Last year I travelled to several different parts of the world giving workshops and classes. I invariably asked the owner of the studio (or shop), where my presentations took place, if there was a particular topic that teachers would like to discuss; ‘how to keep students motivated’ was the almost unanimous reply.
It’s no mean feat keeping children, especially younger children, interested, not just in the piano and during the lesson, but for the practice sessions throughout the week, too. In my experience, very young children require constant parental guidance during piano practice, if progress is to be made. I don’t teach young students, but one interesting idea is to encourage a parent to learn alongside their child. It certainly keeps both parties occupied, and once the child realises that they can ‘out-do’ their parent, the fun begins!
Motivation can also be tricky for older children and adults. Practising the piano and making progress are not always synonymous. Practising can be a tedious pursuit, demanding complete focus and concentration, and often involving a hefty portion of self-knowledge.
‘Music study presents a natural, here-and-now route to self-knowledge and self-integration.’
I’m fortunate because the majority of my students are highly motivated, but this wasn’t always the case. I’ve worked with those who simply lost interest, or a desire to play, or perhaps they came to the conclusion that the piano wasn’t for them. How can you perpetually ‘feel the love’ during those onerous practice sessions when progress seems slow. Here are a few ideas.
- Buy a practice journal. I encourage my students to write about each lesson – they often like to do it on the way home afterwards. Write down what happened in the lesson. What did you learn? What do you still not understand? How are you going to harness your practice during the week in the light of the lesson? If you don’t have regular lessons, you’ll need to be even more thoughtful; perhaps begin by writing about your progress over the week. And be honest – if you feel you haven’t improved, then why is this the case? A journal is a sure way to note progress and therefore keep motivation strong.
- Set out what you’d like to achieve this year. You can also write about this in your journal. You may have a particular ‘goal’ in mind. Last year, two of my students, who are friends and were both turning fifty, decided to mark the occasion by taking a performance diploma. One took the ATCL performance diploma, and the other, the LTCL performance diploma. This was a significant undertaking, but their motivation was such that during the year they went on several piano courses, came to me for lessons, and practised performing their programmes regularly. Both passed with flying colours – a perfect demonstration of a ‘goal’ effectively executed. What is your ‘goal’ this year?
- Try to play music you really love. An obvious statement, but how many teachers impose repertoire and never allow students to explore the wide variety of material on offer. I generally gravitate towards technical exercises and ‘technique’ based repertoire with my students, and we normally focus on these at the beginning of each lesson. But beyond this, I hope that a student might suggest a composer or a piece that they’d like to explore. This is more difficult if you are taking an exam and must play certain pieces, but it’s still possible to delve into repertoire alongside an examination. One way of doing this is to be creative with your sight-reading. This skill must be developed, so try to find reading material which you will enjoy. You don’t have to stick to sight-reading ‘tests’ – if you fancy reading through the score of La La Land, or the latest Ariana Grande song, then download the piano score, and slowly work through it. The more you read, the stronger this skill will become, and you are also enjoying music you want to play.
- Attend music events. Going to concerts is the best way to ‘hear’ repertoire live. You can also utilise sites like YouTube, but a live concert is certainly more engaging. Go with a like-minded friend or colleague and discuss the programme and the music. What did you enjoy? If it’s a composer you’ve never heard before, research their music afterwards. They may have written a piece suitable for you to learn.
- Attend a piano course or masterclass. I encourage all my students to attend piano courses. This may be a scary prospect, but it’s surprising how much you can learn from eavesdropping on the lessons of other players. Two of my students go to specific piano courses regularly where they know they can perform to a friendly audience – and, as a result, they have really ramped-up their performing skills, playing with far greater confidence as well as enjoying the sense of occasion, as opposed to feeling terror and insecurity.
- Form a duet team. This may take some research on your part to find a partner who is of a similar level to you. Piano duets and trios can cement friendships. And they are also fantastic vehicles for improvement. Sight-reading, coordination, rhythm, basic technical grasp, confidence and repertoire knowledge, are just a few of the positive outcomes from such a partnership. I teach several ensembles regularly and their playing has progressed enormously. Performing as a team is fun and engaging. Try it – it might just be your favourite pursuit this year.
- Play in a music festival. Competitions aren’t for everyone, but there are non-competitive classes in most music festivals all around the UK, and abroad. I have adjudicated at many such events, and love these classes, because the pianists are playing purely for the love of the instrument. Yes, it’s very nerving-wracking for those who have never done it before – you will almost certainly not play how you would wish at first. But, again, they are great preparation for performance and they will develop your skills.
- Form a piano group. Only for the dedicated souls! If you don’t fancy setting up your own group, there are numerous adult groups already in existence, and they offer the chance to play in a ‘safe space’, hopefully free from negative criticism.
- Aim to work in small sections during practice sessions. A common student complaint is that they don’t or can’t achieve real technical improvement from week to week. In this case, technical difficulties have often been side-stepped or ‘skimmed’ over. Try to work in very small increments, noting the physical motions needed to really manage note patterns. By focusing on one bar at a time, employing optimum movements, you will master each passage. This does demand careful focus, but if you can view it as a new learning experience, then each passage should eventually feel comfortable.
- And finally, make sure your posture is relaxed and flexible when playing the piano. Tension, stiffness, and taut piano playing can cause serious issues, including physical pain as well as frustration. If this is a problem for you, then find a specialist teacher who can help – this is certainly a very worthwhile ‘goal’. Good luck – and enjoy!
For much more information about how to practice piano repertoire, take a look at my piano course, Play it again: PIANO (published by Schott Music). Covering a huge array of styles and genres, the course features a large collection of progressive, graded piano repertoire from approximately Grade 1 to advanced diploma level, with copious practice tips for every piece. A convenient and beneficial course for students of any age, with or without a teacher, and it can also be used alongside piano examination syllabuses too.
You can find out more about my other piano publications and compositions here.