Exercises for Accuracy in piano playing
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Exercises for Accuracy in piano playing
I am an adult new to learning the piano(re-learning after being able to play as a very young kid,then giving it up on a whim: the biggest regret of my life!) I have been having piano lessons since late May this year, at roughly two to three week intervals. As a busy mother with 4 young kids I have little time to practice, though I do my absolute best to put in the hours. However, I am pretty despondent about my accuracy (in hitting the right keys), even in pieces I know fairly well. I would very much like to know which or what procedure would best improve my accuracy - repeating my known repertoire, or endles scales practice or finger exercises. At the moment I feel like giving up but I want to give it one last shot so would be enormously grateful for anyone who could give advice as to the best practice strategy to improve accuracy. It doesn't help that I can play something okay in practice sometimes, but once my teacher is here I go to pieces and my fingers feel like sticks of wood! Therefore my teacher never says anything positive about my progress which further discourages me. I am very willing to put in the work of anything that will improve my accuracy or nerves!
As a kid scales were the be all and end all 
...and I did them religiously for years....if I slacked off at any time I heard about it....I had many years where I did little more than fiddle around occasionally, but now am back to playing and enjoying it....I am not having lessons as I am finding all the things I learned as a youngster are coming back so am going it alone, until such time (if it ever arrives) that I feel a teacher would be beneficial.
If you are not enjoying re-learning as you should be, then maybe a different teacher would be worth a try.
Your current teacher doesn't sound very encouraging...and if he/she makes you nervous, the chemistry between you might be wrong. You need to be comfortable with your teacher so that nerves are not an issue.
Please don't give up playing....change teachers
...and I did them religiously for years....if I slacked off at any time I heard about it....I had many years where I did little more than fiddle around occasionally, but now am back to playing and enjoying it....I am not having lessons as I am finding all the things I learned as a youngster are coming back so am going it alone, until such time (if it ever arrives) that I feel a teacher would be beneficial.If you are not enjoying re-learning as you should be, then maybe a different teacher would be worth a try.
Your current teacher doesn't sound very encouraging...and if he/she makes you nervous, the chemistry between you might be wrong. You need to be comfortable with your teacher so that nerves are not an issue.
Please don't give up playing....change teachers
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Gill the Piano
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I would second that; you must have a supportive teacher - that's a teacher's job!
Read a book called 'The Inner Game of Music' by (I think) Barry Green (?) which tells you how to control your nerves when you play, and how to silence your inner critic.
There's a series of very simple books of exercises called 'Dozen a Day' - been round for years and looks as though anyone over 4 could do them, but actually (if you do them properly ) quite challenging. However, the appearance of them is very unthreatening and won't frighten you.
Tell your teacher how scared you are, exactly how little time you get to practise, and say you need all the encouragemant you can get. If that doesn't work, find a teacher who will be all these things for you; you pay the piper, you call the tune! If you decide on another teacher, explain all this BEFORE your first lesson, and preferably find the new teacher by recommendation, not adverts.
Good luck; PLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEASE keep going!
Read a book called 'The Inner Game of Music' by (I think) Barry Green (?) which tells you how to control your nerves when you play, and how to silence your inner critic.
There's a series of very simple books of exercises called 'Dozen a Day' - been round for years and looks as though anyone over 4 could do them, but actually (if you do them properly ) quite challenging. However, the appearance of them is very unthreatening and won't frighten you.
Tell your teacher how scared you are, exactly how little time you get to practise, and say you need all the encouragemant you can get. If that doesn't work, find a teacher who will be all these things for you; you pay the piper, you call the tune! If you decide on another teacher, explain all this BEFORE your first lesson, and preferably find the new teacher by recommendation, not adverts.
Good luck; PLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEASE keep going!
Oh a dozen a day....I had forgotten about them....I think I may still have them somewhere in amongst my forest of music....much of it from the dark ages...I should get them out and do them too....
Franny...please don't give up....there is a teacher out there who is right for you and will make your learning a pleasurable experience.
Franny...please don't give up....there is a teacher out there who is right for you and will make your learning a pleasurable experience.
