When you sit down to practice piano, how do you decide what to practice?
Do you practice things you think you “should” practice? Do you have a long list of things to practice? Or are you stumped as to what you can practice? Do you lack direction? Or do you spend hours every day, eagerly practicing one thing after another?
Wherever you are with your piano practicing, it can be helpful to practice in 2 directions, each time you sit down to practice.
First, identify one thing that you would love to play but can’t do yet. A difficult piece. Or soloing on Bennie And The Jets. Or that new pop tune you hear on the radio. Anything at all. Then…practice it. And if you’re not sure how to proceed, find someone to help you. Persist and you’ll soon be on your way to playing at a new level.
After you’ve done that, identify one thing that you can do well. Playing rock ballads. Soloing with the Blues Scale. Anything at all. Then… play it for a few minutes. And apply it to a new song, or a new key, or at a new tempo. Simply enjoy playing something you can do well and strengthen that ability.
It’s amazing how many pianists usually only do one or the other of these. But by practicing in 2 directions like this, you’ll develop your strengths as a player while filling in the gaps in your playing at the same time.
Try this for a week and see how it goes!