I am so glad that I find your channel. I start learning the piano at the age of 46 with a teacher. This is the third year, I still make many mistakes in a piece despite I practice every day for an hour. My teacher would ask me to practice that particular bar until it is perfect. However, I will stumble on that few notes again once I start from the beginning. I cannot wait to follow your method to fix the mistake now.
You can do it! Regarding the attempt to play every measure "perfectly" - if you haven't already, you might also check out the book "The Perfect Wrong Note" and the video review I did of that book here: ruclips.net/video/66lzxl-7YvU/видео.html Hope it's helpful!
thank you so much, you have no idea how stressful it has been for me learning chopin etudes and polonaise op53, i felt like giving up, this really helped
Thanks for making all the videos. As an adult learner, I find your video easy to follow because you demonstrate the process. Now, whenever I wanna figure out how to fix certain issue, the first place I would look for is to visit your channel 😊
After watching your lessons I can see why I'm such a poor sight reader. I do look at my hands way more than I should, and thus I tend to memorize (fairly quickly). But I then stop reading the score. Not good for improving my abilities to sight read. One problem is that even though I've memorized a piece well, I can NEVER get through ANY piece without making mistakes, and not necessarily in the same places. I know what comes next, but I still make random and all too frequent mistakes. As such I only play for my own pleasure, but can't perform for even an audience of 1! Maintaining a repertoire? Forget it, I don't remember past pieces when i start learning a new one. There is so much more but these are two of my most frustrating impediments. I can play a piece that sounds quite good, to my ears at least, but never all the way through without numerous errors. I watch you effortlessly sight read and wish so much I could do that too! Thanks. Your instruction is excellent.
Thanks for sharing - I appreciate your story. I know it can be frustrating to make random mistakes, especially after memorizing and practicing hard. I can't speak to your specific situation, but often this is traceable to practice habits that we're not aware of. I would suggest video-recording yourself practicing something for about 10 minutes and then watching it back to see if you notice any habits that you think are getting in the way of reliable consistency. Another idea would be to go to a piano teacher (if you're not currently taking lessons or able to take ongoing lessons) and just take a few lessons, asking them for help with that specific issue. Good luck!!
Kate probably practicing playing 20-30 year, so once you reach this ## then will be much better. Also WHAT any reason learning piece if you quickly forgot how to play when learning new one. Yes MUST maintaining repertoire Teacher said !
I'm glad I found you. I've gotten so terribly frustrated lately at making that repeated mistake, and was doing the drill to fix but didn't realize I was going too far back when trying to fix it. Thanks for the insight.
Dear Prof: a key part of your magic is your non-exaggerated way of making mistakes and then giving detailed instruction that even long-term beginners like me can follow and implement. Thanks, Tom
You're exactly right! Even some of the most talented musicians require intense time and dedication to achieve excellence. It equalizes the importance of hard work! Happy practicing! 😊
Thank you so much for this video! I’m definitely sharing this with my students who struggle with practicing and reinforcing their own mistakes. I feel like a broken record sometimes repeating so many of the important points you make here. Your demonstrations are super clear and concise!
You are so welcome! Glad it helps! With my students, too, they always benefit from hearing someone else say and reinforce the things I'm already telling them. Thanks for watching!
This is what i need i feel very frustated when i practice i remember once when i am practicing invention in a minor by bach this was very disgusting i got angry i and i broke the book and threw it away i put my confidence in this video that this can be helpful for me keep making more videos like this thank you very much GodBless you very much
I am glad to have found your channel, Kate. I've been playing piano for a year (self-taught) and your videos have been a blessing! I have the following question: as a piano teacher, what piano method books have found to be the most helpful for first, second, and third year learners? Perhaps you could make a video sharing your favorite method books? Thanks again!
