How To Divide Up Your PRACTICE Sessions! Tips and Strategies

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[@carlospfj]

Answer: 40 hours a day

[@joshwrightpiano]

I hope this helps each of you who are wondering where/how to allocate your practice time. I rewatched the video and realized I never provided the explanation for advanced players' technical study. What I meant to include was that rather than studying from a book of technical exercises, you could substitute a concert étude that you'd like to add to your repertoire anyway...that way you are being more efficient by accomplishing two things at once (building repertoire + working on technique). As a side note, any time I'm feeling technically weak, I do a bit of practice on Chopin Étude Op.10 No.2, isolating the top line, then gradually adding in the chords. That etude targets the weaker part of the hand, and has amazing benefits for the other pieces I'm working on. I always walk away from that feeling more energized and sharper technically. Have a great week everyone, and thank you for your support of this channel!

[@justinjohnson4452]

Literally every video on this channel is amazing. I find helpful info in every one.

[@joshwrightpiano]

Justin Johnson thanks so much for your kindness Justin! Have a great week my friend

[@djembesoloshorts]

Yes, this is really inspiring. Thank you.

[@lagerbaer]

The Mendelssohn "Songs without Words" contain many beautiful pieces that should fall perfectly into the "one month" period for advanced pianists.

[@OumiKapilaMusic]

Putting a timer on and allocating slots to specific areas of study is one of the most powerful tools for cultivating focus and progress.

[@SteveBurksMusic]

Indeed. I use a timer.

[@lawrencetaylor4101]

Thanks, I just started learning the Rule of the Octave and am spending too much time practicing it. But this is also training my ear, which is very weak (and damaged). I feel the time I'm using for this isn't wasted.

[@ballistix9275]

That's a sad story about your student, it's usually the hardest working and most gifted people who are filled with the most doubt and get easily discouraged, a big symptom of perfectionism. Nice video thanks for the tips.

[@realmirage]

Nick Wilkinson Actually.

[@twizted8469]

Something i find is that when i practice a section of a piece, i feel like im making 0 progress but then when i sleep and wake up, all of a sudden its a little easier. Every now ajd then ill take a few days break and i seem to improve further after the break. I think piano is a bit like the gym, if you over train with no breaks you can hinder your progress

[@hendrixcrossan9104]

I agree when I take breaks and come back I improve alot

[@jennhoff03]

Yeah, why is that?! I've been saying that for years. There's obviously something going on with it in our brains that happens when we sleep, but I don't know what it is.

[@torond6908]

@@jennhoff03 while you are studying, your brain marks the specific places that are used during the practice with a neurotransmitter called acetylcholine. Then, while you deep sleep the next night, these marked synapses are strengthened. You cannot properly learn without proper sleep! That was a major discovery for me. There are a couple of episodes on the Huberman Lab Podcast on neuroplasticity and learning that are absolute gems in explaining all this to great detail.

[@bobbideemusiclessons3701]

This video is extremely helpful for all levels because other people wether in person or on videos are vague aboug this exact thing

[@joshwrightpiano]

Bobbi Dee Music thanks Bobbi! Glad you enjoyed it

[@JohnFossbass]

I’m so glad I watched this. I have recently been trying to play 3 Abrsm grade 6 pieces. I thought I wasn’t making enough progress so I’ve I stopped playing altogether. However,the way you explain the amount of time to spend on pieces makes me realise I was pushing too hard . I’m 74 so no spring chicken ,but what you have said has made me want to go again. Thank you Josh and god bless .

[@bradowens9856]

Your videos have been very helpful Josh. As I advance I believe I'll find your material even more helpful. Thank you for doing what you do.

[@carolasandrakaty]

Thank you so much, Josh!! This is gold, it's just what I needed.

[@TheUnsureFox]

This has got to be one of the most information-loaded videos I have seen about this topic. Absolutely great info here, Josh! You have helped me tremendously!

[@PinaCoco]

So glad I found your channel Josh, your tips are useful for any kind of pianist or musician in general

[@johnniepaul685]

Brilliant instructions! Thank you sir, this is what I've been looking for.

[@daryaamersalimi5045]

I just found your channel and i seriously can't get enough of your videos.thank you very much.

[@cleoneblake1987]

Thanks so much, Josh, for your guidance here. Excellent!

