Thread: Lets stay motivated

Hi,
I just want to add this thread so we can share our journey with learning our skills in piano.
I hope this will motivate us to practice and practice and practice consistently. I believe this is what sometimes is missing. So, stay tuned to this post thread and lets practice everyday, for as long you need or you can. Let's share our experience here. Let's commit here to practice and follow what we write here to do. Let's push ourselves a little bit... and share what we are doing right now. So,
to keep it short what is your plan for today to improve your skills? Share it with me/us and lets improve our skills DAILY
All the best,

My plan for today:
6 am. -> practicing scales for 30min (done) There is no better feeling to have something done before you even start your day

7 pm -> following next lessons from the app I am using. (it will take me about 1,5h) I am sitting to my piano right away after I post it so lets consider it done.

How about you? What is your plan for today?

All the best.

Another beautiful day, and another goal to achieve today. Lets start with this morning practice of scales. Today will be only 15 mins because I am short with time. And later during a day, proper piano session is set.
I hope you guys will also practice so one day you may be proud of your accomplishment.
My plan for today: 15 min scales NOW! and later 1,5h continuing with the simple song in B major scale which I am learning right now. It gave me a lot of trouble yesterday. But I look at this that way, once it is difficult to learn for me, that means I am actually learning something new, I am developing my skills. That how I motivate myself in those moments. It can be that I had simply worse day, but I prefer to think I am actually learning something new. How about you? Did you plan your practice for today? and will you do it no matter what? I need to skip breakfast in the morning and eat some fast food on the way to work to do my morning scale practice.
Keep good work guys, keep practicing each small step brings us closer to pieces we really want to play
Good day everybody

Another day in paradise I love Saturdays because this day I completely designed for me and my love ones. There is no rush for anything, but before I can turn my heart to make my family happy I need to make myself happy and what makes me happy is my PIANO PRACTICE however difficult it might be. So, lets plan today's practice session. It will be just one which I will start in minutes as soon as I stop writing those words. I am looking forward to spend another two hours of my life in front of my piano practicing to improve my skills and to play one day beautifully for my and listeners satisfaction.
So, here it comes two hours of practice. My plan is to start with scales and hanons to warm up and then I will continue with the song in B major scale which I already memorized (somehow) and which gives me quite a trouble. I looks like I am developing new skills - I know once I master it I will be one step closer to play more advanced pieces of music many people on this forum play... I will one day too. But one step at the time. Practice every day is a key Having fun too. That is why on each day I try to play or more learn to play pieces that sound for me great... and that is another one hour of my session. Working on my chosen piece of music. Last half hour will be just playing what I already know.
Usually or lately I have divided my piano practice to three sessions, scales (technique), my chosen song (fun and developing my skills), repetition (playing pieces I know already - developing that emotional touch of the soul and transferring it though my hands into piano keys to hear possibly what sits inside my body). I truly recommend few practices every day. It works for me. Maybe it will work for you too.

Anyway... I wish you ALL great day... Let's practice and make ourselves sound great whatever instrument you play

Today I woke up with the simple melody I have been learning for last two days in my head. I am so happy it is not scales or some dark thoughts. That is what piano playing brings as side effect. Quite nice melody in the morning. Anyway, somehow I memorized that melody which gave me quite a trouble to master but I am almost there. So, I believe it will be much easier today... so what plan is for today? In a minutes lets start a day as usually with scales then a little bit of work, even though is Sunday, some must work I am one of them. And then in the afternoon regular practice for about 1.5 hour.
What is your plan? I hope you have one... If not I hope you will soon create one and follow, and at one point you can't live without that practice... moment of creation... I wish you all, happy day and effective practice with your piano

Today is one of the mornings when your eyes don't want to open and are willing to stay just a little bit more in the night mode. But commitment is a commitment. There is my piano calling me: Hi. Play me You promised 30 minutes of practice in the morning.
Do I have a choice? No. You should not disappoint your piano too. Just play on it. So, I start my Monday with hopefully effective practice. This is one of the moments that define our in this case my commitment. So, through laziness or more willing to stay in bed for just a little bit longer I am about to sit. Each minute spend by the piano brings me/us closer to promised land So, lets practice. I am more then sure later during a day will be much easier with afternoon 1.5h practice.

So lets practice today my piano friends. Lets be just a little bit better then yesterday. Lets feed our souls with beautiful sounds of keys played in proper order and right tempo etc. Ps. In my case those sounds are not that beautiful as they could be... but I am on my way there. I wish you are on your way too. All the best.

Potiphera, that is great you are on board , it is great to think that I am not alone with my morning practice... and later one as well. We are all on the same vehicle with our piano practice... with each day getting better you are right, I feel the same, once I did my morning routine with piano, I feel a lot better to start my day, and actually looking forward to continue with afternoon sessions. We all have so much to do during a day, and I believe once we reach the level when we can actually enjoy playing this can be moments of liberation from whatever is in our minds: different kind of challenges. But we need to get there first... that is why we need to practice and it doesn't have to be so boring. With a thought of you, I am actually looking forward to my next morning session. Thanks.

