Bad Piano Habits: What are they and how do you stop them?
Bad Piano Habits: What are they and how do you stop them?
Whether you consider yourself a beginner at the piano or a more intermediate player, it’s important to be aware of some common pitfalls that tend to hold many pianists back in their practice. We’re all guilty of sometimes rushing things through or skipping something in our learning journey simply because we find it harder than other topics. However, the best way to move forward in your practice is to address the bad habits, and say goodbye to them before they’re too ingrained in your routine.
Bad Habit 1: Stopping every time you make a mistake
Working on improving your mistakes is important, however, as every professional pianist will tell you, the show must go on! The reality is that when it comes to mistakes, it’s best to acknowledge them and keep on playing, rather than to stop and re-start every time you feel like you’ve made an error.
Mentally make a note of what you got wrong and try to apply any corrections the next time you play the piece. This is even more important if you’re performing - realistically, most audiences won’t even notice your mistake but they will for sure if you suddenly stop and re-play everything again!
Bad Habit 2: Poor posture when playing
Some people are used to keeping a bad posture with most things they do, while others may simply be more inclined to do so when they’re playing the piano. This is completely normal, especially for a beginner, as you’re only just getting used to sitting down to play this instrument.
However, ignoring any mistakes you make in the way you position yourself to play the piano will not only negatively impact your playing, your physical health will suffer too! Thankfully, fixing this habit is quite simple, and it mostly just involves double-checking the way you are sitting throughout your practice, especially if you feel like you’re finding it harder to play well.
Are you hunched over the keys? Sitting too close or far away from the piano? Fix your position any time you spot your bad posture and, before you know it, keeping the right posture will come naturally!
Bad Habit 3: Not listening to your playing
This might sound like a weird one: how can you not listen to the sound you emit every time you press the keys? But active and passive listening are two different things! It can be common for some learner pianists to focus so much on which keys to play when, that they forget entirely to pay attention to how their playing sounds.
As you can imagine, that’s not going to help your practice, as listening to the way you play is the best way to spot areas that need improving. You don’t want to miss out on noticing whether you play a certain passage too loudly or speed through another.
Here’s a tip if you’re struggling to focus on listening to your playing while you play: record yourself and listen to the recording afterward. This is actually a great way to dedicate some time to active listening to your playing without distractions!
Bad Habit 4: Rushing through your scales and playing
Last but not least, speed can be the biggest enemy of progress. While it’s great that you’ve probably gained more confidence with your playing, enough to speed things up, it’s also important to know when to slow down. Whether you’re practicing your scales or learning to play a new piece, there’s no easier way to foster mistakes than to rush through everything you do.
The solution? Slowing down where necessary, and making sure that any new piece gets played slowly the first time, and at speed only once we’re confident we know how to play it.
Hopefully this blog helps you address any recurring mistakes you might make and encourages you to address them. We all make mistakes, it’s completely normal - the important thing is to do something about them!