Hello, and welcome! Glad you've been enjoying my videos! I don't work with beginning students any more, as I teach at the collegiate and graduate level, so I'm not SUPER familiar with methods books for adults. That said, I'd recommend checking out the RCM books - they have a very good curriculum, and also check out Faber Piano Adventures. Here's a link to the RCM website: shopus.rcmusic.com/collections/celebration-series Here's a link to the Faber Piano Adventures series: www.sheetmusicplus.com/search?Ntt=faber+piano+adventures Have you thought about finding a teacher? A teacher would be able to work with you and help you progress through recommending appropriate repertoire and helping you in your musicianship and technique. Good luck in your piano study, and happy practicing! 😊🎹
I adore your videos. I just started taking lessons , and my teacher is consistently surprised with the approach and knowledge I have to learning , and that’s very much because of your videos. Def a RUclips channel anyone learning can benefit greatly from
You are so welcome! I am so glad to hear these videos have been useful and that you are seeing progress in your playing from applying what you have learned!
thank you for this video! This is just what I needed right now as I practice for a community performance. This was excellent advice. I’m going to integrate it into my daily practice.
Thank you for this reinforcement of basics. You said a word which I think represents the value of your instruction: granular. These videos help me to stand back and rethink, in detail, what I am doing at the piano. So... time for me to go granular and work out my mistakes!
Hello Kate, how’s your day going? Just wanted to say thanks for your videos, I find them really helpful. I did electric organ as an 80s kid but ballet was always my biggest love so I continued with ballet for years after I dropped the organ. In 2020, just before covid lockdowns began in Australia, we bought a Casio digital piano just because it was on sale haha! Well so I transitioned to the piano fairly well given my background but that’s not to say I didn’t have any challenges cos the pedal thing is totally different for organs vs pianos! Anyway after a couple of years of lockdowns, last year my younger son decided he wanted to learn the piano too, so I bought a couple of beginner books and started him at home. But you know how it’s just so hard to teach your own child! So this year he goes to a proper teacher and a couple of months ago we bought an excellent Kawai upright piano to continue our learning journey! Learning the piano at our different levels has been really really fun and challenging. I even use your drilling techniques with him. But he’s 7 years old right, so we have a little pop it fidget toy with 8 pops, so I’ll say repeat x many times and he gets to press the pops each time. I have my own pop it now by the way 😂 anyway that’s our music story. Thanks for your videos.
Thanks so much for your reply! Sounds like a great journey you're on with your son, and how cool that you both play! With younger students you can vary the repetitions by making them fun. You can make a game out of playing something 3x in a row with no errors, or you can move something like a pencil to a different position for each repetition. Stickers as rewards are sometimes effective, too! Best of luck to you both! Happy practicing!
All of this ought to be basic I suppose for an intermediate player, but it is so easy to fall into old bad habits. Starting from too far back is one of mine for sure. And as usual, you explain it so well and in excruciatingly useful detail! I'm off now to fix some mistakes, properly! :))
Thanks for watching! How we sit at the piano is so important; it's a constant process of adjusting and assessing. Good luck with your piano studies - happy practicing!
@@ThePianoProfKateBoyd Sit? Oh, LOL, I was not clear; I meant starting too far back in the music and giving too much "introduction" to the mistake. Now you've explained about the short term memory limits (in another video) and zeroing in on the mistake (in this one) I figure I am often filling up my short term memory with the earlier part of the music so it cannot be used to work on the actual mistake. If that makes sense.
@@hippophile Oh yes, totally. It's a really common habit people have - to start farther back than the mistake, which causes unnecessary repetitions of material that is already secure, and often results in not enough reps of the part that is actually the problem. BTW: a really good habit to get into is to teach yourself how to start anywhere in the music, and free yourself from needing to start at the beginning of a phrase or measure. Sounds like you're on the right track! 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Hello Kate and thank you for nice advices. 9 month I started learning playing piano, like this music tool a lot. Never was reading notes and playing without watching key is not for me...yet. My rule # 1 is playing SLOW. Then once I remember without looking in computer , starting playing correctly and faster. Anything wrong I'm doing ?
I greatly appreciate your guidance in this video, but I find that playing an intended correction, correctly one time. Should I play it more than one time. I’ve heard maybe seven times r needed. What do u think of this???what is ur opinion on this theory.
