10 Steps to LOVE Practicing the Piano!

[@Zebobynh0]

0:46 1. Listen to yourself. 2:13 2. Make time for things you love to play. 4:01 3. Do not force progress. 5:37 4. Fingers don't have to be pressing keys for practice to count. 8:11 5. Do it right the first time (when possible). Do it right, do it light. Do it wrong, do it long. 10:04 6. Channel your inner heroes. 13:06 7. There's not one right way to play the piano. 16:09 8. Write down inspiration & track progress. 17:53 9. Stop comparing yourself negatively to your heroes and with your weaknesses. 22:02 10. Set short, medium, and long-term goals.

[@Zhinarkos]

One of the best practices I've adopted is to sight-read through really easy beginner pieces and piano books. Especially with the theory books, I get some theory and technical exercises along with sight-reading that is so easy that I can commit 100% to doing everything absolutely correctly, with the "appropriate tempo" while playing it prima vista. When it comes to sight-reading I think this is the way to do it. Practice whatever difficult pieces you wish for the bulk of your practice time but carve out some time to just sight-read obscene amounts of super easy music. It's like practising a language - you need a lot of repetition of basics, not a little repetition of advanced stuff. And if you are like me and you are mostly a self-learner with some intermediate and some advanced skills you have a hard time estimating your abilities and as a consequence you tend to make some bad choices, at least occasionally. It's not that you can't play even some early advanced material, especially when you slow down but if you'd adjust your expectations and learn to appreciate what it takes to practice well - what an amazing amount of detail and complexity goes into playing the piano - you'd realize that even with semi-decent sight-reading skills your mental abilities aren't going to cut it. You can't sight-read *insert a somewhat difficult piece of music here* prima vista well and expect to execute it within a high degree of quality because... Who could? Muscle movements, relaxation, dynamics, rhythm, sight-reading, breathing, listening, etc. a million things need to be correct all the time for that to happen. The further up I climb the skill ladder the more time I spent focused on the basics. I'm obsessing over all the degrees of "attachedness" between legato and staccato. I try to respect every note value perfectly and try to sustain with my fingers first before touching the pedal. I try to figure out each voice and subject and what their characteristics are. The basics are the details. Be patient and be detail-oriented. If you let go of ego and start sight-reading a lot of easy musical material and you keep it up even just a month your fluency in sight-reading and digesting of musical information will be improved a lot.

[@shaunreich]

Can you suggest how to find easy sight reading? I'm capable of doing something every single day, but I want to take any guesswork out of it and just give me "today's sight reading" at my easier level. Basically, I want some bulk sight reading

[@Zhinarkos]

@@shaunreich I like to loan beginner piano books from the library. They are in the music section and are essentially like the first books a beginning piano student who has no idea how to play would get in order to start learning piano. These are the best because they teach theory, technical exercises and easy but continually advancing in difficulty sight-reading for you. If you have the patience you can just comb through the entire catalogue the library has to offer. Also consider maybe some regular sheet music for children songs and stuff, they usually have simple notations. A lot of people swear by music apps on tablets and phones. I've never tried them but I do know that at least Yousician allows you to play with sheet music instead of the usual visual indication of a digital format like piano roll or synthesia - that oughta be a very efficient way to learn sight-reading. KZbin also has sight-reading videos. Just search for sight-reading and then put whatever grade you want to work with in and there should be some videos, at least musicwithnopain seems to have some. I also know that MuseScore has a sight-reading trainer but again I've never actually tried it myself. It gives you the option to change the parameters for what you want to sight-read, what note values, how many measures, that sort of a thing.

[@renelvital]

Thank you. I really enjoyed reading your posts! Basics and repetition are best friends that creates a foundation for increased enjoyment in playing music.

[@xllab1]

I love that there's now a thumbnail!

[@jennifermonroy9127]

I wish your channel reaches a bigger audience. I love the way you approach your piano learning journey ❤

[@joshwrightpiano]

Thank you Jennifer! Feel free to share any of the KZbin content you like that I publish with friends and fellow pianists. I appreciate you helping me reach a bigger audience!

[@waggawaggaful]

I was thinking the same thing, but then his classes would get a lot more expensive 😬

[@TatianaRacheva]

This is actually all good advice for any area where you want to get more practice. Even computer programming.

[@vettejakes]

OMG. Really needed this today. Thanks for posting. You touched on some very good points!

[@summerofstacey6676]

I’m a professional accompanist, playing mostly for hs and ms choir performances, as well as church music, voice lessons, and musical productions, but I wanted to say that nearly everything you teach translates to my disciplines where I’m rarely a solo performer. Thank you for sharing your expertise!

[@waggawaggaful]

The point that really hit home with me is that there's no "right" way to play the piano - regardless of the piece and what precedents may have been set in regard to the technique in performing that piece. I've seen famous pianists approach the same piece very differently. And yes, everyone's hands are so very different. There's no such thing is an ideally pianistic set of hands, though the general public seems to think that large hands with long fingers is more stereotypical. Lately I've been fascinated with how light and brightly punctuated Tiffany Poon's technique is relative to someone more heavy-handed like Valentina Lisitsa. I hadn't heard of Babayan or Trifinov before. I just now looked up Trifinov and watched his NPR Tiny Desk concert and am blown away!

[@A_Random_Pianist]

Thanks for sharing this!, I’m kinda hitting a wall right now in my practice, the Bach thing is so relatable, I’ve played minute waltz, transcendental etude 1, and many romantic pieces but struggle with an aria from Goldberg variations 😢

[@sarahfernandespiano]

Very informational video! Thank you!

[@davidgartner9019]

Great video! I would love to hear a complete version of Claire de lune!

