How to Practice When You Don't Have the Time

I recently had a discussion with one of my students about how to fit practicing into their busy schedule. The truth is that any adult who has ever taken piano lessons - or any parent of a child who has taken lessons - knows that it can become an incredibly demanding skill to learn. I'd like to ease your mind a little with some tips and tricks that will keep you moving forward with your lessons while not taking up too much of your time.

1. You have to practice. First of all, let's get this out of the way. There is no "magic solution" that will teach you the piano without practice. Have you ever seen those commercials for the piano app that promises to teach you how to play the piano in a few months with some simple techniques each day? I can promise you this may be fun and engaging, and it may even teach you something. But you probably won't be playing properly or proficiently. Playing the piano is a skill learned over time and with much effort.

2. You don't HAVE to practice every day. I usually ask that my students practice at least 5 days a week. Usually, this means that the student has the weekend "off." However, maybe your schedule is much more free over the weekend, and you'd like to use that time practice. You do you, Boo!

3. You don't have to practice every item every time. Now, I'm hesitant to say this because I don't want you to be leaving off the things that are difficult. Those are probably the things that you need to practice the most. However, I find that I practice more effectively by setting a particular goal for myself for the week, and that one particular song or exercise that I REALLY want to finish will be practiced much more than everything else. Now, make sure you're still giving adequate time to all your other areas. They are important too!

4. Use your practice time wisely. I know it's fun to go and play "The Entertainer" every time you sit down, but you finished that piece three months ago. If you want to, maybe warm up with that piece, but don't allow yourself to get bogged down with all the pieces that are past. The point of practicing is to push forward. If all you're doing is playing pieces you've already learned, you're not doing that.

5. You've got five minutes! Ok, so maybe you don't have time to give a full practice. That's fine. Take 5 minutes. and use those 5 minutes wisely. Play through that piece you've been working on, or better yet....sight-read for five minutes!

At the end of the day, the piano is probably not the only thing you've got going on in your life. So, how do we improve our skills while still maintaining our busy lifestyles? Use the time you have. Focus. Practice well. The goal is not to be a maestro by the end of the week. The goal is to be better than you were last week.

Victoria Fesh

Victoria is the founder and lead teacher of Fesh Music Academy.