Ever feel like there’s just so much music to practice?

Or do your students not practice piano?

We’re so hung up on practicing that we forget WHY we practice sometimes– to improve.

That’s why most practicing is a waste of time.

No joke.

I remember when I’d sit at the piano, “practicing” for hours. At one point, my teacher told me that I need to put in at least 5 hours of practice each day. I was a highschool student and I liked staying near the top of my class.

Needless to say, life was stressful and blurry.

Until I found out that most of what I did at the piano was a waste of time if I wanted to polish the piece.

And that’s why I’m telling you, practice less and get more done instead.

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Grace Miles | May 10, 2013
Filed Under: Smart Practicing, Smart Tips | Tags: motivation, psychology, time, tips and tricks |

This is about a UFO, magical animals, and why we don’t choose wisely.

Remember the Chronicles of Narnia?

Narnia is a place with magical, talking creatures.

We get to Narnia through a wardrobe.

In one part, four kids find Narnia.

The kids bring their Uncle Andrew to Narnia, but he can’t hear the animals talk…

He convinced himself that they don’t talk.

Aslan explains it with something like:

“People believe what they want to believe.”

And it’s one of the most profound things ever (double awesome coming from a lion– Aslan is a really big lion) because it describes how people work.

What do magical animals, UFOs, and choosing wisely have in common?

Read on… will you choose wisely? ;)

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Grace Miles | April 29, 2013
Filed Under: Business of Music, Inspiration, Resources, Smart Tips, Teaching Toolkit | Tags: psychology, tips and tricks |

Sometimes, my fingers follow the notes but don’t seem to end up at the right places–they cross over and jump around all over the place and it just doesn’t feel right. How do I find the correct fingering so playing is easier (and I play the right way)?

- Vivianne

Hey Vivianne– sounds like your fingers are out of control!

This is common; we just need to roll it around a little, so hang on tight.

It’s great that you’re stepping up and admitting that this is something you’re struggling with.

Most people would just stumble over the same thing over and over again (ahem).

I’m going to show you how to make it work with something that stumped me while ago.

It works with any type of piece. :)

1 – Mark it Up

Let’s look at what you’re playing, one hand at a time.

In pencil, mark down where you’re having the most trouble.

How does the music flow? Are there jumps?

Does it remind you of anything else you’ve played? (For example, scales, arpeggios, Hanon, or even a different piece.)

If yes, then use as much of that fingering as possible.

This is an actual photo of my Un Sospiro (Liszt) score.

(Here’s a video of Hamelin playing, this photo is at about 2:54)

I try to use pencil for smaller, non-permanent things, unless it’s a huge issue that hasn’t been fixed for a while.

The colour on the top outlines the melody in the left hand, which is permanent.

(The chunked bits– more on that later– and the little C fish that I drew, in the left corner, are still there!)

The first thing I think when I see this: it’s very chromatic. And dang it looks like a web. A Presto web.

Why not use chromatic scale fingering?

This edition gives you the fingering, which is like the chromatic scale fingering anyways… why not use it?

Side note: I recommend this edition of Un Sospiro because the fingering is workable all the way; believe me, it’s a pain when you have to invent your own fingering on a piece like this.

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Grace Miles | April 5, 2013
Filed Under: Basics, Smart Practicing, Smart Tips, Teaching Toolkit | Tags: how to, tips and tricks |

You probably have an amazing goal right now.

We all have goals…

But we always say things like:

“I don’t have enough time…” or

“If only I had enough money…”

And we give up on our goals.

Sometimes we get into ruts and we get stuck for a long, long time.

Some of us force ourselves to practice for 10 hours straight until the piano exam, then start to dread practicing.

(Playing the same passage for hours.)

You shouldn’t be forcing yourself to do dreadful things… or dreading what you think you should love.

I’ve come up with a system that’s tried-and-true, and I’m excited to share it with you!

It’s 3 steps, and I first shared it with my students.

It works.

The system works for both piano teachers and piano students: if you’re ready to play your way to your goals, then read on.

If you’re looking to ‘read for fun’ and forget about it afterwards, then this isn’t for you right now—don’t waste my time or yours, please! :)

The 3-Step Goal

Want to play (almost) any piano music, no matter how much time you have or how “good” you are?

Want piano students to practice more, by doing just one thing? (Want to make yourself practice more with just one thing?)

What about read notes more quickly and sight read better?

Here’s the cool thing about the 3-Step Goal:

It works for any goal, piano-related or not.

I’m showing it to you for free.

I use this in my own life and to teach piano.

Click here for the download link.

It’s that powerful, and that awesome.

Yes, free, in exchange that you apply the 3-Step Goal to ONE goal. Just one. That’s all I ask.

I don’t usually share things like this here (publicly– it usually gets sent to my subscribers only), so I’m super excited to see what you come up with!

Here is the link to download the book.

Enjoy!

Grace Miles | January 20, 2013
Filed Under: Resources, Smart Practicing, Smart Tips, Teaching Toolkit | Tags: how to, motivation, psychology, sight reading, tips and tricks |

Let’s face it: We’re lazy creatures.

Sometimes we just need a boost.

Motivation makes life a lot easier. And fun(ner).

Like motivating yourself to ‘practice’ piano (pieces you know you should play but don’t feel like playing)…

Or motivating students to practice piano.

… Or losing weight, or anything else.

Things we put off for days, months, even years.

What if I tell you…

It just takes one step to increase anyone’s motivation by 10% (or more).

Yes, you can motivate your students (even very young ones) to practice piano with this.

Read on and I’ll show you how.

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Grace Miles | December 17, 2012
Filed Under: Basics, Smart Practicing, Smart Tips, Teaching Toolkit | Tags: how to, motivation, psychology |