(I'm cross posting this to Viva Voice.)

As some of you might know I'm a bit mad, as I have a 6 month old baby and a part time job and I'm still trying to get stuck into my Grade 8 piano and Grade 6 singing. I took Grade 7 piano and Grade 5 singing on the same day back in March (with my baby in the waiting room with his dad!) and passed both, luckily! Although the piano was a real scrape-through . . .

Trouble is I'm getting nowhere with my practice. I do have time to practice - at least 2 hours a day (ie an hour per instrument), as I only work part time (I work in a shop on the same street I live, so no travelling time) and my baby is usually happy to let me practice for an hour or so at a time before he gets upset and demanding!

Thing is, I'm so tired and lacking in energy and direction, and as I have no plan to my practice and don't know what I'm doing - I just end up messing about on one piece for 30 mins, stopping to change a nappy and then giving up! My baby loves to hear me play and sing actually so I don't even have that excuse! And he does nap in the day so I could use his naptimes to get something done.

I really need a routine that I could fit into about an hour a day - warm ups/technique building, pieces etc. If I could focus my practice like this I could probably get a good hour done each day on singing and another hour on piano but right now its just not happening!

So any pianists or piano teachers out there, I'd be really glad of your suggestions!!!

Make a scedled of piano...EG:

Monday: *pieces* Time: (how long you practised)
*certain scales*


Tusday: Day off


Wednesday: *Certain pieces*
*2 SR and 4 scales (any)*


Ect ect


Then with the time at the end of the week add it all up ect I got to 280M of practsing!

Are you having lessons at the moment? If not, perhaps this is one time in your life where you can really spare the time to get the most out of them. Maybe an inspring teacher could help, not just with repertoire and technique, but also with a practice routine to suit your longer term objectives?

Exams are one way of making yourself focus on work in hand, but what about festivals, or even, dare I say it, forum events? Having an objective and deadline usually sorts out my practice routine for me!