Do we know why people like to go back to the start when they make a mistake? Habit? Kate, you aware of any research looking at this and the subject of effective practice strategies? Thx Andrew
Good question! I'm not aware of any research specifically addressing why people go back to the start when they make a mistake, but I think it has to do with the fact that it sort of feels like the "middle of a sentence" to start midway through a musical idea, and it can just be uncomfortable to not let yourself go back to the beginning. There is, however, a lot of research on effective practice strategies - and the importance of using "deliberate practice" to hone in on the areas that need the most improvement, rather than playing the "easy" parts over and over. I found this book very enlightening: amzn.to/3WFzYnG
This is a very good point and something that often causes confusion. Basically, when practicing there is a difference between "practice mindset" and "performance mindset." Practice mindset is the way you practice when you are learning and starting to refine a piece, and in this stage it's important to stop and correct mistakes as you make them, so that you don't develop bad habits (learned wrong notes, etc). Performance mindset is practice you do after a piece is learned pretty well already, to prepare for a full performance of your piece. And when doing that kind of practice, you need to keep on playing and not correct mistakes, so that you can get through a full performance of your piece without being distracted by errors. This video is about the stage of learning when you are in "practice mindset," which is why I talk about correcting mistakes. Happy practicing! 😊
You are such an inspiration! I love your strategies in learning new music. I am in love with your iPad way of keeping your music in one place! Exactly how big is your iPad? I need reading glasses now and need bigger print for sure. Is this a program I can download and copy my music in one place? Also, how do you write on this! It’s genius! Can you quickly turn pages?
Switching to digital was a game changer for me. I use an iPad Pro. The app I use is called "ForScore" - and I turn the pages with my foot, using a bluetooth pedal. The pedal I use is called an AirTurn, although there are many models of bluetooth pedals. I also use an Apple pencil to write on the music. Hope this helps!
🎥Watch next: How to Play the Piano Without Looking Down: ruclips.net/video/TX6OxNvZzQU/видео.html
I am so glad that I find your channel. I start learning the piano at the age of 46 with a teacher. This is the third year, I still make many mistakes in a piece despite I practice every day for an hour.
My teacher would ask me to practice that particular bar until it is perfect. However, I will stumble on that few notes again once I start from the beginning.
I cannot wait to follow your method to fix the mistake now.
You can do it!
Regarding the attempt to play every measure "perfectly" - if you haven't already, you might also check out the book "The Perfect Wrong Note" and the video review I did of that book here: ruclips.net/video/66lzxl-7YvU/видео.html
Hope it's helpful!
thank you so much, you have no idea how stressful it has been for me learning chopin etudes and polonaise op53, i felt like giving up, this really helped
Thanks for making all the videos. As an adult learner, I find your video easy to follow because you demonstrate the process. Now, whenever I wanna figure out how to fix certain issue, the first place I would look for is to visit your channel 😊
That's so nice to hear - thank you! 😊
After watching your lessons I can see why I'm such a poor sight reader. I do look at my hands way more than I should, and thus I tend to memorize (fairly quickly). But I then stop reading the score. Not good for improving my abilities to sight read.
One problem is that even though I've memorized a piece well, I can NEVER get through ANY piece without making mistakes, and not necessarily in the same places. I know what comes next, but I still make random and all too frequent mistakes. As such I only play for my own pleasure, but can't perform for even an audience of 1!
Maintaining a repertoire? Forget it, I don't remember past pieces when i start learning a new one.
There is so much more but these are two of my most frustrating impediments.
I can play a piece that sounds quite good, to my ears at least, but never all the way through without numerous errors. I watch you effortlessly sight read and wish so much I could do that too!
Thanks. Your instruction is excellent.
Thanks for sharing - I appreciate your story. I know it can be frustrating to make random mistakes, especially after memorizing and practicing hard. I can't speak to your specific situation, but often this is traceable to practice habits that we're not aware of. I would suggest video-recording yourself practicing something for about 10 minutes and then watching it back to see if you notice any habits that you think are getting in the way of reliable consistency. Another idea would be to go to a piano teacher (if you're not currently taking lessons or able to take ongoing lessons) and just take a few lessons, asking them for help with that specific issue. Good luck!!
You are not alone!
Kate probably practicing playing 20-30 year, so once you reach this ## then will be much better.
Also WHAT any reason learning piece if you quickly forgot how to play when learning new one.
Yes MUST maintaining repertoire Teacher said !
I'm glad I found you. I've gotten so terribly frustrated lately at making that repeated mistake, and was doing the drill to fix but didn't realize I was going too far back when trying to fix it. Thanks for the insight.
Glad it worked! You got this!
Dear Prof: a key part of your magic is your non-exaggerated way of making mistakes and then giving detailed instruction that even long-term beginners like me can follow and implement. Thanks, Tom
Thank you!! I'm so glad to hear this, Tom! 👍😊
This is a VERY helpful, video. excellent advice
Thank you! Glad it was helpful! 😊
This show even the talented people put a lot of effort fixing their mistake before showing perfection on stage.