[@jamesrenecozens474]

So helpful! Thank you so much Josh for posting these videos!! :)

[@jimmy6501]

Josh, just discovered your videos. Excellent advice. I guess you could say that I was born with I don't know, virtuosic tendencies, and very early on (starting in 4th grade), would practice 4 or more hours a day. I would alway choose the pieces I would play, and my elderly teacher, Miss Stranger, would do the best at trying to control how I practiced. But of course, I was very strong willed, very impatient, and would usually do it my way, which wasn't the methodical method that you teach. As I was her best student (she had little kids to kids who were mostly intermediates, I was always the last of her pupils to play at recitals. When I was a senior, I played Pictures at an Exhibition. As I was older at the time, I was much more methodical in learning and memorizing the piece. I pretty much nailed the piece with the exception of blanking out somewhere in the middle, and just sat there (terrible stage fright). My teacher calmly got up, brought the music to me, I looked at it, and away I went without further incident. I didn't go to college right away, as I had decided I liked farming too much, thus set my sights on farming as a career. The following year, I played the Moonlight Sonata as a prelude at our church. Not just the first movement, but all three. I know, perhaps an odd piece to play as a prelude but I did it. As you would know, it took a massive amount of work for me to get that little piece down pat, of course memorized, as at least I find it impossible to play anything of that magnitude while reading the music. That was in 1976. Fast forward to 1993 (in meantime, I had earned my engineering degree, spent 4 years as Naval officer, then was hired by a large agricultural firm). Now living in Kansas City, I was the plant manager at a large soybean processing/refining facility. I had purchased a Kawai GS-60 6'-9" in 1991 because I realized that the piano was really my first love. One day, I went over to the U of M Kansas City music department, to see if I could convince one of the piano performance professors to take me on as a student. I found a professor there, and of course she asked me to sit down and play something. As rusty as I was, and as many wrong notes as I hit, she said yes, she would take me on. Well, she was just what the doctor had ordered. From the beginning, it became very clear, that she, and not I was in charge of what I would play, and how I practiced. Started out with several Mozart sonatas, which I loved to play, and much Bach (which to this day I consider my favorite composer). And finally, Brahams' Rhapsody No. 2, Op. 79, which when you listen to it, it doesn't seem to be all that difficult, wrong!!. Thus, while living in Kansas City for 5 years, with her guidance, along with a lot of grueling hard work, my playing achieved a level way above where I was before . The absolute joy I felt in performing pieces at recitals with her regular students (piano performance majors) was almost indescribable! In 1998, I purchased an engineering consulting and sales company which specialized in process control and heat and mass transfer in processing plants such as paper mills, food plants, as well as oil refineries, to name just a few. We also specialized in Rheology, the study of fluid flow and fluid dynamics. So now, I was a very busy boy running my own company. Unfortunately, my piano has sat dormant in my living room for almost 20 years (but, the humidifier/dehumdifier has always been working). My good friend, Clayton, contracted ALS, 18 months ago. In a walker 5 months ago, to now, only able to move 2 fingers on his right hand. As he attended the same church as I when we were young, he has asked me to play a piece at his funeral. Watching his body slowly waste away, has been painful. The one piece that I find most fitting, that to me is a reflection of the torment that must be going on inside of him, but then which also ends in a quiet and peaceful way; which to me is like a picture, where Clayton finally finds himself resting in the arms of Christ. The piece is Rachmaninoff's, Etude Tableau, Op. 39, No. 5. I have been working on it for 2 months, and it is an absolute monster! But, as I never give up on anything, I will get it. Would love to see a video of you tackling such a piece. I am practicing scales, arpeggios, etc., like crazy, along with doing battle with piece. My hands are relatively small - my reach is a ninth. My hands are in pain after each practice session, as I try to regain the strength they once had. As a comparison, Chopin's Revolutionary Etude is way less painful than this piece, but of course its purpose or focus is completely different. I apologize for the length of this post, but would love any tips you might have, although I pretty much already know measure by measure by measure, first right hand then left hand.

[@KennnnyT]

Subscribed. Been watching vids from you for a while now. your vids really help take me to the next level. Thank you so much.

[@josecubela9642]

Thank you so much for sharing your experiences and knowledge with us!!

[@PeterHontaru]

This is extremely helpful Josh! Helpful as ever. Thank you

[@craiver00]

I can't believe these information are free. You're a blessing for us aspiring pianists. Thank you very much Josh.

[@lukehannanmc]

This is a great video Josh. I’d always struggled with how to use my time. Sure I love my beginner pieces (the momentum bit) and alway felt I wasn’t sure if the 2 i was learning was enough (I’ve got about 1hr / day). Also wasn’t balancing the longer term benefits (sight reading & technique). Awesome stuff.

