The start of a new year is traditionally a time to set goals, banish unwanted habits and focus on getting things right. But what if we told you that when it comes to improving playing the piano, it can be just as important to get things wrong?
Whether you’re a new player, working on a fresh piece or trying to take your skills up a notch, it’s important to recognise you’re going to make mistakes – but these ‘mistakes’ could actually make you a better player!
Here the team at Richard Lawson Pianos shares why it’s important to make peace with imperfection and how making a few blunders could turn out to be the best thing you ever did.
Make mistakes
Mistakes are a fact of life; it’s how we learn, and this is certainly true when it comes to playing the piano. The more errors you make, the more you will learn from them – and ultimately, the better you will become.
That said, some mistakes are better than others…
· Good mistakes
If you’re wondering what we mean by a good mistake, allow us to explain.
A good mistake is one that allows you to see where you’ve gone wrong, so you can avoid repeating the error. This ability to identify the root of the problem largely comes from making mistakes within your ability.
Whilst it’s important to stretch yourself, don’t push too far past the edge of your current skill set before you’re ready. A big problem can become overwhelming, and rather than encountering one or two sticking points you can weed out and learn from, you’ll be blighted by too many mistakes to pin down.
For this reason, it’s also valuable to practice in small chunks – just a few bars at a time – to help you focus.
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Bad mistakes
A big no-no? Repeated mistakes. If you’ve been here before, alarm bells need to start ringing. There’s no value in making mistakes if you don’t set time aside to make sure they don’t keep happening. Identify the problem and work to fix it.
Don’t be embarrassed to ask for help, either. Whether it’s from your tutor, a colleague or a friend, getting a second opinion on things can help to weed problems out and allow you to move forward.
How to minimise mistakes
Embracing mistakes can be a valuable tool to help you improve, but there’s no escaping the fact that making them often can be highly frustrating and start to impact your motivation and pleasure. So here’s how to reduce the risk:
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Go slow
Start slowly. If you keep tripping up in the same place, reduce your speed. It’s easier to perfect things at a slower tempo and then gradually increase.
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Break things down
Making mistakes can feel like a waste of time, so break things down. If you almost get to the end before things go wrong, why keep starting from the beginning? Focus your attention on the problem area and you’ll fix it faster.
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Focus
Narrow down your practice to be able to assess properly how you’re doing. This is especially important while you’re getting to grips with a new piece. Try focusing on one thing at a time, such as getting all the notes right, and take time to look at the positioning of your hands to see if they’re in the correct position – could a small shift make things much easier?
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Practice makes perfect
Piano practice is key to avoiding mistakes – it’s why we do it! Our best advice is to stick to the rule of 3 – if there’s a mistake you keep making, don’t nail it once and presume that’s job done. To cement things, don’t move on until you’ve managed to avoid repeating the mistake 3 times in a row.
Talk to the experts
One mistake you definitely don’t want to make? Buying a piano that’s not right for your playing needs – or that’s overpriced!
Luckily, with our help, this is one mistake that’s easy to avoid.
Here at Richard Lawson Pianos, we have a fantastic selection of new and used pianos available to rent or buy at hugely competitive rates. Thanks to the skill and expertise of our experienced team, we’re pretty confident we can help you to find the right piano for your needs, but we also offer the added assurance of a 30-day trial period with all our pianos.
Why not make an appointment to visit our showroom, browse the collection online or get in touch to find out more?
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