When I first got my Clavinova, I had all good intentions of doing some serious practice. This then opens the question of where to start – scales, arpeggios, studies, pieces. Naturally, these days, if you want to know anything, then the way to go is Google. So I spent some time with Google (and YouTube) in a desire to get some tips. Of course, the disadvantage with so much available ‘help’ is that often it is contradictory – one ‘guru’ saying black, another saying white.
Eventually, I found a really useful (to me) online book by a guy called Chuan C. Chang – The Fundamentals of Piano Practice. Whilst out in Tokyo for 6 months a few years ago I read through this book given I couldn’t get near my piano. He gives a number of approaches – none of which are revolutionary but on reading seemed to make tremendous sense. It struck me that in fact mostly, when I used to practice all those years ago, I didn’t actually ‘practice’ – I just used to play through pieces until I could eventually play them (or not as the case may be). Even back then, received wisdom was that slow and hands separate practice are vital … something I never did (well, very rarely would I would resort to hands separate). I never really played fast pieces as I didn’t have the patience to learn them properly. I did occasionally learn fast passages in slower pieces (such as the Liebestraum No. 3 cadenzas which I could manage once upon a time) but it was rare. Something like the Fantasie Impromptu or Minute Waltz I would never have made the effort to learn.
As an aside, I did see some debates on Chang’s book on a popular piano website – some frankly bordering on vitriolic. You could tell many clearly hadn’t even read the book as they were criticising him for things that he never said at all … Anyway, I found it useful enough and I’ve adopted much of it into my practice routine. Chang advocates learning things thoroughly hands separately where you can’t just play them straight off – something I’ve now started doing. Another of his suggestions is to play small sections of the most difficult passages hands separately not ‘slowly, building up speed gradually’, but at full speed (or even faster) and then try to join these sections together progressively. Something else I’ve tried to adopt.
I have to admit, I do often find myself ‘reverting to type’ – just wanting to play things through and ‘gloss over’ the odd bit that I can’t play. Nonetheless, when I really push myself to practice properly, I’ve noticed that whilst it might take hours and hours over several weeks to iron out those little problems, it is possible and Chang’s technique seems to work. On example is the Waltz L’Adieu (Chopin) that that I learned back in the day. There’s one bar with a fioritura (one of those little embellishments for which Chopin is so famous) that I’ve never been able to play – a turn followed by a chromatic run. For several weeks now, every day I am able to practice, I try to spend just 2 or 3 minutes on it. Now, 90% of the time, I can play it as I want it. With focus, eventually I’m sure I’ll get it to 99% of the time.
Finally, there are lots of really inspiring online teachers who spend hours and hours creating videos available in the public domain. Two of my favourites are Josh Wright and Paul Barton (just Google them). They both give great advice on how to overcome different technical challenges in practicing and they both have an open approach – unlike some who claim there is one and only one way to do things.