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Gill the Piano
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Another thing; you said 'when my teacher is here' (I don't know how to do the fancy quote bits! ). You said too that you had 4 sprogs - are they rattling around while you have your lesson? If so, you'll never give the lesson your full attention - in my experience, mothers never concentrate fully when their kids are about. Could you get them looked after while you go out for a lesson? Or could you have a lesson when the kids are at playgroup/nursery/school/college/university/down the salt mine? 
It might help if you can give the lesson your undivided attention, and also playing on a different piano to your own is very good for you, too.
). You said too that you had 4 sprogs - are they rattling around while you have your lesson? If so, you'll never give the lesson your full attention - in my experience, mothers never concentrate fully when their kids are about. Could you get them looked after while you go out for a lesson? Or could you have a lesson when the kids are at playgroup/nursery/school/college/university/down the salt mine? It might help if you can give the lesson your undivided attention, and also playing on a different piano to your own is very good for you, too.Accuracy in playing iano
Many thanks to Geminoz and Gill Green for their encouragement and recommendations. I have now purchased 5 exercise books by Edna-Mae Burnam of A Dozen A Day pre-practice technical exercises. The first one :'Primary' certainly starts simply but by half-way through the book it all becomes more challenging and it is definitely what I need. As it is laid out so clearly it is also helping me with my sight-reading which hopefully will help build my confidence. Yes! The kids are always around, though I try to ensure they are in another room while I have a lesson, but of course it is true that I cannot give the piano my full concentration. I will try to speak to my teacher to explain I need some encouragement that i am making progress rather than just 'crossing off the tick' in my book once I have learnt a piece. I would never want false praise though so it will a tricky thing to explain. I suppose I am afraid that he might say "Well, that's because I DON'T think you are getting any better!" I am also considering getting a digital piano rather than my very old and heavy keyed piano (given away free) which is beyond being tuned apparently. At the risk of sounding like a 'bad worker' I did find playing the piano considerably easier when trying out one of the yamaha clavinovas in a music shop recently.
Thanks again for the encouragement - I have pledged to do my dozen a day, several times a day, plus scales, and have now given myself until Christmas to show some improvement in accuracy. I'll let you know the result then!!
Thanks again for the encouragement - I have pledged to do my dozen a day, several times a day, plus scales, and have now given myself until Christmas to show some improvement in accuracy. I'll let you know the result then!!
Good for you, but don't set a time limit on yourself. learning to play is a lifelong journey, which should be pleasurable, if somewhat frustrating at times, but DON'T EVER give up if it's something you want to do.
I can appreciate the difficulties with ankle biters around, especially while having lesson.
Could you ask a relative or a neighbour to take them while you have your lesson?
I reiterate my suggestion in a previous post....if you feel you are not progressing as you would wish, despite your efforts, then change teachers.
Good luck
I can appreciate the difficulties with ankle biters around, especially while having lesson.
Could you ask a relative or a neighbour to take them while you have your lesson?
I reiterate my suggestion in a previous post....if you feel you are not progressing as you would wish, despite your efforts, then change teachers.
Good luck
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Gill the Piano
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I'm glad you like Dozen A Day; some people take umbrage because they look so easy, but as you've found out - they're not!
A Clavinova isn't a piano...for what you spend on that, you could get a decent second-hand instrument which would hold its value better and, should it go wrong five years down the line, be repairable! Not that I'm biased
...but I personally dislike playing on Clavinovas and don't think the touch is comparable, making it hard for you to learn about things like proper tone production and arm weight. Try looking at decent second hand pianos in your price range. And of course, it IS nearly Christmas...if I cook liver & bacon for His Majesty, I find wheedling is considerably easier... 
... I speak as the wife of a bemused man who now has to sidle round a harpisichord on the way to the back door and the sanctuary of his shed.
A Clavinova isn't a piano...for what you spend on that, you could get a decent second-hand instrument which would hold its value better and, should it go wrong five years down the line, be repairable! Not that I'm biased
...but I personally dislike playing on Clavinovas and don't think the touch is comparable, making it hard for you to learn about things like proper tone production and arm weight. Try looking at decent second hand pianos in your price range. And of course, it IS nearly Christmas...if I cook liver & bacon for His Majesty, I find wheedling is considerably easier... ... I speak as the wife of a bemused man who now has to sidle round a harpisichord on the way to the back door and the sanctuary of his shed.