In today’s video, I discuss a very important topic for effective piano practice. I call it strategic practicing. Strategic practice solves one of the biggest mistakes piano learners make: always starting at the beginning of their music and trying to play the whole thing.

Starting from the beginning, referred to in my book as “A-to-Z playing,” is often a default for learners working on their own. Playing from measure one each time helps to a point, but it limits learning if it is the only approach used in piano practice. For example, it fosters dependence on muscle memory, where the fingers have learned what to do automatically, much how like how we move in daily life. This is quite normal in piano playing and is not a bad thing. Yet muscle memory is different than the focused concentration required when reading notes and studying a score.

Also, when the learner always starts at measure one, it is likely that challenging parts later in the music will not get the attention they need. When relying on starting from the beginning, learners often end up making do with parts of their music they have not learned completely and a feeling of stalled progress.

Strategic practicing, on the other hand, is concentrating your piano practice on the parts of the music that need it. This leads to continuous progress because your time is focused specifically where it is most needed. Progress in term leads to satisfaction, which is key to a positive learning experience.

Here is a side-by-side comparison of A-to-Z playing and strategic practicing, from Chapter 8 of “Play Piano: A Learner’s Guide to Playing, Reading, and Creating Music”:

“A to Z” Playing vs. Strategic Practicing: