The role of practice in relation to piano teaching: the teacher

and the student

Can “practice” be universally defined as a fixed method?

Fundamental activity in the daily routine, the practice is supported by learned or created
procedures, in dependence on personal needs, based in a set of organized and creative
strategies to surpass the daily issues/doubts arising in the student’s piano repertoire:

Start sometimes with the last page, then to the page before, and so on (Berman, 2000, p.
125)

Who wishes to make quick progress (...) avoid mistakes, from the very beginning (...)
can be attained (...) by playing very slowly, by (...) concentration (Gieseking, 1972,
p.47)

it is through repetition that music is learnt (Last, 1972, p.104)

Chaffin (2003) refers in Seeing the big picture: piano practice as expert problem
solving, that “practice, with its rapid starts, stops, and repetitions is a product of all the
levels in the action hierarchy” (p. 468), defined by primary and secondary objectives.
On another side, Boris Berman (2000) considers the practice routine as “lifelong
occupation of performing musicians” (p.112).

A well-guided support and orientation (by a teacher), during a student’s pianistic

development, is decisive in having success. Dealing with various individual “cases”, a
piano teacher has to have two approaches:

- Developed students: “the teacher’s main role is help to find their own musical
voice” (Berman, 2000, p.198);

- Beginners: “interpretive decisions on appropriate physical actions to realize

them” (Berman, 2000, p. 199).

A piano lesson has to be positive in all its aspects. The student will not only deal with
the classroom subjects but also face “post class tasks” (piano lesson revision, focus on
homework, the application of the teacher ideas and many others), where the piano
teacher has an important role: to improve and captivate the student’s attention. Young
(2010) refers that “if students don’t experience positive feelings about their music
experiences (...) they may develop a negative attitude; (...) no teacher wants to leave that
legacy” (p.13). Regarding each student as an individual “case”, the teacher’s
perspective should be carefully considered and analyzed because each step is a constant
assimilation of music and social factors process. The modern piano teacher has to be
prepared for various students’ ambitions as well because, not all of them wish to
proceed with a piano career. Their only intention is, for instance, to become better
“music lovers” and at the same time “to have a better musical comprehension”.
Therefore the teacher’s role is to provide all the necessary “tools” for them.

These modern piano students cannot be compared with others from two or three decades
ago. Why? The social modern issues and lifestyle may be reflected in the piano student
panorama: parents with long timetables, less time to practice, multi extra activities. To
solve this situation, it is important in having a detailed plan for the student and, for the
teacher, the most two important questions here are “how” and “why”: providing all the
necessary “homework” information (“how”) and its objective (“why”). Without any
doubt, it will make the difference between successful and failed practice.

Experience of the teaching act is a process that each teacher develops throughout each
school year. To better serve the students’ purpose, the piano teacher, year by year, has
to update his skills because continuous learning will improve the relationship with the
students in regard to teaching skills and musicianship.

The role of practice may also precede a repertoire study “pre-approach”. That is,
knowing and analyzing all the structures to study and get preliminary ideas of how to
achieve optimal performance. According to Chaffin (2003) Seeing the big picture:
Piano practice the expert problem solving, this practical "pre-approach" is divided into
four stages:

- Score division: parts and sub-parts

Formal (score structure)
- Main subjects, secondary subjects and repetitions

Basic (musical text focus) - Melodical and rhythmical patterns: scales,

arpeggios and chords;

- Key, time signature and musical expressions;

- Checking all the technical issues;

Interpretative (repertoire style) - Dynamics;

- Tempo marks;

- Pedaling;

- Phrasing;

- Repertoire period and composer style;

Performative (performance aspects) - Three previous stages combination;
When performing these four stages, along with the teacher's guidance, it is intended that
the student has already assimilated a "picture" of the general difficulties that will come,
and, of course, possible solutions/strategies to address them.” Well-structured and
organized practice will bring efficiency to the study and clear visible results in the short
term, which will lead to greater motivation and commitment by the student.

Besides all the aspects that have been referred to practice on piano teaching, other can
also be "experienced" in this area: emotion. A piano student passes by moments of
"stress" and agitation when, for example, he/she plays in a public school performance or
even when participating in a masterclass with an unknown teacher. It is suggested that
this emotional environment could be tested in class, playing to colleagues in groups,
writing and criticizing their study and also "playing through (...) the emotional state of a
concert performance (...) not only in the cool-headed, calm mannered, but also in a
slightly excited "(Berman, 2000, p.129).

Motivation is a factor that demonstrates how important the role of practice is. A piano
student, who consistently improves his results in their daily study and receives his
teacher positive stimulation, will always be a motivated student. Otherwise, the lack of
results may lead the student to feel unmotivated. This process can consume time and
requires adaptation to study habits and routines. For example, the teacher, together with
the student, can assess the workload and this may suggest the creation of "study time" at
home daily.

The practice on piano teaching will always have the participation of the three most
important educational agents: the teacher, the student and the active participation of
parents, as they should always keep up with all the issues related to piano teaching.

Bibliography

BERMAN, Boris – Notes from the pianist’s bench. Yale: Yale University Press, 2000.

CHAFFIN, Roger [et al.] – “Seeing the Big Picture”: Piano Practice as Expert Problem Solving. Music Perception.
California. Vol. 20, Nº 4 (Summer 2003), p. 465-490.

GIESEKING, Walter; LEIMER, Karl – Piano technique. New York: Dover Publications, 1972.

LAST, Joan – The young pianist: an approach for teachers and students. 2ª ed. London: Oxford University Press,
1972.

YOUNG, P – Enhancing the professional practice of music teachers. New York: Rowman & Littlefield, 2010.