“Good practice is the purposeful repetition of accuracy.”

We began lessons this year having a look at that statement, and it certainly says a lot! It comes from a clever comic book series called The Art Of Piano Performance which is published by the Neil A. Kjos Music Company. The comics are appealing to everyone from pre-teenagers to adults. The issue Perfect Practice is written by Peter Coraggio and illustrated by Jon J. Murakami. It is loaded with useful information pertaining to the achievement of successful piano performance, and it gives a scientific yet common-sense description of how the memory works while playing piano.

In the words of the author:

“Effective practice consists of first partitioning a composition into workable sections, determining fingering which feels natural for the intended musical expression, refining each unit through reinforcement and repetition while carefully observing all of the composer’s directions, reassembling component parts into a completed work, and finally, preparing properly for confident public performance which results in audience satisfaction and a sense of personal achievement.”

I challenged each of my students at the beginning of the year to come up with five ways they could ensure that their own practising was, in fact, a repetition of accuracy. Here are some of the highlights from that compiled list.

1. Have an environment free from distractions of TV, telephone, text messages, brothers, etc.

2. Make fingering choices a priority when first learning a piece and stick to those choices.

3. Scan the music before you play to find passages that might be challenging. Work on those first sections first.

4. If rhythm is the challenge, prepare it first by tapping the part(s).

5. Work on small sections at at time. Drill difficult runs with attention to fingering and patterns.

6. Notice dynamics when first learning a new piece and include them from the onset.

7. If the key signature is challenging, first practice scales and triads to get the patterns in your fingers and in your head.

8. Take a few seconds to relax before and after a difficult section. You will then associate that section with relaxation.

9. Plan the hand position — the shape of your fingers as they approach the keys as well as how the hand needs to move from one position to another.

10. Don’t assume that because it was good yesterday that it will perfect today. You still have to think and be careful.

And the most common response from all my students was this: Practise slowly.

Reading The Art Of Piano Performance: Perfect Practice is a fun way to learn about the challenges of piano playing, the way the mind works to learn those new skills, and the benefits and joys that are so rewarding for pianists of all ages.