The insistence that in-lesson playing doesn’t properly reflect one’s practice
I-played-it-better-at-home-itis is a common affliction in many music teaching studios. Although it is often true that the student did play it better at home (after all, it’s more difficult to play with someone watching you), there is another side to this story.
Most students with this affliction also have a distorted view of how practice really works. When they are practicing it feels like each time they play they are improving, and that the latest repetition is the one that counts. They expect to play the piece the next time in the same quality as that last repetition, when really it might come out more like an average of all the repetitions. Practice is not a steady upward progression but rather a winding road with many twists and turns.
Symptoms
Prescriptions
Tallies
In lesson
If you suspect the underlying problem is that the student has an inaccurate view of her practice time, try making a little tally of the practice attempts. In the lesson, ask her to play one small section of the piece and score out of 10 how accurately it was played. (It’s better that your student do this, but if she is struggling you can help her at first.)
Repeat this process 10 times with the same section. Work out the average score by adding all the scores up and dividing by 10. This average score is a more accurate representation of how well she knows that section than just the 10th score. Reassure her that if she keeps practicing the average score will go up – the practice just has to be regular and needs a check-up from time to time.
At home
Divide the piece into sections for your student. Tell her to work on just one section at a time – using ‘Tallies’. She may work on more than one section a day, depending on the time she has and the length and difficulty of the sections. Her goal should be to get each section up to an average score of at least 9 out of 10.
To make this process easier for your student to follow and help her track her progress, I have created ‘Tallies’ tracking charts which you can download and print at: www.pianophysician.com/bonus.
Simulate Nervousness
In lesson
Sometimes the issue with I-played-it-better-at-home-itis is not one of an inaccurate view of practice but rather is caused by pure nervousness. Playing for ears other than our own (even our teacher’s) can be a daunting task.
Discuss with the student how, as pianists, we have to deal with nerves if we want to play for others, take exams, compete or perform in concerts. While we can’t get rid of these nerves, we need to learn to cope with them. Explain how the best way to do that is to expose ourselves to more opportunities to play when we are nervous.
At home
Give your student assignments that will put her practice to the test before the lesson. Ask her to video-record or audio-record her playing, play for family or play for her dolls. The key is to come up with regular performance opportunities so she can practice being nervous.
You might even ask your student to send you some of these recordings. Not only will you get an insight into how practice is going, but she might be less nervous to play in the lesson knowing you have already heard her play the piece during the week.
Related Diagnoses
Finger Hiccups
Obstacle Sneezes
Start Again Syndrome