How Tiny Changes Can Produce Amazing Results in Piano Performance: Part 5
“If you can get 1% better each day for one year,
you’ll end up 37 times better by the time you’re done.”
Excerpt from Atomic Habits by James Clear
Absolutely, tiny changes can produce amazing results in piano performance – real improvements, over time. There can be “Aha!” moments when considering things that can be tweaked or totally changed.
How can you replicate this approach in your piano performance?
In thinking about the changes a person could make to improve overall piano performance, I had decided on two main categories:
1. Improvements in the physical and mental functions in the actual performance
2. Improvements in the environment and the body
I have posted concerning 4 items in the second category, that you can reread:
Room Temperature
Shoe Heel Height
Piano Bench
Seat Cushion
Two more, that you can reread:
Dehydration
Healthy Snacks
Added category about hands – nails, strength, and exercises – that you can reread.
Preventable Distractions
In wrapping up the aspects of improvements that can be made in the environment and the body, I’ll just mention the obvious need to prevent distractions. These easy tiny changes can produce amazing results in piano performance!
- Loose hair or hair length: Hair that interferes with vision or affects concentration can really be an issue. Loose hair can derail a student’s lesson by providing a constant distraction.
- Clothing and shoes: The clothing should not require any attention or be too hot or cold. Shoes ideally are supportive, with adequate heel height for pedal use, and stay on (so students are not tempted to slide them on and off).
- Room lighting: Again, it seems obvious to the teacher, but often this is not given enough attention in the home during practicing. It certainly affects the legibility of printed music, especially the more complicated ones.
- Eye glasses/contacts: These should optimally be comfortable and current in prescription. Again, poor vision does not improve reading and playing ability.
- Distance between the eyes and the page: For younger students and even teens, this can frequently be an issue that is not always recognized by the pianist.
I invite you readers to offer more areas that are not covered here, with your own suggestions about what has worked for you and/or your students.
Next week will be about the other category: Improvements in the physical and mental functions in the actual performance. These most definitely will have an impact on improving piano performance overall.
Leslie Young is the author/composer of the Revolutionary Piano Method. She co-founded a K-12th grade charter school in Texas and has been a piano teacher for about 40 years. She has had experience teaching a variety of students tackling piano for the first time or as returning student
She states: “In teaching piano to students of varying ages, what also varies is a commitment of time and the amount of dedication. Children of certain ages may do very well with a parent as teacher; others may need someone who is not family to instruct them. Some older children and adults prefer to make progress on their own, and this method is designed to act as a meticulous guide through new material. Some adults and teens insist on professional teachers, which also encourages continuity. Because these books are self-explanatory, a new or experienced professional teacher will have no trouble using the Revolutionary Piano Method with students. It is an easy way to learn piano.”
Leslie believes that “learning to play the piano is more about diligence and perseverance” – but would add that just as critical to success is the method that is used, the encouragement of critical thinking, and the instructional principles that promote immediate success.
What Would the First Lesson for a Young Student Look Like?
What Would the First Lesson for a 6 to Teen Look Like (video)?
View sample pages of all the books for students
ages 6 to teen:
View sample pages of all the books for students
4 to 5 years old:
View sample pages of all the books for older
teens and adults:
View the books on Amazon:
