How to get the most from your piano lessons?

Are you learning the piano? If so, you already know that you can’t just sit down at the piano and start playing Bach right off the bat. Becoming a solid pianist takes time. More specifically, it takes practice…and lots of it.

A lot of new pianists practice regularly, but they aren’t getting as much out of it as they could be. In this article, you’ll discover several helpful tips that will help you maximize your practice time in front of the piano. By sticking to these tips, your skills should increase at a much faster rate.

• Warm up before practicing—You don’t see basketball players just stroll onto the court at tipoff without stretching and warming up beforehand. The same goes for playing piano. You need to get your fingers loose and ready to play. Start with some basic finger exercises, and play through scales to get in the piano mindset. Do this for a few minutes before you get into actual practice.
  
• Practice regularly—The biggest mistake new pianists make is to only practice whenever they have a lesson. You can’t expect to get better this way. In fact, as soon as your piano lesson is over, you should find time for a practice session as soon as possible, while your teacher’s instructions are still fresh in your mind. Then schedule time each day to practice on your own…even if it’s just for 10 or 15 minutes. A little practice each day can go a long way to making you a better pianist.
  
• When it’s time to practice, truly focus—Don’t waste practice time by fooling around or chatting with a friend. When you’re there to practice, practice. Eliminate all distractions. An hour of truly focused practicing can yield some pretty amazing results.
  
• Work on building new skills—After playing for a while, it’s common for pianists to hit a plateau. This usually happens because you do the same thing every time you practice. Keep building new skills by trying something different. For example, find a piece by a composer whose music you have never played before. Or, buy a book of random piano sheet music, and work your way through it.
  
• Identify your weaknesses—All pianists have things they aren’t great at. Everyone makes mistakes while playing. The key is to isolate your weaknesses, and to focus on eliminating them. If you can turn your weaknesses into strengths, you’ll become a solid pianist. If you aren’t sure what your weaknesses are, ask your teacher during your piano lesson or video yourself playing, and analyze your playing to find the mistakes.
  
• Have fun—This is supposed to be fun. Playing music is a joy. If you truly love it, piano playing will become a part of your life that you can’t do without. So, have fun with it. Don’t view practicing as torture. Cherish the time you get to sit in front of the piano.
  

You won’t become a great pianist over night. Improving your skills at the piano takes time, but if you remain committed to it for the long haul and you follow these helpful tips, you can work your way toward becoming a truly remarkable piano player.

Practice makes perfect, and there’s never a bad time to practice. Start working on your piano music today!