You're exactly right! Even some of the most talented musicians require intense time and dedication to achieve excellence. It equalizes the importance of hard work! Happy practicing! 😊
Thank you so much for this video! I’m definitely sharing this with my students who struggle with practicing and reinforcing their own mistakes. I feel like a broken record sometimes repeating so many of the important points you make here. Your demonstrations are super clear and concise!
You are so welcome! Glad it helps! With my students, too, they always benefit from hearing someone else say and reinforce the things I'm already telling them. Thanks for watching!
This is what i need i feel very frustated when i practice i remember once when i am practicing invention in a minor by bach this was very disgusting i got angry i and i broke the book and threw it away i put my confidence in this video that this can be helpful for me keep making more videos like this thank you very much GodBless you very much
I am glad to have found your channel, Kate. I've been playing piano for a year (self-taught) and your videos have been a blessing! I have the following question: as a piano teacher, what piano method books have found to be the most helpful for first, second, and third year learners? Perhaps you could make a video sharing your favorite method books? Thanks again!
Hello, and welcome! Glad you've been enjoying my videos! I don't work with beginning students any more, as I teach at the collegiate and graduate level, so I'm not SUPER familiar with methods books for adults.
That said, I'd recommend checking out the RCM books - they have a very good curriculum, and also check out Faber Piano Adventures.
Here's a link to the RCM website: shopus.rcmusic.com/collections/celebration-series
Here's a link to the Faber Piano Adventures series: www.sheetmusicplus.com/search?Ntt=faber+piano+adventures
Have you thought about finding a teacher? A teacher would be able to work with you and help you progress through recommending appropriate repertoire and helping you in your musicianship and technique. Good luck in your piano study, and happy practicing! 😊🎹
I adore your videos. I just started taking lessons , and my teacher is consistently surprised with the approach and knowledge I have to learning , and that’s very much because of your videos. Def a RUclips channel anyone learning can benefit greatly from
You are so welcome! I am so glad to hear these videos have been useful and that you are seeing progress in your playing from applying what you have learned!
thank you for this video! This is just what I needed right now as I practice for a community performance. This was excellent advice. I’m going to integrate it into my daily practice.
Glad it was helpful!
Thank you for this reinforcement of basics. You said a word which I think represents the value of your instruction: granular. These videos help me to stand back and rethink, in detail, what I am doing at the piano. So... time for me to go granular and work out my mistakes!
I'm so glad these videos have led you to reflect on your playing and apply new knowledge! Happy practicing! 😊
Thank you prof!!
Meaningful and a channel always hits the point 🎉
Thanks so much!
Hello Kate, how’s your day going? Just wanted to say thanks for your videos, I find them really helpful. I did electric organ as an 80s kid but ballet was always my biggest love so I continued with ballet for years after I dropped the organ. In 2020, just before covid lockdowns began in Australia, we bought a Casio digital piano just because it was on sale haha! Well so I transitioned to the piano fairly well given my background but that’s not to say I didn’t have any challenges cos the pedal thing is totally different for organs vs pianos! Anyway after a couple of years of lockdowns, last year my younger son decided he wanted to learn the piano too, so I bought a couple of beginner books and started him at home. But you know how it’s just so hard to teach your own child! So this year he goes to a proper teacher and a couple of months ago we bought an excellent Kawai upright piano to continue our learning journey! Learning the piano at our different levels has been really really fun and challenging. I even use your drilling techniques with him. But he’s 7 years old right, so we have a little pop it fidget toy with 8 pops, so I’ll say repeat x many times and he gets to press the pops each time. I have my own pop it now by the way 😂 anyway that’s our music story. Thanks for your videos.
Thanks so much for your reply! Sounds like a great journey you're on with your son, and how cool that you both play!
With younger students you can vary the repetitions by making them fun. You can make a game out of playing something 3x in a row with no errors, or you can move something like a pencil to a different position for each repetition.
Stickers as rewards are sometimes effective, too!
Best of luck to you both! Happy practicing!
@@ThePianoProfKateBoyd thanks! Great ideas! Will definitely do these too. You’re a natural teacher, with so many ideas!
