Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Piano Practice

A child during his or her early piano lessons must concentrate on every little motion and often with even the most intense effort finds it difficult to make the fingers behave as they should. A skilled pianist, on the other hand, may direct his thought to the interpretation of the music, or even to matters less directly connected to his performance, while his fingers play along almost of their own will, without thought.

The well-formed habit of practicing the piano regularly teaches our fingers to move and find keys without thinking or looking at our hands. Finger exercises and playing compositions must be repeated again and again to become fixed by the child's hands and in his mind.

Sight reading, for instance, is the result of habit and memory. The notes awaken associations and habit enables ready performance. How important is it, then, that the right impressions and habits be formed early.

Habits should be established in technique, sight reading, interpretation and all other activities in piano playing. Remember that a wrong action can become a habit as readily as a right action. It's best not to press the child forward too rapidly in his technical progress, because playing music which constantly keeps the student at his highest level of technique is likely to create a habit of tension or a habit of carelessness. Merely explaining a process won't assure correct performance by the student. It's important to see to it that the student performs the correct action again and again just as it should be performed, until you are certain not only of his understanding but also of his accurate fingering.

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