[@virvt3819]

I'm really really grateful. This video has been really helpful to me. Thank you so much!

[@knuteboy3778]

You are a wise and excellent teacher Josh. I am teaching myself pop and jazz stuff, and this advice applies with any music learning. Thanks.

[@christinejung9576]

Thank you Dr. Wright for providing such valuable advice. I especially get inspired when you say " every time you bring it back, it becomes stronger".

[@joshwrightpiano]

Christine Jung It’s an amazing phenomenon. I’ve read studies on why this happens - something to do with myelin (spelling?) I think haha. I don’t remember the exact details of the article but it has definitely proven to be the case time and time again in my career. Have a great week Christine!

[@passage2enBleu]

@@joshwrightpiano Yep, it's myelin that forms a sheath to insulate the axons. More practice means more connections and more insulating of these connections. An enlightening read: The Talent Code by Daniel Coyle will inspire one to practice their craft. And for me the epiphany has been to 'relish the practice'. Every moment is precious, and should be valued as such.

[@JUlIOBRANDAO]

Thanks very helpful 🙏

[@matejbozic5035]

@@passage2enBleu hahaha, what a coincidence, im was done reading it a week ago, it is a very good book i recommend it

[@lawrencetaylor4101]

Good advice, Josh. I started with a teacher 4 months ago, after using YT videos for almost a year. When he stuck sheet music in front of me, I was lost. Since then I've been spending at least 15 minutes a day, mostly with Cory Hall's Bach Chorales book, and it's helped tremendously. I also had used Faber and La Méthode Rose, but really made progress with John Thompson (in French).

[@Bcutter]

Another great video. Very interesting and as always full of concrete advice. It has come to a point where it doesn't really matter what you talk about. Just hearing you talk about any aspect of piano playing gives me a necessary motivation boost, every time.

[@joshwrightpiano]

Bcutter So happy to hear that! Thanks so much for your friendship and support.

[@Pvaeerener]

Wow! I've been on piano for close to two months now. My very first piece has been "Prelude in C Major" by Bach. I can't say I am mastering at it, but pretty close! I think it has been a good choice since it is sorta easy. But I always thought I should devote my whole self to practice it and nothing else until it is fully finished. Now i see it is not an outrageous idea that of dedicating some time out of my daily routine to practicing one piece and then to another. I'll follow your guidelines, Josh. I definitely am very encouraged and enthusiastic over this wonderful thing of piano-playing, and it is so very good to have people like you to help us improve. Thank you! :)

[@velcroman11]

Of all the “video tutes” I have listened to on KZbin, this one is the MOST informative one I have ever listened to. Even my own piano teacher has never been able to give succinct information as to how to create an effective and achievable practice session. I’m sharing this video with her. I’ll be interested as to how she receives it.

[@unamusik]

Thank you so much, you have inspired me to play again. I wasn't motivated to play anymore, I didn't know how to practice, but thanks to you everything seems more clear. I always thought I wasn't a good pianist and maybe I should give up, but you have given me hope. I began playing piano as an adult and it's been very hard, I may not get to be as good as you, but maybe I can reach a very decent level. Thank you so much. (Sorry if I misspelled, English is not my mother lenguage, and sorry for the long coment 😝)

[@kimberlywalker1015]

I SOOOOO appreciate your advice ....Thank you!

[@Dragonesscowgirl]

Really helpful and great advice. Thank you so much!

[@michaeltremblay8935]

You are gold Sir... Thx for the advice :D

[@joshwrightpiano]

Michael Tremblay anytime Michael. I hope you’re doing well

[@mandarinz69]

This is a very helpful video. I've definitely realised I've been spreading myself too thin with pieces. And slacking on technique and sight reading.

[@taniacummings9207]

Great vid Josh. I like that you get to the point and don't ramble into a 30 min vid like many do. You're busy, we're busy. I appreciate that you value our time as much as your own. Your outline is pretty much what I follow anyway from something I saw on YT before, might have been you. Daily sight reading has probably been the greatest key to my progress over the last year to 18 months. It helps when learning a new piece to more quickly recognise the notes. Leger lines are a big challenge.

[@joshwrightpiano]

Tania Cummings Thanks so much for your kindness Tania. I’m so glad the sight-reading practice is helping. So many people overlook it or skip it, and over time, I think that skill pays incredible dividends. I wish you all the best in your studies!

[@LorenzoDeLeon]

Super cool and insightful. As an adult learner (of cello) I will mos def apply these advices - specially the « dont’ try hard pieces as a beginner as it will turn out to be a progress killer »

[@lifespanwellnessbeauty-60i64]

I learned my lesson. I do one repertoire piece at a time.

