Whether you’re taking in-person lessons or have opted to learn piano online, we all know that practice makes perfect – but not just any kind of practice will do. Sure, you can sit down at the piano bench and play the same piece over and over again until you’ve memorized every note and finger movement, but are there other ways to nail that song on the keys other than just playing from beginning to end multiple times?
For example, piano learning apps like Clefer are great practice guides for returning players because it’s not just about playing a song from start to finish. Rather, Clefer’s learning sessions are dynamic and focused on different parts of the song and different skills of the player, giving a well-rounded training experience. Here are another 5 ways to perfect a piano piece!
1. Practice your rhythm reading.
Playing by reading music notation first requires knowing how to read and comprehend what’s in front of your eyes – all those notes and symbols have a meaning that you need to understand as you learn to play piano. So, the best way to practice playing your sheet music actually begins with reading your sheet music.
Check out Clefer’s Rhythm lessons in the Home tab or an individual song, where the ‘rhythm reading’ activity involves tapping the rhythm directly on your screen along to the music score.
2. Change the way you play.
Practicing playing at a different speed or tempo is another great way to test and improve your skill with the song. Rather than playing at the song’s natural speed, try to slow the tempo down or simply increase the tempo when you feel ready to own your playing with more control.
Not having the momentum of the song’s natural speed to guide you through will force you to hone in and use your muscle memory to hit the right notes. For example, with Clefer, you can set the metronome to play slower: simply drag the tempo slider to your desired tempo, and let the metronome establish your steady tempo as you practice.
3. Mix up the song’s order.
While playing a song from beginning to end over and over is one way to try to perfect a piano piece, mixing up the order of the song is a great way to play up subtleties that could otherwise be missed.
So, try playing sections out of order, such as starting with the right-hand section first and the left-hand section next – this allows you to isolate and concentrate on each hand’s separate readings while also amplifying the differences in dynamics. Not only do you get a great handle on the mechanics and volume of the song, but you also get to make it your own unique interpretation!
4. Start at the tough spots.
Many pianists will tell you there’s usually at least one part of a song that gives them a bit more of a challenge than others. So to perfect a piece, why not try tackling those tough spots first? Pick out those troublesome notes and try playing them at a slower tempo.
If you’ve mastered most sections of the song, picking out and playing the harder parts at a slower pace will allow you to dedicate your energy to the areas that need the most work as you take in and play each note one by one, helping you to practice hitting the keys just right.
5. Listen to yourself.
You might find that while you’re focused on hitting notes, you’re not paying as much attention to the sound of the song piece as a whole. That’s why when you’re trying to perfect a piece, it’s important to listen back and hear yourself play.
Piano learning apps like Clefer will play back your performance, allowing you to review your piano playing. This is a great opportunity to isolate those tougher spots that need a bit of added time, energy and effort to perfect those notes.
Learn piano online and perfect your playing with the help of Clefer!
Regardless of which songs you choose to get you back into playing, a piano learning app like Clefer can help you master all of them as you learn piano online. By using a dynamic Practice, Perform and Review model that focuses on the different facets of piano playing technique, Clefer allows you to hone your skills at your own pace as you listen back and take note of where there’s room for improvement.
Download Clefer to your Apple device today and start your free trial!
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