(1) Look for Inspiration Before It’s Time to Practice
Having trouble making yourself sit on the piano bench to practice? Take 10 minutes to listen to music that inspires you, or watch Youtube videos of your favorite performers. But don’t get stuck searching for videos or music to listen to when you’re supposed to be practicing! Make playlists and bookmark your favorite videos before it’s time to practice. That way, when you are in need of inspiration, it’s easy to find.
Want to really inspire yourself to practice more? Attend live concerts and festivals! See musicians who are at the top of their game perform for a crowd, and before you know it, you’ll be practicing much more often.
(2) Set Goals and Give Yourself Rewards
(2) Set Goals and Give Yourself RewardsEvery 3 – 4 months write down a list of goals for yourself that you would like to achieve with your piano practice – and also write an accompanying list of rewards! You are much more likely to achieve your goals if you have a reward attached to them. The harder the goal, the better the reward should be!
(3) Keep it Fun
For every finger exercise you do that you find boring, play something at the piano that you love! Keep a stack of your favorite music handy and once you accomplish a difficult or frustrating piece, move on to a piece you love.
It’s also a good idea to vary your practice routine to keep it interesting. Mix the order up, get creative, and try new things. And don’t be afraid to improvise!
(4) Make Practicing Piano a Habit
- Take a shower
- Brush your teeth
- Make your morning cup of coffee
These are just some of the things that most of us do without thinking at the same time each day. They are habits. We don’t have to motivate ourselves to do them, they are a part of our routine. Look at your daily schedule and try to figure out a good time of day to make practicing the piano a habit. Is it first thing in the morning? On your lunch break? Late in the evening to help you wind down? Whatever time of day best works for you, put it in your calendar and commit to it. Before you know it, you won’t even need a calendar reminder that it’s time to play – it will have become a habit for you.
