subject: Piano Online Lessons - Why You Must Understand The Difference Between Practice And Playing! [print this page] Piano Online Lessons - Why You Must Understand The Difference Between Practice And Playing!
If you are contemplating piano lessons online, downloading the training material is the easy bit - committing to ongoing learning and practice can be the hardest part. Let's face it, anyone would love to play the piano. The thought of sitting on stage in front of an audience anticipating a classical masterpiece, or your latest pop hit, sends shivers up your spine. The problem is that, while most would love to PLAY the piano, not so many want to actually LEARN the piano, or even PRACTICE the piano. Unfortunately, playing (to any kind of decent standard) can only result from a regular learning and practice regime.One way to make practice seem not quite so daunting is to look at it from another angle. Consider it a way of accelerating the learning process - in order that you will soon be able to play well.You need to push yourself. Irregular practice, or just thumping out old tunes you are familiar with will get you there - but very slowly. You need to keep moving along, gaining better technical skills through a proper structured training process. Practice is not the act of repeating songs over and over again - practice is actually venturing into unfamiliar territory. In reality, you should practice what you don't already know, not what you do know.Practicing piano should be just like any other project - it needs some planning. If you are expecting to have a 2 hour practice slot, determine beforehand where you aim to be after it. Are you going to try out some new chords, or inversions, for example? Note this down, and make sure you keep practicing these - don't give up or just go back to your old favorite selections. After you have achieved your goals for the session, you can then reward yourself by indulging in some familiar pieces - safe in the knowledge that you have made progress.With practice, repetition is vital. When you hit something that is difficult, practice it 3 times a day, or more, until you master it. If you are determined, you will master it. Don't be put off if a part takes longer to conquer than you thought it would. Some parts of piano online lessons may take you months to truly master - but you will get where you want to go, eventually.Don't be frightened of making mistakes when you are practicing. You should not expect to get everything right first time. Remember the difference between PRACTICE and PLAYING. When you are practicing, it's fine to get it wrong. The idea is that you learn during PRACTICE, so that when you are finally PLAYING, or performing, the piece, you will be getting it right every time.If you are taking piano online lessons, you have the added advantage that you can practice when it suits you. So if you are conscious that there are others in the house, and still wary of them hearing your mistakes, schedule your practice sessions when you won't be disturbed (or be disturbing others). Or simply explain to them the difference between practice and playing.
