Individual study influences most of our results. Studying at the piano unwillingly or in the wrong way could lead to negative effects, bad habits that are difficult to correct.

So knowing exactly what the specific objective of our study is and, even more, knowing exactly how to achieve it, are questions to which we must be able to answer without hesitation.

How to study at the piano? How to approach individual study?
In some cases it can take years for each of us to understand how to study piano and find the most effective study method.

They concern a large number of piano aspects and are collected in his book classified by categories. I recommend you read it.

I want to share with you 7 of the Q&A collected in the chapter on self study.

It was really difficult to select them, however in this article I report the most practical ones and which, starting from tomorrow, could improve your approach with the instrument.

So let’s start with  list of 7 practical tips on how to study at the piano.

1. What should I start piano study with in the morning?

Teacher recommends starting with the technique by playing the scales in all keys “each at least twice well rendered” (each at least twice and done correctly).

He recommends starting slowly first and then gradually a little faster, but never at too high a speed which would not allow us to check that both hands are perfectly together.

Subsequently, Teacher recommends performing the octaves of the wrist, then with small falls of the hand on the keyboard using the wrist joint. Slowly and without ever stiffening the arm. Be careful not to raise your hand beyond the necessary height.

Then move on to classical technical studies and finally, in order, Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin and so on.

The Teacher proposes, if you have time, to perform all the technical exercises during the first hour of study in the morning, and, during the second hour, to study all the more complicated technical passages of the repertoire we are studying.

In the afternoon, another hour will have to be dedicated to the musical interpretation of what we studied in the morning only technically.

2. How long do I have to study purely technical exercises on the piano?

Purely technical and digital keyboard work without the participation of the mind and heart should never be done. This is the general rule.

If you do it, do it for the shortest time possible because it could turn off (“kill” in the original text) the musical spirit of the performance.

The study of pure technique, in principle, should be carried out for about a quarter of the entire day of studying the instrument.

As mentioned, in case you study three hours a day, Teacher  recommends studying two hours in the morning and one in the afternoon as morning remains the best time to work.

It allows you to take advantage of the clarity and mental freshness of the early hours of the day (means 8/9, maximum 10 in the morning).

Taking breaks is also considered very useful by the Polish teacher, as long as they are short.

Too long a pause would interrupt concentration and contact with the plan, conditions that would take far too long to re-establish.

3. Will I improve faster if I study 10 hours instead of 4?

Studying at the piano for too long within the same day generally produces negative effects, since the work on the instrument is profitable if it is carried out with maximum concentration which can be maintained for a limited duration.

In fact, it depends on everyone’s ability to stay focused. Some manage to stay focused for 40 minutes and others for several hours, it also depends on how intense and focused our concentration is.

However, when a pianist studies with a lot of attention, concentration and devotion, he knows how useless any question about how long to practice the piano is. You Can Choose Yamaha Digital Piano if you are beginner.

4. Is it correct to count aloud while playing?

Teacher believes that counting out loud while playing can hardly be harmful, especially if we are trying to correct the tempo and rhythm.

In fact, once technical and rhythmic errors have been corrected, counting out loud can be gradually abandoned. Counting while studying can be an invaluable tool as it is capable of strengthening and developing a musician’s sense of rhythm more than anything else.

5. Should you study a piece away from the piano?

Teacher  proposes four different ways of studying a composition:

At the piano with the score;
Away from the piano with the score;
At the piano without score;
Away from the piano without score.
Without a doubt the second and fourth options are the most tiring and difficult for the mind, however they are the best strategy to learn a piece by heart and to deeply understand its “purpose”. The latter is a task of great importance.

6. Is it risky to use the metronome?

Many believe that the metronome is a dangerous tool. In fact, in many cases it can be, especially if used with students who tend to be muscularly rigid and play mechanically, soulless.

Teacher  believes that one should hardly ever play with the metronome as it oppresses the musical and rhythmic sense of the student and suppresses the natural expressiveness of the performance.

The metronome should be used as a speed control tool: primarily to find the approximate playing speed of a piece and, secondly, after playing the entire piece, to make sure that you have managed to stay in the desired tempo.

7. Can I take vacation periods from my study during the year?

If we have worked well throughout the year, a short rest period (even up to a month’s break) can be advantageous.

A break from studying renews our physical and mental strength and stimulates love for our daily work.

You will probably feel like you are wasting a lot of time, however, once you resume your studies, it will be possible to experience that you have made a great leap forward and that the quality of self study after resting is significantly higher than the period before the break.

In a condition of mental and physical fatigue we tend to create incorrect habits, which we carry on and fix over time.

We must therefore pay close attention to those phases of study during which we do not feel in shape, since the persistence and tenacity of continuing the study can never transform a bad habit into virtue.

Here are the 7 practical tips from Teacher that I wanted to bring you back. Each of us knows which ones he can apply right away and which ones are not right for him.

However, I recommend that you read the book by clicking on the image in the middle of the article.