my favorite music, no matter how poorly played, coming out of my own piano was the instant gratification I needed. Now I'm ready to really dig in and do the harder work.

I don't really time it, but I figure I'm getting in about an hour a day of practice and playing. Lately I've been getting more time in because I've reached a point where some things are getting a bit easier and that makes me want to push myself farther.

My teacher tells me that I should practice the same amount of time as my lesson, which is half an hour. Her recommendation is 10 minutes of scales and arpeggios, 10 minutes, or less, of A Dozen a Day, and then 10- 15 minutes on the piece we are working on.

So I'll do that after work. Then later in the evening, I'll play something different, lately easy pieces out of Keith Snell's repertoire series.

I've been doing 15 minutes of Hanon and scales (super-beginner so I'm just doing C, F, and G major scales so far), then transition to the three or so pieces from the Alfred's All in One book 1 that I am working on at a given time. Total per day is 45 minutes. It's nothing in comparison to some others out there, but to me the progress has been fantastic. Learning to play piano at age 43 from scratch without a teacher is all relative...

Have never read Chang. Re practice - my only child is grown - my disabled husband keeps house and I've never cared that much for TV. If I were your average working mum - like I was 10 or so years ago - I could never do what I can do now. I really admire those younger folks out there who a juggling young children and work and house and still manage to keep up their practice.

The "book" is free online at and just google 'piano practice' and the site pianofundamentals.com should come up.

Pretty eye-opening although I don't agree with all his methods.

I practice around 3 hours a day. I don't have a set routine, but I try to spend time on each of 4 elements: new pieces, old pieces, sight-reading, and scales/drills.

I think I need to add noodling/improvisation to that list. I don't spend enough time just goofing around, trying to hear things in my head and translating them to the keyboard. As a result I'm lost outside of my little zone of practiced material.

Bluekeys - You should put some PLAYTIME into your play time. It will pay off BIG TIME!

Barb

You should. My husband says he always knows when I'm a bit frustrated. I'll start improvising some odd little minor key march. That sort of things a great way to untense yourself.

Barb and Frycek -- You're probably right. I do it once in a while, generally causing a hideous racket, but I don't have any noodling or ear playing in my daily routine. I think I should take maybe one simple tune per day and try to pick out the melody by ear. I could gradually add some simple harmony and fillers. Ideally, I'd eventually learn to improvise on the fly and become less dependent on playing every single note from memory or off the sheets.

I'm not ready to abandon my "classical" method and go whole hog for something like Sudnow or PM, but I'd like to start tip toeing in that direction. Thanks for the suggestion.

Yeah...I'm like that. Sometimes I'll sit down and try to play something by ear but then get lazy and give up. I'm happier seeing the music in front of me. A few months ago I bought the score for "New York New York". I can play the intro...yeah..that's as far as I got.

I've found that sticking to a routine does not work for me. Moods and schedules vary too much. Some weeks I doddle through pieces with no motivation, so its for "memory maintenance" of known pieces. Other weeks I'm "feeling it" and pushing to the next level, like a world-class athlete in training. But, I do try and do something at least 6 days a week, even if it's reviewing the music of the next piece. Some days I put in 4 hours (usually Sat). Weekdays I may just do some hand stretches at work to keep from tightening up before getting back to the piano. I've found that I must convince myself that it's ok to take a several day break and not feel guilty or that I've given up (after all these years?)

Yeah I notice I'm also very inconsistent with my practice routine. One day I'll practice 2 hours, one day just one, and another maybe even 2 1/2. But I do try to practice at least half an hour a day on the busiest days and I remind myself that it is OK to take a break. I mean, I could rush a piece and complete it within a month or two, but what's the point? There's plenty of time for me to learn pieces and enjoy, and this is not a race.

Sticking points can also be a frustration since after a while progress can come in inches instead of the blazing speed of improvement in the beginning. I think with a teacher by my side any piece is possible though, it's just a matter of pressure and time, like in Shawshank. =)

I placed my piano "in the way" in the main living area of my house. I go by it constantly during the day and night. When I get the urge, I go to it and play. Sometimes I sightread, sometimes I try out something that I am thinking. Sometimes I like to polish something I am memorizing.

I don't have a set time or duration. Occasionally, I'll just try out something in my mind (a chord voicing or progression, for example). I could stay at the piano for as little as 3 or 4 minutes. Other times I'll play for an hour or more. Just depends on how I feel.

During my more serious times, I will go over a tough part and think about chords, color tones, fingering, rythm, etc.

Hop