If you have been playing the piano for any period of time, you know that some songs are more difficult to play than others. This is true of any instrument, whether it be piano, trombone, flute, or the kazoo (how’d that get in there?)
The question is how to perfect the playing of these complicated pieces. There is a groundbreaking device that can greatly enhance your attempts to play pieces that are beyond the ordinary difficulty level – it’s called a metronome! That irritating little tool that has plagued the practice rooms of many a student for centuries.
Here’s what you need to do. Set the tempo on the metronome as slow as you need to in order to play the song perfectly. Even if it is an insane 20 beats per minute. Usually, you will think that you can practice at a higher tempo, but more often than not, you will find yourself turning the tempo down.
Once you can play it perfectly at a slow tempo, start gradually increasing the tempo on the metronome over the course of a week or two (or more if needed) until you can play the piece perfectly at the suggested tempo.
If this sounds like a long a tedious process, well, it is. But think of the pleasure you will have when you can finally play that dream piece with the degree of expertise the composer had in mind.
So go ahead! Get ticked off in practice, have fun, and conquer that complicated piece.
Many times I am asked the question, “How often should a younger student practice?” This is a very good question, and the practice strategy should be different with younger students. First of all, let me define a younger student. I would say that any music student especially between the ages of 5-7 years old should follow a different practice routine.