Ultimate Piano Practice Strategy Cheat Sheet

1. Chunking
Use Chunking on almost anything. Any section that is too large to learn on its own should be
chunked down into smaller sections

2. Overlapping Chunks
Use this strategy when you can play one small section well, and the next small section well, but
can’t play them well one after another. Use an overlapping chunk that includes notes from the end of
the first section and the beginning of the second section to drill in the transition.

3. The Two-Note Chunk

Use this on sections where there are just a couple of tricky notes that throw you off. Practice those
couple spots in two note chunks, and the rest should fall together well. Large leaps are another
good place for two note chunks.

4. Rhythms
Use Rhythms to drill in any section with a “Straight Rhythm” (all the notes are the same length).
Alberti bass, scales, and arpeggios are great places for Rhythms.

5. Rhythms of Three
Use these in the same places as Rhythms but when notes naturally fall in groups of 3, 6, 9, or 12.
Especially great for triplets, arpeggios, or running notes in 6/8 time.

6. Making Up Your Own Rhythms

Use this in the same places as rhythms, especially if you’re getting bored and want to try something
to spice up the practice session.

7. Metronome
Use the main Metronome “ramp up” strategy whenever you can play a section slow and you want to
get it up to a faster speed. A metronome is also useful when a section is lacking evenness.

8. Super Slo Mo
Use Super Slow Mo on tough sections that require extra concentration. You can also use this
strategy to test for memorization.

9. The See Saw

If you’ve tried the Metronome Ramp Up but you still can’t get a section up to full tempo, try using the
See Saw to speed it up.

10. Added Measures

Use Added Measures when you can play each section well, and you’re trying to put the sections
together to form the whole song. This will help smooth out any hitches and pull the song together.
11. Added Notes
Use Added Notes for sections with tricky fingerings. Also really good for scales, arpeggios, and
octaves.

12. Added Measures for Memorization

Use this strategy to test for memorization. Once you hit a spot you don’t have memorized, practice it
until you have it, then go back to the added measures to test where the next memory slip is.

13. Style Variations

Use Style Variations when you’ve tried the other practice strategies, and you still can’t seem to get
the passage. You can also use this strategy just to practice playing in different
styles.

14. Combining Styles

Use this strategy in the same way as Style Variations.

15. Playing at the Emotional Extremes

Use this strategy once you have the notes drilled in well. This is a tool to help you play more
expressively, but it also will help you drill in memorization since your brain remembers emotionally
stimulating events.

16. Mental Practice

Use Mental Practice for spots that are really tricky to memorize. You can also use Mental Practice to
give your hands a break while you still practice in your head. If you have

17. Playing Arpeggios as Chords

Use this strategy to drill in the “shape” of arpeggios. Also helps with the horizontal arm movement
needed to play them fast.

18. Thumb Under Isolation

Use this strategy when you’re trying to learn an arpeggio and you’re just having trouble with the
tricky part when you move from your 3rd or 4th finger back to your thumb.

19. Octaves: Just Outsides

Use Just Outsides to practice tricky sections with octaves.

20. Floppy Wrist

Use the Floppy Wrist technique when you’re practicing a section with octaves and you are having
trouble relaxing your wrist.

21. The Extra Octave

Use The Extra Octave on large leaps, especially when you feel mental anxiety leading up to the
large leap.

22. The Pause

Use The Pause on large leaps when you can play them, but they’re sloppy and you really want to
drill in the right notes.