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!