New Player - How's my practice schedule?

[Wrave]

Sorry, this is long. I guess a lot of my responses on these forums are, I apologize for that. But if any of you have the time and patience to read this and it makes any sense to ya and ya got any suggestions, I'd sure appreciate them.

 

I've been taking piano lessons just over a year and I think I practice a lot considering the day gig and other responsibilities. I usually get in 45 minutes to an hour before I leave for work and then an hour to two hours after work. Usually a little more over the weekends.

 

I feel like I am not progressing as fast as I should in some areas...especially in the area of reading. Maybe I shouldn't compare this to my learning guitar several years ago because I was more agile both mentally and physically then but I also, since having that background, ought to be a little ahead of the game in some respects.

 

I made the mistake of taking a book I bought into my teacher and she's started assigning out of it. You may have seen it, it's a pretty standard scales and arpeggios book. It takes each key and gives two octave scales in parallel and opposing directions and then in parallel in thirds and tenths. Then it has chord cadences and arpeggios for the major and dominant seventh chords for the key in every inversion.

 

Right now I am trying to do all of these exercises for two keys in each practice session. Once I've learned the fingerings I can move through them fairly fast but they are still taking the biggest chunk of every practice session and there's always a new key I am working on. Usually after I've done all of this, I am getting kinda of tired, it's close to time to leave for work or just to take a few minutes at the end of the day to relax. But I still have exercises from an exercise book and songs to work on from beginning adult lessons and somewhere I have to fit in time for the theory book and a jazz book she is teaching out of.

 

My reading sucks! Once I've got the fingerings memorized for the scales, chords and arpeggios I don't pay much attention to the notation...it'd slow me down.

 

When I asked my teacher about this last night she reminded me that I brought the book in. I find that if I cannot practice for a couple of days, as happened recently when I had to go away for some training for work, I'm likely to forget scale fingerings and then have to "refresh" my memory until I am playing them semi-fluently again.

 

And while I am at it, that's another thing. On any given day I may play my scales pretty well and then the next practice it's almost like they are brand new to me. Is this normal?

 

So, should I be putting so much time into these technical aspects of practice? Should I, since my teacher reminded me that I brought the book to her, put it aside for a while and concentrate on the reading and the stuff in the books she wants to use?

 

How do you practice? Does this practice format sound OK to you who have taught or you who are learning too?

[Rod S]

Originally posted by wrave:

So, should I be putting so much time into these technical aspects of practice? Should I, since my teacher reminded me that I brought the book to her, put it aside for a while and concentrate on the reading and the stuff in the books she wants to use?

 

How do you practice? Does this practice format sound OK to you who have taught or you who are learning too?

Sounds too me like you're putting way too much time into the technical aspects. What are your goals? Classical? Pop? Jazz/Blues? A mix?

 

For instance, I think it's helpful with Jazz to just do a 2 chord vamp and practice soloing with just a few notes. There's not point in practicing scales till you can run them up and down like a maniac if you don't know what to do with notes.

 

How much time do you spend working on actual songs? It's sounding like you're doing the equivalent of a treadmill exercise on the piano.

Classical is a different story, since you're usually playing straight to the sheet music, but I still think you should try to focus on some single songs too.

 

I'm considered a decent player by many, and my lessons vary from a bit of jazz, blues, and MPB (a brazilian mix of pop and jazz), but I still can't do a lot of the exercises in those books. I'll eventually be able to do them, but it's certainly not hindering me right now.

[CP]

I asked the same question a few months back and got some pretty good advice. Check it out, I hope it helps.

 

http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=18;t=002311#000000

[Dave Pierce]

I admire your tenacity, but there's no way I could spend that much time on exercises. I would no doubt be a much better player if I did, but I would also be bored to tears.

 

If you goal is playing classical music like a virtuoso, ignore the following advice. Otherwise:

 

I would suggest cutting the exercise playing back to 45 min a day. This will slow your technical progress, but your enjoyment factor will increase if you spend the rest of your time, as RodCA suggested, working on actual songs. Remember, you don't have to be a finger-master to make beautiful music that both yourself and others will enjoy.

 

Another thing that is extremely helpful and enjoyable is to play with other people. Does your instructor have any jam sessions or workshops? Or know someone who does? Playing with people at your own level is a great way to make actual music out of the technical skills you are learning, and it's a lot of fun!

 

--Dave

[Byrdman]

Originally posted by wrave:

I've been taking piano lessons just over a year and I think I practice a lot considering the day gig and other responsibilities. I usually get in 45 minutes to an hour before I leave for work and then an hour to two hours after work. Usually a little more over the weekends.

 

You should not need to spend more than half an hour a session on scales and arpeggios. At your early stage you should not expect to do them over more than two octaves and you should not expect to have mastered the remote keys. As you get better you will get faster and can increase the number and range that you do in the time. You will eventually be able to do all 12 keys in this time, both major and minor, in parallel motion.

 

Doing these is very zen once you get them under your fingers. You can just turn your brain off and let your fingers rip. You should not be trying to read them - that reduces their usefulnes while doing nothing for your reading.

 

The scales and arpeggios fall into groups by fingering and you should seek to learn them that way. This is true of the inversions of the arpeggios too.

 

After 1 year, you would not expect your site reading to be great but it will only improve by playing pieces. Either your teacher or your local sheet music shop should be able to recommend books of simple pieces that you can work on. You should aim to work up a short piece to an acceptable playing level in about a month.

 

Pick up a copy of Hanon. These exercises are easy and will help build hand strength and finger independence. You should not spend more that fifteen minutes a day on them. 45 minutes a day for all exercises should be enough.

[Wrave]

Thanks to everyone for your comments. I think I have a good teacher as she has tailored the lessons toward my interests in standards and jazz. She and I discussed it and decided I could work at the jazz book as a little extra added attraction since this is where my interests lie but that the elementary work would come first. It was she who found and brought in the jazz book we now work in. I think it has been mostly my misunderstanding that led me to put so much effort into scales etc. I still think the work in scales and the like is important but I am going to reduce the time I give them.

 

I am one who when first learning guitar used to spend six to eight hours per day practicing. I am frustrated that I cannot afford this for the piano. I would gladly give myself over to music completely. Unfortunately I have house payment, bills, yada, yada, yada...

 

Thanks again and thanks CP for the link. I should have thought to do a search first.

 

Good day to you all.