Thank you so much ❤
Glad you're here! Thanks for watching! 🎹💜😊
Very effective 👌
Thanks! Goo luck!
Excellent.
excellent tips
Glad you like them!
Thank you.
You’re welcome! Thanks for watching! 😊
Thanks for 📫
I cannot read music, but this just made sense. Thank You.
That's wonderful to hear! Happy practicing! 🎹😊
Thank you so much ❤ ❤ ❤
You're welcome! 😊 Glad you found it helpful!
All of this ought to be basic I suppose for an intermediate player, but it is so easy to fall into old bad habits. Starting from too far back is one of mine for sure. And as usual, you explain it so well and in excruciatingly useful detail! I'm off now to fix some mistakes, properly! :))
Thanks for watching! How we sit at the piano is so important; it's a constant process of adjusting and assessing. Good luck with your piano studies - happy practicing!
@@ThePianoProfKateBoyd Sit? Oh, LOL, I was not clear; I meant starting too far back in the music and giving too much "introduction" to the mistake. Now you've explained about the short term memory limits (in another video) and zeroing in on the mistake (in this one) I figure I am often filling up my short term memory with the earlier part of the music so it cannot be used to work on the actual mistake. If that makes sense.
@@hippophile Oh yes, totally. It's a really common habit people have - to start farther back than the mistake, which causes unnecessary repetitions of material that is already secure, and often results in not enough reps of the part that is actually the problem.
BTW: a really good habit to get into is to teach yourself how to start anywhere in the music, and free yourself from needing to start at the beginning of a phrase or measure. Sounds like you're on the right track! 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Hello Kate and thank you for nice advices.
9 month I started learning playing piano, like this music tool a lot. Never was reading notes and playing without watching key is not for me...yet.
My rule # 1 is playing SLOW. Then once I remember without looking in computer , starting playing correctly and faster.
Anything wrong I'm doing ?
That sounds like a good strategy!! Keep it up! 😊
You're great.❤
Awww, thanks!
I greatly appreciate your guidance in this video, but I find that playing an intended correction, correctly one time. Should I play it more than one time. I’ve heard maybe seven times r needed. What do u think of this???what is ur opinion on this theory.
Repetition is key! When making corrections, it is most effective to play it the correct way at least several times (including the correct fingering)!
Do we know why people like to go back to the start when they make a mistake? Habit? Kate, you aware of any research looking at this and the subject of effective practice strategies? Thx Andrew
Good question! I'm not aware of any research specifically addressing why people go back to the start when they make a mistake, but I think it has to do with the fact that it sort of feels like the "middle of a sentence" to start midway through a musical idea, and it can just be uncomfortable to not let yourself go back to the beginning.
There is, however, a lot of research on effective practice strategies - and the importance of using "deliberate practice" to hone in on the areas that need the most improvement, rather than playing the "easy" parts over and over. I found this book very enlightening: amzn.to/3WFzYnG
I read the opposite in a book, that you should avoid stopping when you make a mistake because it's not a habit you want to have when performing.
This is a very good point and something that often causes confusion. Basically, when practicing there is a difference between "practice mindset" and "performance mindset."
Practice mindset is the way you practice when you are learning and starting to refine a piece, and in this stage it's important to stop and correct mistakes as you make them, so that you don't develop bad habits (learned wrong notes, etc).
Performance mindset is practice you do after a piece is learned pretty well already, to prepare for a full performance of your piece. And when doing that kind of practice, you need to keep on playing and not correct mistakes, so that you can get through a full performance of your piece without being distracted by errors.
This video is about the stage of learning when you are in "practice mindset," which is why I talk about correcting mistakes. Happy practicing! 😊
I'm learning godowsky op25 no12.... I'm making a lot of mistakes
You are such an inspiration! I love your strategies in learning new music. I am in love with your iPad way of keeping your music in one place! Exactly how big is your iPad? I need reading glasses now and need bigger print for sure. Is this a program I can download and copy my music in one place? Also, how do you write on this! It’s genius! Can you quickly turn pages?
Switching to digital was a game changer for me. I use an iPad Pro. The app I use is called "ForScore" - and I turn the pages with my foot, using a bluetooth pedal. The pedal I use is called an AirTurn, although there are many models of bluetooth pedals. I also use an Apple pencil to write on the music. Hope this helps!