[@achille-claudedebussy8548]

Thank you, Maestro Josh!

[@brysoncheng7574]

Did he really list Liszt’s etudes as exercise books😂

[@FKemp-uo9no]

He isn't talking about the transcendental etudes or the Paganini etudes, Liszt actually does have a very good, purely technical etude book; here is the imslp link: imslp.org/wiki/Technische_Studien,_S.146_(Liszt,_Franz)

[@themoonfleesthroughclouds]

@@FKemp-uo9no damn i'm printing that off

[@carlosazambujayt]

Great video, very, very useful. Thanks a lot!

[@anngrogan6343]

I realize you are principally focused on serious advanced intermediate to advanced pianist students, but as a medium-beginner, I always pick up important and helpful information from your videos. It would be helpful if you from time to time address those of us who have to manage incipient arthritis and are older. I over-practiced some months ago, like 2 hours at a time (I'm age 78 and re-started piano a year ago after giving it up after high school), which was concomitant with a winter change in weather and rains, plus natural aging joints that acted up for the first time in my life. As one method to nip this in the bud, I shrank practice to 20 min at one time, but after some hours of rest, I can go back and play for 20 more minutes. I find no harm if I do this two or three times a day, and have found daily red light therapy, hand and forearm stretching exercises, and Theraputty to be helpful. Of course proper nutrition (no added white sugar!) is critical in this matter.

[@jennhoff03]

I found the same exact thing! If I practice in 20 minute increments it's so much better on my hands.

[@naund709]

Walter Gieseking recommended doing that: 20 minutes several times a day, and he stated it is better as well for concentration!

[@OumiKapilaMusic]

Thank you Josh. Always brilliant advice

[@joshwrightpiano]

Oumi Kapila Thanks so much for your kindness Oumi!

[@itseme4779]

I kinda feel like this video is directly addressing me, especially that last part xD Thanks for the advice, i have already taken up 2 new, (hopefully) simpler pieces than the behemoths i've been working on lately and already feel like i'm accomplishing more than before

[@joshwrightpiano]

Awesome! I think, over time, you'll notice a lot more improvement that way, even if it's sad to leave the big pieces at first.There are only so many hours in the day, and a steady progression with momentum will help you over the years, rather than trying to break through a huge cement wall right at the beginning. It's like people who work out as a lifestyle, versus people who crash diet in order to look good on their next beach vacation haha

[@TheSIGHTREADINGProject]

Love these breakdowns. So helpful Josh ‘Spread yourself too thin’ Yes I struggle with this all the time and get disheartened that pieces have been hanging around so long. I’ve gone the other way now. Charles Dickens said he ‘focused intently on one thing at once’ and this really resonates with me. My ‘learning brain’ has always been this way since school and leaps forward in understanding the less broadly it is doing things.

[@joshwrightpiano]

Great quote by Dickens. I totally agree :) Have a great night Kathryn

[@kyleanderson2478]

Very helpful!! Thank you!

[@paulkramer7844]

I had gone 20 years without practice, and in 1998 I started practicing again. Since my technique was totally gone, I started by sightreading through Mozart's 6 Vienese sonatinas, the sonata facile, and the Brahms op. 79 no. 1 (which I had started learning in 1976). When I sufficiently progressed with them, I added one by one, Schubert's op. 90 no. 2, Mendelssohn's op. 14, and Brahms op. 79 no. 2, and Beethoven's Pathétique (which I had previously memorized in 1972). Meanwhile, I began learning the flute, and started with one Bach sonata and the B minor suite. When I suffered insomnia (much of the time), I slowly sightread during the middle of the night through longer, more difficult pieces: Beethoven's Appassionata, and when I had learned it well, I began the same with the Brahms op. 5 sonata. By 2004, I was playing well the Brahms op. 79 Rhapsodies, and the other mentioned pieces; and on the flute, 3 Bach sonatas, the B minor suite, and Mozart's D major concerto. My right hand then weakened, and I could hardly hold a pen and sign my name. So I stopped playing flute & piano before I could master the Brahms sonata and perfect the other pieces I had learned. Two years ago I stared piano again after 16 years without practice, but this time I began with sightreading Mozart sonatas. One by one, I have reached 9 sonatas, and I have relearned the Brahms, Schubert, Mendrlssohn pieces as well as the Pathétique. I am working on 5 additiinal Brahms pieces, two Chopin mazurkas, two Bach pieces (C minor Prelude & Fugue and the Prelude to the A minor English suite. I rarely practice the Beethoven Appassionata or some movement of the Brahms sonata because my hands feel like they're falling apart at the joints on the following day after practicing them. I am progressing with all nine Mozart sonatas and the 5 mentioned pieces of past repertoire (i.e. Brahms, Schubert, Mendelssohn, & Pathétique). Rather than repeat the same piece in a day, I try to repeat them frequently in my daily practice rotation. It is working well for me. I only hope my hands will not become disabled like they did in 2004.

