PRACTICE TIPS #19: Experiment #4: Write Down a Practice Plan

[Brent Hugh <bhugh@GRIFFON.MWSC.EDU>]

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piano practice tips and ideas, by Brent Hugh



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Experiment #4: Write Down a Practice Plan

-----------------------------------------



Last week I wrote that Practicing Experiment #3 was our last experiment of 

the semester.  Well, I lied--I thought of another experiment so good that I 

can't resist adding it.



The idea behind this experiment is simple:



   * Every day this week, at the start of your daily practice, write down a 

Practice Plan--a list of the things you want to accomplish in your practice 

that day.



(Notes to my own students:



    1. At the end of this one-week experiment, I want you to bring your 

written Practice Plans to your lesson and show them to me.



    2. Due to various trips and absences, everyone seems to be on a 

different schedule with these experiments, so I will talk to everyone 

individually about when I would like you to do this experiment.)



(Note to everyone else: If you would care to email me your practice plans, 

I would love to see them!)



Your Practice Plan can be brief and cryptic--it shouldn't take long to 

write out and need only be meaningful to you.  Here is a sample Practice 

Plan (far less cryptic, for your benefit, than my own practice plans 

usually are):



   1. Review memory points in Bach

   2. Memorize 4 new measures in Beethoven

   3. Memorize 2 new measures in the suite

   4. Play through Bartok & Chopin by memory

   5. 3-pencil practice on those hard spots in the polonaise



What does this Practice Plan do for you?



   * It gives you definite goals for practicing.  When you reach

     them, you will feel more of a sense of accomplishment and

     completion.



   * It helps you proportion your practice better--to keep that

     necessary balance between reviewing older repertoire, learning

     new repertoire, and polishing moderately new repertoire.



   * It helps you (willingly!) practice more because you are

     not just watching the clock.  Because you have committed

     yourself, you will find yourself thinking, when you take

     a break from practicing, "I still need to memorize

     two more measures of the Beethoven and review the Chopin"

     instead of "Good Grief!  I still have 20 minutes more to

     practice today--I don't know if I can stand it!"



Once again I have to say--don't just read about this idea.  Try it, even if 

only for a day or two.



And I am *always* glad to hear reports from readers about how these ideas 

worked in their practicing and all the clever variations on the ideas that 

worked even better (look for future issues of Practice Tips to feature many 

of these reader responses and ideas).



Happy Practicing!



--Brent





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PRACTICE TIPS is by pianist, teacher, composer, and internet nerd

Brent Hugh.  Brent knows about practicing mostly because he *does*

it, and in fact is toddling off to do some of it just about now . . .



Please remember that this tip is but the end of the elephant's

nose--it's not even close to the whole elephant that is

"how everyone in the whole world should practice the piano".



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