Best Practice Techniques for Faster Progress in Music 🎯🎹

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Piano Lessons In Manchester

How To Progress Faster

10 tips to help speed up your musical journey.

1. Set Small, Achievable Goals

  • Sometimes the idea of learning a piece can feel overwhelming. It can help to break it down into smaller chunks such as, learning 8 bars in a week, practicing hands separately…

  • Try using SMART goals. These are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time-bound, and will help you keep track of your progress.

2. Practice Consistently Using Shorter Sessions

  • Practicing 20–30 minutes daily is much better than 3 hours once a week. It will give your brain and fingers regular reinforcement which helps speed up your progress.

  • Younger students can often struggle to maintain an adequate level of concentration beyond 30 minutes.

3. Utilise Focused Practice

  • A lot of students tend to avoid working on weaknesses and often just play things that they already know. Avoid doing this. You get the most progress by isolating difficult sections, playing them slowly whilst looping them.

  • Make sure you always practice with a metronome, this will improve your accuracy and timing.

4. Record Your Playing

  • When we are performing, it can be extremely difficult to think in an analytical/reflective way. By recording ourselves we can really hear any issues that need to be worked on in our practice sessions.

  • You can use these recording to tracking progress over along period of time. This can be great motivation if you are going through a difficult period

5. Listen Actively & Ear Train

  • Listen to recordings of performers/artists that you admire. Listen to how they use dynamics, tone and feel and try and replicate it in your performances.

  • Do lots of transcribing, whether it is chord progressions or jazz solos good musicians have a great ear and use it often.

6. Focus On The Foundations

  • Get the essentials down rhythm, technique, scales, chords, ear training. When you are a gigging musician 9 times out of 10 no body wants to hear that new altered scale lick you have been working on forced into the solo section of “Don't Look Back In Anger’ If anything you will lose the gig and never be asked back.

  • Before jumping to advanced techniques and sounds, be sure you have the foundations locked down, they are what make musicians sound great.

7. Work On Tone/Sound Design

  • People often neglect sound/tone when practicing. Getting a good sound out of your instrument will make you sound so much better. Examples for different instruments.

  • Drums: Working on the dynamic balance between Cymbals/Hi Hats/ Kick and Snare. Researching the right gear for you sonically (Dark/ Bright/ Tight/ Loose)

  • Guitar: Understanding your pedals, getting the correct amount of crunch. Balancing your tone (how much low mids, how much top end)

8. Do What You Find Fun

  • You will progress faster if you are practicing things you actually enjoy.

  • Pick songs that you like and with the help of a teacher you can find songs you like that also enhance your musical ability.

9.  Join A Band/Go To Jam Nights

  • Playing music with other musicians is a great way to learn and improve your skills, especially if they are more advanced then you are

  • Find a local jam night or open mic night and meet/socialise with people who are on the same journey as you.

10. Reflect & Adjust/Be Honest With Yourself

  • Regularly reflect on what you have been practicing and what you are still struggling with.

  • It is important to be honest with yourself and adjust your practice accordingly.If you can avoid these common mistakes and remain focused on consistent improvement the learning process will be much smoother and more fun. If you want piano lessons with then please get in touch and we can help you on your journey.

Book your piano lessons in our Teaching Studio at Pollard Yard, or at your own home in Manchester, Wilmslow, Cheadle, Alderley Edge, Styal, and online now.