[@hannaaparo]

Hello from a fellow pianist and teacher in Boulder, Colorado! Love your video! Thank you so much for your time, knowledge, and expertise :)

[@joshwrightpiano]

Thanks Hanna!

[@gervasiomontenegro569]

Hi Josh, I wish you a great 2024.

[@nickmorley1159]

Thank you, Josh. Some good "food for thought" here. I particularly liked the reminders in step 3 and 5.

[@nathanscarbrough2761]

Extremely helpful. Thank you!

[@wiolaa19]

Thank you! I love your inspirational videos esp. at the end of the year, when I'm planning my next-year piano-resolutions :) Also I was also glad to hear you speak about Trifonov. I heard him live two weeks ago and I was truely amazed. He is so unpredictable, emotional, bold,... So following your advice I'll try to channel my inner Trifonov next year :D

[@lindyl9486]

Great teaching as usual, thank you! My favorite young pianist is Trifonov, heard him live 4 times. Beyond his superb technique, his imagination and interpretation is out of this world.

[@JawwadHafeez]

Excellent steps. Gives me the inspiration to practice well , correctly, with awareness, regularly and be patient for the results.

[@luyin1961]

Great suggestions, applicable to many other things as well. Thank you for creating thoughtful videos!

[@joshwrightpiano]

You’re welcome. Thank you for your kindness and support

[@tyrosursel8688]

Hello dear Josh 😊, Yes, I make time for things that I love to play. Josh's romantic songs 😊. I love your channel. Thanks for sharing your beautiful music. I play also a little piece of Bach. I know it from my youth. I think it's a good piece and exercise for my brain. It works very hard. Have a good time Josh 😊. Hear you 😊, Ursel

[@montyfrench2639]

I found this video so informative, interesting and inspiring, a big thank you Josh!

[@RobertHopkinsArt]

If you want to learn how to “really” play jazz on piano, it’s really quite easy. Yet, tough and very rewarding. The answer: wait until it’s dark outside. Then turn off all the lights in the area you are playing. Determine the key a song is being played in and go for it! Play along with Alexa. I have been doing this for years and it really works. Besides absolutely knowing your scales and how to quickly find the scale of the song your playing to, the darkness will help you to play by ear and not by sight. It really does work. This also works on guitar. Good luck!

[@Olleg.G]

Thank you very much for another great video, Josh!

[@JM-ob6vj]

Hi Josh, I really like your videos, you give great tips. I follow you from Colombia. I have a question about pianists and physical exercises. Do you have any exercise routines? Do you go to the gym? What do you think about pianists doing pull-ups and weight exercises at the gym? Do you have any recommendations on this topic? Thank you very much.

[@PorconautaGames]

The most i have trouble with is setting my short, medium and long goals. I have some songs a THINK fit into each of those, but sometimes it feels im putting them in the wrong places. I'm self taughting and the lack of a teacher really takes a hit. My first song to play was minuet in g, that song by itself was a great teacher, but i tried to move on next into gymnopedie 1 and god, that is being dauting to learn.

[@pianopressofficial]

Damn! Josh dropped this video like it's hot 🔥 🎉

[@parksu2836]

When you write down your progress would you recommend having a journal nearby, and do you have one? Love the video, definitely one of the most insightful ones for me

[@joshwrightpiano]

Yes - I just use the notes app on my phone.

[@gabelonguinhos]

Huh. A tape recorder. That's genius. Using your phone or a mic always feels so harsh and cold if the room is too dry, like shining a bright fluorescent light on something and expecting it to look good. I wonder if the lo-fi quality from a tape recorder would affect that, make it warmer somehow.

[@appercumstock3017]

Cool Video!!

[@CB-ke9rs]

This is so helpful - thank you so much!!

[@mfurman]

I believe that there is another aspect of practice that you rarely address - practicing for a test or exam. In your Pro Practice lessons you very often give many options of interpretation. As far as an exam (RCM, for instance) or even your teacher test is concerned, there is usually only one write interpretation - the one in a sheet music you are given. Michael

[@jakklovediablo6293]

My though was practice fun when you got all the notes and muscle memory at the first glance of music sheet. I am the late beginner it took quite long time to get all the notes and muscle memory🥵

[@connoryu9023]

How can you play the first bars of Mozart allegro k332 softer? Thanks if you reply

[@scarlettrhettforever]

Does anyone else have problem recording themselves at practice time? I seem to find it uncomfortable.

[@nagatozz]

funny thumbnail

[@cyba9774]

Sergei Rachmaninoff to Vladimir Horowitz: "if you don't walk, your fingers will not run."

[@yahyakhazbak4713]

imagin no people love the practice because they didnt love the video. joking

[@bradenpollock6952]

I'm really curious Josh, whats ur opinion on Lang Lang?

[@ml4119]

I was just thinking the same after watching this video! Or the rising star Yuchan Lim (Cliburn Gold medal 2022) who gave an incredible performance of Rachmaninov's 3rd concerto ...I can't stop listening to it!

[@joshwrightpiano]

Lots of respect for what he’s done for classical music among the younger generation. He has been able to reach many kids who may not have had an interest in classical music and make it cool in their eyes. A lot of people have harsh criticism of Lang Lang - and they’ve reached a much smaller audience (or no audience) in comparison. He’s had a massive impact on the classical world. Whether you like his playing or mannerisms or not matters little in comparison to what he’s done for the classical piano world

[@bradenpollock6952]

@@joshwrightpiano I fully agree with what you think, and I love his interpretations and mannerisms.

[@GeorgeZen.-pe7dh]

​@@joshwrightpianoI respect your teaching and your playing. Anyways, do you know how to build disciples in my practice, and also what's your program of practicing.Thanks for reading!