How to get the MOST of your Practicing Session

In this lesson you will find plenty of advices in order to optimize your learning process and practice piano efficiently.

03:25 General piano learning tips
09:58 The Continuity Rule
11:46 Why we should get to the real tempo as quickly as possible
13:04 Hands Separately
18:32 Breaking Down complex tasks
22:25 Practicing routine & tricks of our brain

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Your support matters! If you enjoy this channel or find it helpful, please consider a symbolic donation. It would help me to create even better both educational and artistic content.

[pawekorczak]

This channel is so terribly underrated. Probably the best piano channel on youtube and only 6k subs...You Sir deserve a couple of hundreads at least! Great and informative videos with professional analisys of technique, watching one can be a milestone for a beginner pianist, and even the advanced can learn something!

[edmulder]

Taking short breaks to reinforce memories is key to learning new skills or re-learning old ones (ZME science article)

[etudeando]

I use Pomodorov technique, resting, naps, and not starting from the same part is quite an approach to a effective session. Remember what Liszt said: "think twice play one"

[susantanguy]

Your suggestion of practicing hard measures separatley are exactly what my Coach tells me. She calls it "taking to the Woodshed". If measures 4 & 5 are causing problems start there and wirk it over and over. 5 times correctly... if you mess it ip on 3rd time, start counting over. 5 times in a row 100% correct. THEN go back to measure 1 and play through 5 if it's corrected ho on to measure 6 and go again until you hit another "snag" then pull out that section and do same thing. Thank you!

[pwnedshift]

23:40 OMG, you identified perfectly a seriously bad habit I have when it comes to learning new pieces. "A trick of our mind to avoid going out of our comfort zone... because starting a new section takes effort." To get out of this rut, I've made it a goal of mine to "learn all the notes" first, and get to the end of the piece as fast as possible, because I keep getting stuck on pieces that are 1/4th, 1/3rd complete and can't ever seem to let go of that imperfection in what I've already learned to move on.

[verity]

I am amazed by your generosity, offering so much information for free. Thank you so much!

[h.p.]

Truly blessed to have such a talented teacher and pianist teaching piano so intuitively all for free. Thank you Mr. Zhdanov!

[clailai]

You are so RIGHT! As a pianist, I often "fake" it and hope that no one would notices my weaknesses! It takes a lot of courage to admit to your own mistakes and face the corrections. That's why practicing is not FUN.... I do appreciate your methods of breaking down the problems into smaller chunks. I often repeat the same mistakes many times until I see my teacher for revisions.

[pierrecohenmusic]

22:25 is in my opinion the most useful tip in this video!

[theclaverman]

I think you forgot one extremely important step (at least for me) and that is fingerings. I always, no matter what piece I play, I always start learning the first section of a new piece by writing down the most optimal fingerings for my hands. This is REALLY crucial as we use muscle memory to memorize pieces. In order for the muscle memory to work it is crucial that we actually are consistent in our playing and play in the same way every single time. If we play just a little differently each time, then it becomes very difficult to learn the piece and also unnescessary timeconsuming.

[williamtaittinger]

This is PURE GOLD. Sir, you are the TOP G of piano youtubers.

[PabloGambaccini]

I agree with everything you've said. I have the exact philosophy and recommendations when I give lessons. "Studying is solving problems" that's a must! 👏👏👏

[PianoTortuga]

It is sad that there is very little information about how to practice efficiently. Most books about piano playing focus on the artistic side and leave out the craftsmanship side. Piano lessons sadly tend to be like this at the higher levels too. It is kind of ironic that the book you mention, "Fundamentals of Piano Practice" was written by a non-pianist. There is basically no great content by a great pianist or famous pedagogue I can think of that focuses on the craftsmanship aspect. Thanks for sharing some of the strategies you use, I agree with the previous comment, this channel is underrated!

[enricopascucci]

Watching your videos I have to say that your lessons are really top quality. I'm learning so many things and details from you that I had never heard in the past from my music teachers. Your channel is in my opinion the best piano channel I've found in YouTube. As wrote Pawel below, you should deserve many more subscribers.

[gaspo]

Well, unpexpectedly I've found the best piano channel in the whole galaxy. Greetings from Argentina, Denis!!!

[avaez]

I just found you in the you tube and I feel like I have found a treasure! You are the best, thank you for your videos

[Aerospace_Education]

If I spent as much time focused practicing as I do watching Videos on music I could be playing at Carnegie Hall by now :) Great video as always. Thanks for the content.

[cristobalpenichedemuga]

Thank you, Im a musician and i was stuck in middle part of tempest sonata and whit this tutorial i got it all ❤❤❤

[marlocasabar]

I love this1! I’m realizing how I’ve been practicing wrong and why I get tense on those hard parts. Thank you, thank you!!!

[ericastier]

I watched this video twice and was surprised how important it is. Every word was very helpful and in context and verified with my by my own practicing experience.