Right I've decided I practice wrong. How should I practice? not 10 mins on scales, 10 mins on sight reading etc, but what exactly should I be practising when I practice pieces?

At the moment I play the piece I'm working on, and then go back and work harder on the dodgy bits. OR if I just had a lesson, work on anything I was told needed work and then did my usual thing. But I run out of things to practice on that piece, until another day, if I do that, within about 15 minutes. Which is why I don't think I'm using my time very well.

So How can I practice?! please

You've decided you practice wrong...that doesn't mean you are practising wrong

What has made you decide that?

Yeah, I don't think that there is no right or wrong when practicing (unless it's something drastic, like playing only your pieces for 3 hours or not touching scales at all)... what made you decide it's wrong?

Your suggested method sounds fine though. Practice the dodgy bits on your pieces, but don't overpractice them. Try and play other stuff too - some difficult, some moderate, some just for sight reading.

Because, like with Poulenc, I'll practice the dodgy bits for 15 minutes and then decide they're ok, when they're obviously not.

But that is Poulenc for you!

Isobel - have you had a look at the practice-spot?
(think it's thepracticespot.com but will check).

Lot's of good ideas there on how to use your practice time.

EDIT - nearly right but take out the "the"

Here is the link

http://www.practicespot.com/home.php

Thanks Nat - that's the one!

I was sure it didn't have the 'the' in it...but they have changed the very initial homepage since I was last on so I got a bit confused.

Poulenc was just an example!!

Thanks for the site, there are some things I could do there! I was biribing myself with points for every 15 minutes I practiced, but then I started standing there day dreaming, so my points system stopped working!

Hi elmo,
I shan't argue whether you are practising right/wrong but just want to let you know that some profs have advised on 5 fundamental characteristics to achieve musical excellence:

1. 100% Concentration - stop if you are not able to do this and try again later. Every little task must have full concentration.
2. Target and goal-setting - this is a list of tasks set by your teacher for that week/month which has specific objectives in mind depending on your performance/weakness/progress that month. It may be only 1 or 2 at any one time.
3. Self-evaluation.
4. Seeing the big picture or artistic image of the piece one works on.
5. Practice strategies from your teacher(s) and other performers - ask them for practical strategies when meeting such people.

Hope that helps a little. I'm only familiar with the 1st three points.

A lot depends on how good your teacher is sometimes as some like my friends' teachers, can be quite hopeless on advising practice strategies and simply expect mindless repetition of pieces and scales without gvg a specific focus, target, etc.

Tess

This is good, Tess! My new teacher (a concert pianist) is very detailed about what to work on & how to go about it, so I'm just getting used to the new level of concentration and 'task breakdown' required - it's already paying dividends, too !

This is so useful... instead of time limits etc, try "I want to be able to play this dodgy bit to this speed, sort out that scale, learn X bars of this study" - then you can know when your practice has been successful. Make the goals doable but not too easy (ie don't say "the whole of poulenc up to speed" but don't just give yourself the easy bits either!)

Task-based rather than time-based practice is much more successful.