Every year, my piano teacher hosted two piano recitals. Even though I practiced and practiced, I could not overcome the stage fright until my senior year of high school.
So, here are 5 tips to help you execute a successful performance.
1) Practice Performing
There isn’t a better way to become comfortable performing then by doing it. My mother would have each of us kids perform one or two pieces for anyone who walked through our door – even the guy who repaired our appliances. Find opportunities to share your music. Be courageous!
2) Practice Acting
Stage freight starts in the mind. Pretend you are an actor or actress. Imagine that you are someone else on stage. It may sound strange, but it psychologically helped me to overcome my fear of feeling vulnerable.
3) Practice Imagining
Walk through the entire performance (even in the clothes you would wear). Sit in a chair near the piano. Imagine that there are people and other performers surrounding you. Walk to the piano, and adjust the bench to a good distance. Take a deep breath and perform for your “audience”. Remember to bow at the end of your performance!
4) Practice Ghosting
Have you ever tried to play your piano piece on a hard surface while singing it in your mind? One of my teachers called it “ghosting”, like you are moving your fingers without hearing the actual sound. If you have a memory glitch without even playing the piece on the piano, then you most likely will have it when actually play the instrument. Review that passage and practice ghosting again.
5) Practice Breathing
Yes, it may sound like a blonde joke, but it’s true. You need to make sure that you are breathing when you play. Take deep breaths during the challenging passages. Oxygen to the brain can only be a good thing when you are under pressure.
No matter what happens, remember to make colorful music!
Each year, I introduce a new challenge for my students to engage in. At the end of the school year, the students who attained the goal are honored with a trophy! For the 2014 – 2015 school year, my challenge to each student in my studio is to practice 200 days from September – May! This comes out to approximately 5-6 days per week. Each day they practice, they will fill in a star on the chart below (click to download and print). The first student to reach 200 days will receive special recognition! Parents, please hold your children accountable by having them come to you first before they fill in the star.
If you would like to use other charts, I have found a few others online that might appealing. I’m looking forward to a successful year of practice!
Piano lessons are not successful unless students learn how to practice on their own. Each lesson, I usually write down a list of songs and technical exercises for my students to be practicing. For each song, I found myself writing down similar objectives. Instead of rewriting the list each week, I decided to create a practice guide. Here’s what I have assembled for my students, who are just starting to learn how to read music:
Practice Guide for the Piano
Before you start practicing, make sure you are at a good distance from the piano. Sit up tall and place your feet flat on the floor or on a stool. Number your fingers (remember, thumbs up number 1). Place your hands on your knees to help you form a good hand shape. You are ready to begin!
Practice ONE measure at a time. Play with one hand first. Once you go through the list below, practice with the other hand.
Name the notes in the music before you start playing on the piano (A B C D E F G)
Find your hand placement on the piano: Name the first note in the music. Which hand plays that note? Which finger plays that key on the piano? Repeat for the other hand.
Play and name the notes 3 to 5 times.
Play and count the rhythm 3 to 5 times.
Practice the entire song with both hands SLOWLY. After you are done, ask yourself the questions below. If you answered with “No” or “Maybe”, play it again until you can say, “Yes” to each question.
Did you play the correct notes?
Did you count aloud (or in your mind) throughout the piece?
Did you play with a steady beat?
Did you play with curved fingers and with a ball-shaped hand?
Practice musicianship hands together.
Try to play the song with a warm, round tone.
What are the dynamics? Practice them (Forte is played heavy. Piano is played light. Mezzo Forte is in between Forte and Piano).
The new school year starts soon! It’s important to get everything in order before starting this new season of piano lessons so that nothing hinders your child from practicing. Please make sure that your child has the following items:
Spiral Notebook
Pencil & Eraser
Metronome (extra batteries, if needed)
Nail Clipper (please trim nails once a week)
Flashcards or the equivalent on a technological device
Motivational Charts
Music Stand
Tuned Acoustic Piano
Plenty of light near the piano or keyboard
Bench (with cushion/pillow for younger students)
Footstool (for younger students)
Music is organized and ready to use near the piano or keyboard (Move music books from previous years in a separate area).
If you don’t have the space to organize piano books in a book shelf, try these solutions:
Find all of the books, and divide into current music, repertoire music and past music. Store them in Magazine Dividers near the piano. Label them (if you want to go the extra mile).
Find all of the current books and store them in a hanging Wall File near the piano.
Store the metronome, pencil, eraser, nail clipper and flashcards in a binder zipper pouch. Hang a hook on the wall near the piano, and slide the zipper pouch on it.
Use a combination of a mail holder and hook to store current music and to hang the binder zipper pouch mentioned above.
Store all of the music in a Square Basket near the piano. Make sure the basket is square or rectangle and not round; otherwise, you may damage the books.
Do you have any solutions for organizing piano music and materials? Please share!
It’s fascinating to see the creativity that musicians can bring to the table. I am particularly intrigued by those who mix the “Old” with the “new”. Enjoy this inspiration!
The beach is one place of inspiration for me in South Florida. The warm sun, the gentle breeze and the sound of the ocean waves helps me to relax and enjoy life. As I drew in the sand, an idea dawned on me. My students could practice drawing music in the sand! What a fun activity you can make out of it! Gather a pile of shells, draw a staff and create your own music! Take a picture and try playing it on the piano when you get home.
The Music Teacher’s National Association provides a great FAQs on Copyright Laws. If you’re not fond on reading dry rules, like me, you may find this helpful. The official government website is http://www.copyright.gov/
As I began my journey crossing over the bridge from traditional classical piano to modern keyboard style, I found myself puzzled and overwhelmed. The amount of information I needed to absorb consumed me. I felt like a beginner on the piano again – very humbling indeed. If you find yourself in a similar situation, I recommend either subscribing to Keyboard Magazine or visit Keyboardmag.com every so often. It’s a good place to start as you venture into this completely new culture of music. From there, research one thing that interests you, and you’ll find yourself one step further across that bridge!
When I was a young child, I remember my piano teacher writing out musical flashcards on index cards during my piano lesson. Before I began practicing during the week, I challenged myself to memorize one more note each day on the staff. Eventually, it was easy to read both the treble and bass clefs. Today, there are so many ways to study music, it’s almost unbelievable! I found a few websites that make “musical flashcards” really fun!
Expressive Keys 