[@tonih3433]

Thank you for this awesome video 🙏

[@lemongrasslady66]

Thank you!!!!!! Very helpful

[@TheNo149]

Love your channel. Keep the videos coming please. Because of the lack of qualified teacher in my area, I have chosen the self-teaching path, and your channel is a great help. Thanks. P.S I actually do have a teacher. But by all accounts, he doesn't quality as a good one. And this is the third teacher in a few months, and the last one. Wish I could join your courser program... alas I live in an embargoed country. Btw, I'm also a medically OCD person lol. And I sometimes find myself playing an exercise over and over until my whole practice time is up. I gotta manage that.

[@ericastier1646]

I always like your videos, compared to other pianists on youtube, your teaching makes so much sense is effective, efficient and confidence building. I am a high intermediate but not quite advanced adult pianist, with an unusual progress pattern because piano was not my initial instrument until my late teens long ago but after that i worked very hard on it with very slow progress in the first 10 years and I am only just starting to see quick progresses to advanced pieces like the main repertoire for professionals. I just wanted to write about Chopin's Op 10 n 2. I completely agree , there is no reason to learn that piece even for a professional. But 7 years ago I plunged head over toes into learning it because i felt so bad about my level in general, I wanted to prove something, that mastering such an impossible piece i would earn my self-respect and from others. Of course that was a stupid idea because it wasn't time well spend for thousands hours i put in it, but i stuck to it, and i did reach a "quite satisfactory" level with it, meaning i can play it. Now many years passed my general level is better and i can reasonably learn some other Chopin etudes, and that no 2 is still in my fingers and does not feel as hard as new to me etudes. But to my point, i believe no 2 is a disguised study for learning to relax the thumb and wrist, while all other fingers are busy. The 3,4,5 fingers twisting without getting tense is difficult but that is not the sole benefit of that study, i'd say it develops 4th finger strength and thumb independence. Before learning that study, my thumb would tense at odd times for some techniques with fingers, it got rid of that. I still believe the thumb is the most critical finger because its natural movement is mainly lateral not vertical like other fingers, so you have to rotate the wrist, turn the hand of use weight transfer (as pivot) to play with it. There are certain finger passages in some pieces where moving the thumb conflicts with playing 2nd finger left of thumb and 3rd finger right of thumb. I have that problem with Op 25 no 2 which is considered one of the easiest study (not for me). The thumb is my only problem in that piece when playing fast. I actually have more apprehension playing that piece with that unresolved problem than playing Op 10 n2 where i feel no technical problem remaining.

[@nirajpatil3388]

Sometime i just watch his videos to see how calm his talk is☺️

[@WilfriedAnonymo]

Thanks for your wonderful advice. I subscribed. Now working on the Italian Concerto. 1st mvt. is just within my reach although probably one of the most difficult pieces I ever tried. so 3rd mvt. is gonna have to wait, until I upped my level a bit. 2nd shouldn't be too much of a problem luckily technique-wise. But you gave me an idea for balancing with an easier piece. Because I'm only working on one, and it's taking forever. However now that you said that one month isn't too much out of the ordinary, I feel good again. :)

[@verseral9233]

Incredible video.

[@theclaverman]

Just found your channel. Excellent content:-) subscribed. I actually work on the Goldberg Variations at the moment(I’ve been playing for 30years +), and I have no chance to have it memorized and recital ready in just 12 months, but give me 18 months and then we’ll see.

[@CathDad4]

This was helpful! Thanks

[@VegaSlayer]

Thank you very much, mate.

[@cmb1313]

Funny you mentioned The Seasons - I just began October last week, and agree it's a 2-4 week piece. Fits nicely with my Chopin 72.1, which I'm just finishing, but has taken nearly 3 months. I need to move on.

[@WormyLeWorm]

Very helpful for some structure from someone with far more experience than I. Now to decide what to specifically dedicate to these time allotments.

[@joshwrightpiano]

Thanks for your kindness and support! I wish you all the best in your studies.

