# Questions About Piano Practice



## TinyTim

I am 68 years old,semi-retired, and have plenty of time for piano practice. I took piano lessons throughout my youth and early adulthood, so was a proficient player. Raising a family and work obligations have put the piano on hiatus until recently, when I began lessons again.

I practice technical exercises for about 30 minutes daily (Hanon, Czerny, Scales, sight-reading); practice 4 pieces I'm working on for about an hour, then spend about 20 minutes working slowly through some new pieces. Does this sound like a reasonable allocation for my piano practice time?

I don't memorize any pieces, because I won't be performing them for an audience except family. Do any of you feel that this will impede my musical performance and mastery of a piece? 

I'm also planning to study music theory again. Any recommendations for a good music theory
book?


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## Guest

That's pretty much my regime, but with less emphasis on isolated technique. My teacher thinks it's better to work on technique within the piece. Sometimes, though, just to warm up, a little Hanon is good for the fingers!

I have the opposite situation with memory: I try to memorize as fast as I can so I don't have to use the music! I've only been playing seriously for a year (I'm nearly 7 years younger and fully retired!), but I played classical guitar for 35 years, so I have nimble fingers and can read music--it just takes me a while to transfer what I see to my fingers.

Sorry--no recommendations for a theory book.


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## TinyTim

Thanks, Kontrapunctus. Do you take piano lessons or are you working on your own? I'm taking lessons right now to help me improve.


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## Guest

I take lessons--highly recommended. I tried teaching myself with the Alfred's Adult Beginner series, but it's too easy to develop bad habits, which can be hard to unlearn!


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## lextune

Kontrapunctus said:


> My teacher thinks it's better to work on technique within the piece.


I tend to agree, especially for adult students.


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## Nate Miller

I have heard the idea that technique work can come from repertoire, and I have followed that approach myself at points in the past, but for an older player, working some general technique as a warm up is a REALLY good idea

I have to say that memorization is beneficial for interpreting a piece. If you have really worked out all the technical issues and played it enough that you can perform it from the score, you really aren't that far away from memorizing. I mean, at that point, you might as well. And it does help to internalize it, but its not the memorizing of the finger muscle movements. Memorize the piece so that you can "sing" it in your head and see the score in your mind.


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## zinc701

Hi Tim,

I retired four years ago and started taking piano lessons. I've played by ear since I was a teenager, but wanted to learn to read music, play classical music and generally improve my technique. Having a good teacher really helps with this. 

My practice routine is similar to yours, except I don't play Hanon much any more. Instead I start with the Bach Two Part Inventions, and some pieces (usually easier Beethoven and Mozart Sonatas) that I have already learned. Also, some scales and arpeggios. I only work on two or three pieces at a time. One of them is the Mozart A Major sonata - I've been on that one for three years, off and on (mostly on). My teacher said I wasn't up to it when I started, and she was right. But over the years I got to know the piece really well, and now I have the hands to play it. I really like that sonata. 

I think memorizing is good. I found that I automatically memorize most of a piece as I learn to play it. I'm like you - will not be performing - but it 's nice to sit down and just play. 

I'd also be interested in recommendations of theory books.


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## PracticeReserch

I am a researcher trying to make piano practice more efficient. I created "Hanon in 60 Seconds" (see Hanonpro.com )because I believe the old Hanon is inefficient: practicing the same thing up and down the keyboard makes little sense, the patterns used are extremely infrequent, and there needs to be equal black/white key practice.

Every day I practice "Hanon in 60 seconds", then parts of Chopin etudes I think improve my dexterity (the a-minor op 10 for the 4th and 5th fingers, the b op. 25 for octaves, the g# op. 25 for thirds and the F op. 25 for the left 5th finger).

I also learn new pieces slowly every day.

I remember to keep my shoulders relaxed. That's what I do.


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## PracticeReserch

As for a theory book. 

There are no good books in the theory of piano practice that I know of. In terms of music theory, I think all that is important is that classical music has a melody line, a base line and accompaniment in the middle and something about chords (1-4-5 and that 5 can be replaced by 3 and that 4 can be replaced by 2). If there is anything else that is important, please tell me!


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