3 More Small Projects to Push Yourself as a Pianist

As I mentioned in my previous article, when you have some time to practice, it's good to do some things to push yourself as a pianist.  The first three were (1) Learn something by ear. (2) Create Your Own Variations of a Piece, and (3) Buy a book just for sight-reading and play all of it.  You can read my article for more details.  Well, here are 3 more projects to consider.  As a reminder, you don't have to do all 6 of these ideas.  Take 1 or 2 if you prefer.

4. Memorize 1-4 pieces per month

What to do: For this project, take only a piece that you ALREADY know fairly well with the music.  You are simply going to take it and memorize it.  Some of you memorize slowly, and others quickly, and thus the flexible number with how many pieces you memorize.

Why: Wouldn't it be nice to go anywhere, sit down at any piano, and just start playing some music even when you don't have sheet music with you?!

Pro Tips: I'm overdue for a blog post about memorization, but for now, here is my most important tip: Utilize your 3 senses of sight, hearing, and touch.  When you sight-read, you should not watch your hands, but when you're trying to memorize something, DO watch your hands.  See what they look like as you play a passage.  Listen closely to how it sounds when you play.  (Trying to repeat a few measures with your eyes closed is good for this and the next part of this tip).  Finally, pay close attention to how it feels in your hands when you play.  Additionally, remember that you can transition from one to another.  Try a few measures without looking.  Then try it again while you check your music.  Then again without.

Extra Credit: Start memorizing your current pieces.  I'll confess: I try to memorize every solo piece I'm learning for myself.  Part of it is because it's a habit I've had since I was 6 and has never been discouraged.  The other reason is that I just want to get off the score.  And the more you practice memorizing music, the sharper you get.  (Note: the more mature brain does have a harder time than a younger brain.  Even with all my experience, it still isn't as easy for me now as it was 30 years ago).

5. Plan your own 20-30 minute concert

What to do: Memorized is best, but with music is fine here.  Pick your favorite pieces and even write down a performance order.  Practice those pieces and see if you can make a concert out of it.  What do you do with this once it's prepared?  See the extra credit section.

Why: There are 2 traps easy to fall into: One is letting one particular favorite piece distract you from learning new pieces.  Another is practicing only new music, and ignoring old pieces that you actually enjoyed.  What's better is to take a group of pieces that you can sit down and play at anytime.  They become the pieces you truly enjoy, and reminders of why you love the piano.

Pro tips: Limit preparation to no more than 3 pieces at a time.  Once you have those down, play them once a week, and add up to 2-3 more that you're focused on improving.

Extra Credit: It's fine if all you want to do is play this concert for yourself, but how about schedule a concert for your family, or maybe even invite a few friends over.  Actually type out a program, and print some copies.  Have everyone bring some snack food and drinks and make a party out of it.

6. Teach someone one of your old pieces.

What to do: Find someone you know who doesn't play piano, or is on an easier level, and teach them one of your pieces. (Note: Be careful if this person has a teacher.  Some teachers are picky about not having possible contradicting instruction.  Your best bets are people not currently taking formal lessons.)

Why: It's common knowledge among all teachers that nothing makes you a better musician than learning how to explain what you know to someone else.  It really makes you think about how you do things.  Your practice will never be better after you learn how to share what you have.  

Pro tips: Keep it really simple at first.  Maybe you just want to teach a section, or teach a really easy piece for you.  Like everything else, teaching well requires practice, and it's good to start small.

Extra Credit: Here's a suggested essay.  What would you have to know and teach if you were a regular piano teacher?  Write down the things that you can get better at as a player, and think of how you would fit each element into a lesson.

3 Small Projects to Push Yourself as a Pianist

It's the first official week of Summer.  School is out.  There might be some opportunities for some of you to make some progress on the piano since you have more time.  But instead of just spending more time on general piano practice, consider taking on one or more of the projects below.  To keep this blog from being too long, I'm including just three ideas for now, and I will share a few more next week.

1. Learn something by ear.

What to do: Go to YouTube, Spotify, iTunes, your CD collection, a movie soundtrack, etc...and listen to something you enjoy.  Listen to just a few seconds at a time over and over, and then try to play what you hear.  If it's beyond your ability to play exactly what you hear, then be content to play even a simplified or abridged version of the music.

Why: Music is an experience you hear.  In formal lessons, we spend so much time exploring music that is fed to our brains by our eyes that we don't often use our ears enough.  Figuring out something in any form without sheet music is very satisfying.

Pro Tips: Sing along as you listen.  Keep singing as you try to play the melody.  Then figure out the chords or accompaniment separately.

Extra Credit: Don't just play the music.  Get some blank manuscript paper, and try to make your own transcription.

2. Create Your Own Variations of a Piece

What to do: Take a piece of written music (It should be an easy level for you) and play through it.  Then you can choose to just improvise (play freely on the spot), or brainstorm and write down your own variations of it.  Change one or two things about it.  Change the rhythm, change it from major to minor (or vice versa), change the meter (ex. 3/4 to 4/4), add notes to the melody, or try different chords.

Why: First of all, you are taking music and truly making it your own.  Second, it is a great way to understand music when you start changing the elements of an existing piece.

Pro tips: Start with something simple that you can play fairly well.  More complex music is harder to arrange.  Only change 1 element at a time until you feel comfortable with it.

Extra Credit: Write your arrangements down on manuscript paper, or make a recording.

3. Buy a book just for sight-reading, and play all of it.

What to do: Get a book (let's say at least 40 pages), and play through 1 or 2 pages per day.  That's it.  Don't practice it.  Don't correct.  Just keep playing.  Make sure your book is easier than the average music you're learning for real.

Why: Most people would list sight-reading as a weakness.  To get better at that specific skill, you have to practice that specific skill.  To have any value, you have to get music you haven't practiced before.

Pro tips:  Turn off the commentary in your head.  You CAN and SHOULD EXPECT to mess up a lot.  Keep playing.  Make a strong commitment to keep your eyes AHEAD of where you're playing by at least a measure.  There are 2 good approaches to sight-reading as far as purpose. (1) Play super slowly, and try to be as accurate as possible.  (2) Play close to tempo on the first attempt using a metronome, and get as much as you can.  You'll probably make a lot of mistakes on this approach, but keep going!

Extra Credit: Well...try 2 books!