[@WormyLeWorm]

@@joshwrightpiano It's often difficult to find more intermediate/advanced advice if you're primarily self-taught; I've appreciated your channel quite a bit as often times I'm just not sure what to do next. I'll be picking up more disciplined practicing and studying composition soon if I am accepted. Thanks.

[@donk100100]

My added tip is, when I'm struggling and just can't get over a hump, I walk away and break for 5 minutes or even an hour. I sometimes get so tense and stressed out that I can't get over that hurdle.

[@arturtelega627]

Great video! Thank you very much :)

[@soulmas520]

Josh = The Man

[@ahelighoshdastidar7721]

This is really helpful Sir. Could you please suggest some technique books and repertoire pieces for the intermediate level?

[@FastGoing247]

Keep up the great work Josh

[@joshwrightpiano]

Thanks so much Brian! Have a great week

[@colinyoungscot]

This is a great video, thanks Josh. I'm in a dilemma just now where I'm trying to put together 30 minutes of music for my diploma. I work full time and only have about 1.5 hours per day to practice. How would you suggest I approach this?

[@artisuryavanshi7785]

A very useful video.

[@PaulaFigueiredo63]

Hi Josh! Thank you for another great video. I can't find the link for your sight reading recommendation in the video description. Could you please tell me? Thank you so much.

[@pianistaamatore7730]

So nice to hear such advice from you. I have a question about the "2/3 pieces of repertoire". You suggest to pick by difficulty, that's very good suggestion. So I pick 1 easy, 1 intermediate, 1 difficult (3-6 months), I'm already working like this. However, what if I end up learning let's say the difficult piece (I can read all the sheet and play it) but still have lot of "polishing" practice to do on it. Do you recommend to stay on the piece without adding any new difficult piece to the learning process?

[@metteholm4833]

It is easy to take on too many pieces. It´s like being a kind in a toy store :-D I take your advice very seriously! Thank you very much :-)

[@lindajones3427]

This is a most valuable video for how to divide up practice time. Josh, is there a cost to subscribe to your videos?

[@johndufek7492]

Hi Josh, could you add a video on how to sight read ragtime (Or anything with hopping in the left hand) or what to do when we hit plateaus in reading? I spend around an hour on sight reading a day and I feel like I have plateaued with sight reading ragtime and hopping. Any tips?? Thank you!

[@revivalofthefittestonlythe2757]

As an intermediate i find practicing my pieces before my scales beneficial. Because my prime concentration time will go to my pieces, not my daily drills which tire me. This has allowed me to improve pieces quicker.

[@joshwrightpiano]

Revival of the fittest Only the strong survive Awesome suggestion. I often do the same, and recommend that students always work on the most difficult things first while their mind is the most fresh and sharp

[@michaelkklam]

Sounds like a good idea, sometimes I found myself mentally exhausted during practice and feel like to do some scales.

[@azoterhuja2488]

I love your videos. Ty

[@_wade_morgan]

You’re a legend.

[@hjc5523]

Thank you!!!! VERY valuable advice for my own practice! I also assume, for little kid (6 yr old, piano for 1 yr), the 3 levels of difficulty would be adjusted to a shorter learning period ~“easy” 3-5 days; “medium” 10-14 days; “ hard” 3-4 weeks? Aiming for correct notes; phrasing; normal speed; 80% performance consistency? I couldn’t ask my son to perform w 100% consistency with all goals met, but usually when he makes no mistake w good (not beautiful) phrasing for 75% of the time, we would move on. Are we aiming too low?....

[@Mike82ARP]

Good info. I am planning on learning to play the piano. I was in band from 5-12 grade (trumpet, tuba) and know how to read music. What's your advice on self-taught and taking lessons from a teacher? I'm interested in learning from a classical discipline rather than popular or kid music? Thanks. I look forward to watching more of your videos.

[@TheSIGHTREADINGProject]

Sorry, bombing the comments here but there are is so much wisdom in this video! I’m so SO glad you said about pieces ranging from 2-4 weeks, 1-3months, 3-6months and for advanced students 6m to 1y. I was feeling bad that my Beethoven Op.49 movt has been taking since Sept 18 and feeling like it should have taken just a few weeks. Thank you Josh. I thought I was just very slow, I’m so happy to find I’m about on track! Also the comment on 3 pieces to maintain in repertoire. Such a relief because this is generally what has happened. Thank you very much!