I will have some challenges since tomorrow regarding piano... but I don't want to bring those clouds now, today. It can wait till tomorrow.
All the best

Great morning and sad good by for next 10 days to my piano. At least I said it in proper way, by doing my half hour morning routine with scales... reason is great, because I am flying to visit my lovely parents but... and that but scares me a little. They don't have piano. I am not going to cry about it. I am well prepared already and trying to see opportunity in that short brake. My idea is to practice anyway without piano. Who knows? Sometimes that kind of things open different kind of doors that will let us discover something new. What is my idea? How am I prepared? Well, I have paper copy of the piano from one of the books I have ordered some time ago. So, in the morning, without sound but the sound in my head I will hit that sheet of paper representing my piano, and train my scales. I am going to use this time as well to search for great pieces to learn from my app I am using to sharpen my skills. Who knows, once I am there I will visit some piano shops and check what they have by playing on each piano they have what I know now. Good thing might happen from that. The other thing is to practice in my mind. I read in one of the books about how our brains works that mental practice is also quite effective. There was this study where they gave piano to half of the group and thought them scales and other group they asked to learn scales mentally. After two weeks or so they checked results and... people who did not play piano but learnt it mentally were able to play them anyway. So, there is hope. I stick to that. Like I said, who knows... maybe this is blessing to discover something new Other then that it will be great time to gain some knowledge from here... so many topics, so many valuable information here on this forum. I am going to use it wisely to do something, anything to not waste those 10 incoming days.
I wish you, who has access to the piano, all the best and great results with your practice. I am with you in my thoughts and by some sort of miracle through thoughts exchange will somehow take part in your practice Crazy thought. But let it be. And with this thought... I used the word "thought" in last sentences... lets check: 5 times. So once more: with this optimistic THOUGHT, I'll see you next morning, I am sure something great will happen. Take care

New place and new challenges I described on the post above. So my today's practice is going to be as weird as I could even imagine, nothing will be the same since today I tried on my trip yesterday few things but I will first collect some data before I share what happens with my new for few incoming days routine.
1. Practicing scales hitting keys on sheet of paper with music in my mind (it is strange, already tried it)

2. Mental piano practice - WHAT?!!! I will try like yesterday on my trip, imagine playing some pieces which I know in my mind. Lets see how it works.

How about your practice? I am jealous now about your practices, on condition that you actually do it. Please, do it. It is world changing I mean your world changing thing. How great is to know how to play any instrument, not only piano, and actually play it. For yourself, for friends, family. Spreading beauty of music. Ok. That is all for now, I am running to start my scales practice... on the sheet of paper and sounds in my mind... remember? Wish me good luck. I from myself, wish you all the best. Be great!

Quickly I need to start my morning practice because my parents get up quite early and want every minute of me there to spend with them, witch of course I enjoy, but it creates quite a difficulty to follow my piano plan. Anyway, before I let them know I got up I play my scales on the... I am crying now... sheet of paper represents my piano. It is so hard to keep doing it but I have no choice for next few more days. So, take advantage of your keys/piano and actually use them - I am missing my piano already so much!
The other thing I mentioned is this imagination/mental piano practice - I did it for like 30 min yesterday, and it is interesting experience. Quite hard but interesting. No more insides now. I guess I need to wait till I am back in front of my piano to say what it gave me.
So be great today, with your piano practice, I will try my best with what I have All the best to you!

This really late morning for me, luckily I am on holiday and will still do my morning practice on paper piano It helps a lot to focus, maybe that is what I am learning more then scales which I am trying to play. Who knows? Anyway My morning practice will last ca. 30 minutes and later during a day I will practice for about one hour some pieces I know already in my mind... remember? I don't have access to my piano yet.
I wish you all perseverance with your plans and practices. With each hit on the piano key we become better and better
Lets have great Friday and be proud of what we done to ourselves by playing beautiful music or going into direction when we will actually be able to play beautifully Good day everybody

After my yesterday practice in my mind, due to lack of access to piano for last days, I need to say that this can be as well great part of your piano journey. While practicing pieces I know in my mind, at some point my mind started to recall pieces I don't know how to play obviously but I found myself in great need to hear them. Once that happened I used youtube to help me out. And to be honest, spend ca. 2 hours listening people who actually can play beautifully. I was led from one song to another, from one movie theme to another, from one classical piece to another. Well spent time. I truly recommend your mind to wonder and enjoy music. I guess we all take it slightly different, but it all started with my practice in my mind and I just let my mind to take me to places it wanted. I am not sure I am explaining right this experience. Anyway, try it few times, it may not come to you while first this kind of practice.
What about today? Are you ready to become better than you were yesterday? I am! So, we shouldn't hesitate and start with something easy and I believe so important, it helps me at least, scales training or session, yes session sounds better You, I hope can play real keys/piano, me I will do it on my paper piano I can't wait to be back with my real piano. Take advantage of yours and play it! You never know, when will come the time you can't. Missing it is great feeling actually, but much better is to play it. SO, lets do it together!
All the best to you! PPP (PracticePracticePractice)

Lets be quick today, even though it is Sunday and loads of time, especially when you are on holiday like me You know I am doing this mind practices and paper piano practices due to fact I am on holiday. Not today though! I went to visit my brother and to my surprise, huge surprise he has got a PIANO! Out of tune completely, but he has one. So I am waiting now everybody disappears from the house and then I will do my practice. I don't want to kill them with the noise I am going to create
How about you? Have you planned your practice today? Lets practice again today, again tomorrow and again and again and again. Have a great day everybody. Take care.

Another day, another challenges to make some progress with my piano skills. I hope you have the same goal. One step at the time. I skipped morning scales practice on my paper piano due to the early trip back to my parents house. Now, I am back and it is time to plan what will happen today regarding mentioned goal. So, in minutes paper piano practice and later, again like last few days, playing in my mind pieces I know already which is not a lot... so I will play them few times to fill at least 1 hour of mental practice. It is actually fun
I hope you have your plan to practice in place for at least today!. It is worth to have one. There is a time when, once you are after some difficulties you can actually enjoy playing piano and moments of creation I wish you to get there as soon as possible. There is one condition though to get there: practice, practice, practice. So... I am starting now! See you tomorrow