[@joshwrightpiano]

KathrynClark haha so glad you enjoyed it Kathryn. Thanks for the kind comments. For some people, Beethoven is Op.49 is a few weeks piece, for others it’s beyond a year! It’s all relative to your current level. One thing that bothers me so much with musicians is comparison. “Oh...you took 6 months to do Rach 3 Josh?! Wow...I heard of a guy who learned it in a few weeks.” Well...neat. I took 6 months haha

[@TheSIGHTREADINGProject]

Thanks so much for the replies Josh! With this video it’s like a weight has been lifted from me. You are right. No comparisons

[@cmb1313]

I also raised an eyebrow about your comment not to maintain a repertoire. I try to maintain about a dozen, so that I have something to actually be able to play, but it is time consuming and I guess the thought is that it takes away from learning time. Maybe I'll rethink it but some I just cant part with, such as the Liszt Consolation, or La Fille, or Nocturne in C#min, or Piazzolla's Milonga....can't let them go!

[@researcherjane2909]

Yes. Very helpful video for adult “returner.” Is that a term? Can anyone tell me how to find the links he mentioned?

[@garethhughes5838]

Great video. By technique exercises do you just mean scales, arpeggios etc.? Is there anything else which constitutes technique exercises? Thank you!

[@Petro00D]

I often wondered about this for students who practice 2 to 3 hours a day. There is a limit to how much the mind can absorb before it’s ability to retain info goes down. As a result, I often wonder if students should start with warmup exercise followed by 20 min of learning a new piece. After 20 min doing something like Hannon for 10 min which one is building strength and endurance. This allows the mind to rest and then return back to learning a new piece.

[@Researcher30473]

Good video 👍

[@eugenesedita]

Imo sight reading is the sine qua non. 1/2 hr./day or more depending on session length.

[@michaelkklam]

Hi Josh. Greetings from Hong Kong. Thanks for your video. I have just picked up piano from my RCM grade 3, which is obtained around 20 years ago. Currently I have been self-learning for 4 months, 1-2 hours daily on average, and now working on some grade 5-6 pieces, for example Bach little prelude BWV 941, Beethoven minuet in G WoO 10 no 2, and Burgmuller op 100 no 14. I feel that they are 2-4 week pieces for me. Does it mean that they are too easy for me? Should I take on some 1-3 month, or 3-6 month pieces?

[@petertowneya]

Very helpful. Thanks. What do you think of Beyer's method book. Would you consider it comparable to Czerny?

[@elenizg7454]

I would like to ask if the one hour or the hours etc of practice should be all together or we can separate. By the way, thank you for the tips and and all the help!

[@theodorekorbos2804]

Mr. Josh I've been playing the Hanon 60 exercise book I'm at number 10 at the moment . How much time should I spend on the Hanon before I move on to other pieces . Thank you for posting this I really appreciate you taking time out of your busy schedule . Teddy Korbos !

[@joshwrightpiano]

Thanks Teddy! Like I said in the video, I might allocate 20 minutes a day or so to technique. If that exercise takes the whole 20 minutes, great. If not, add one more exercise (maybe from the Schmitt Preparatory Exercises, or something from Czerny) to the regimen. Good luck my friend.

[@ralfj.1740]

I only dropped two or three pieces and have been trying to pull through around 30 pieces I learned.. thought I gotta keep them all in order to have a sufficient repertoire. And I've only been dusting those pieces off regularly

[@victorverissimo6126]

Great video, Josh! I´ve got a question: and how to deal with the repertoire you can already play perfectly? If we are not playing very often, these songs will fade away little by little. So, what do you usually do to keep these songs in your mind and "in your fingers"? Thanks! :)

[@joshwrightpiano]

Victor Veríssimo I don’t haha. Just drop it, and when you need it again, you can revive it quickly. It will actually come back stronger when you do this, rather than just maintaining it. It’s a crazy but wonderful phenomenon that I’ve seen over and over throughout my life.

[@victorverissimo6126]

@@joshwrightpiano Thanks! :D

[@johnkiunke4508]

I've come to a schedule that works really well for me, which is Technique, 5 minutes Piece 1, 20 minutes Piece 2, 20 minutes Sight-read, 20 minutes Piece 3, 20 minutes Piece 4, 20 minutes Sight-read, 20 minutes Piece 5, 20 minutes Piece 6, 20 minutes With especially difficult pieces, I might give them 2 20-minute sessions per day or even 3 if I have a time limit.

[@lesturner9849]

What advice do you have for maintaining a repertoire? Great video as always thank you sir.

[@GodfreyGuitar]

I'm a professional guitarist and a wannabe pianist. For my guitar repertoire, I have a list of music to keep under my fingers. In addition to practicing guitar technique and learning new music, I also spend about an hour a day rotating through my repertoire list. It takes me a little more than a week to play through my performance repertoire. As long as I've spent some time really getting the music down in the past, I typically just need the once-a-week touch up to keep it all under my fingers, and then I'm already ahead of the game if I need to get something ready for a performance. I imagine you could try a similar approach for piano rep.

[@annamakesmusic]

Is it necessary to always be practicing classical pieces? I feel more emotionally pulled to playing jazz in the last three years but I know that classical repertoire is great for technique. I feel so torn on what to focus on sometimes.

[@MrLang-pd6he]

Hi Josh, how does one go from Accompanying Sight-reading level to advanced repertoire sight reading level?

[@xyZabC-tg1pw]

what about practicing already learned pieces? just to keep them up to date it usually takes me a couple of run throughs per practice session to keep my note accuracy in those already learned pieces

[@volen5868]

Is there any order you should work do when working on your pieces? For example if your working on a easy piece and a hard piece should you start with the easy one or does it not matter?

[@joshwrightpiano]

Great question! I generally do my most difficult work very first, when my mind is most fresh. For me, that is usually memorizing, as that is the thing I'm slowest at and dread the most haha.

[@leolou6632]

Hey Josh. Is it OK for me as a more advanced player to only focus on repertoire and not do any specific technical pieces? I gained momentum from practicing my toughest pieces, is it OK for me to work on 2 equally hard piece at once? I have just finished Fantaisie impromptu in 4 months and I’m working on polonaise No6.

[@kevind3094]

I am new to piano, what does technique entail? scales, arpeggios, chords, etc?

[@motazyusuf5412]

Hey josh, i'm a piano beginner i've been playing for a year now and i'm buying an acoustic piano (i've been playing on a digital piano) i tried a couple of acoustic pianos and noticed that some of them has a lighter touch than the other.. so i'd like to ask you should i buy a heavy touch piano or a lighter touch piano ? what will help me to develop better?

[@happyli1321]

Hi, Josh! I was working on Hanon a few years ago and developed a habit of lifting my fingers up high. After I got advanced, I would play slow or soft passages which required me to keep the fingers close to the keyboard very choppy. I stopped practicing Hanon afterwards, but that wasn’t enough. Which exercises should I practice on to help me play those passages softly, lyrically, and smoothly without a choppy sound? Thank you!

[@eliasar66]

What goes into technique practice? I’m currently beginning grade 2 but I’m practicing without an instructor right now. do scales count as technique or is that practice on it’s own? My current “Technical” books consist of: - Faber level 2 adult piano - Scale Skills which includes: arpeggios • Chords • Scales • and finger Exercises.

[@Vasioth]

Technique includes: - Correct body posture when seated at the piano (correct shoulder alignment making sure they're loose, a level wrist, elbow should be in line with white keys or slightly above, no slouching, sitting only 1/3 into the bench so you can move, having your body being positioned around middle D, moving your body along the bench depending on the range of the piece you're playing i.e. are there extreme ranges? ) - The correct use of forearm rotation in passages to take the burden off your fingers and using your arms when playing scales and arpeggios rather than that whole Hanon school of thought of "strengthening" fingers and playing only through your fingers (which will eventually lead to injury!) - Knowing all your scales major and minor scales inside out, usually at a minimum of crotchet beat = 120-140BPM without looking at your hands, both legato and staccato (train piano geography). The idea is to do all of them "even" at first - all notes have equal stress. Once you can do that in pairs of 8th notes, try different patterns (dotted eighth to sixteenth notes; triplets, etc.) - Knowing all your arpeggios and broken chords in all their positions both legato and staccato preferably without looking at your hands (root, 1st inversion... etc - this includes dominant 7th arpeggios, diminished 7th arpeggios, major 7th arpeggios, minor 7th arpeggios) - Double third scales (horribly hard, but incredibly useful to practice for legato playing) - "Technical" exercises. These are usually MUSICAL excerpts (NOT Hanon - Hanon is very unmusical, learn technique through actual MUSICAL excerpts) that are short and challenging (but can be long) and they test things like flexibility in your wrist in playing, your tone control, forearm rotation, evenness in playing, etc. Definitely worth getting a music teacher to go over technique by the way. Shouldn't be something you teach yourself through books or the internet - you think you're doing something right, only to give yourself carpal tunnel syndrome when you weren't using forearm rotation properly or your wrists were actually bent towards one side when playing arpeggios etc. Could be something you get away with for years before it becomes a problem; a good teacher will spot crappy technique and fix it there and then with you.