Beginnings addiction - why the beginning isn't the best place to start in piano practice

Many students feel the ONLY place they can start from is the beginning - never mind if the tricky spots are from bar 18 onwards, or in a completely different section of the music score!

Why beginning bias in piano practice is a problem

Lots of time is wasted just getting to the problem spots. Plus the beginning just gets better and better - while the end sounds like it has hardly been practised at all. Because it hasn't. Even worse, students might notice spots that need work on the way past. So they stop, practice that spot... then start from the beginning again! Problems at the end of a piece are never addressed. And in the event of a slip on performance day, the only strategy you know is to start from the beginning again.

Tips to turn beginning bias to your advantage

1. Create a new 'beginning' point elsewhere in the piece. Then every time you practice, go from there. Highlight the spot, so it is visually eye-catching.

   
   

2. Every week, move your 'beginning point' somewhere else. Focus on places near a bunch of problem spots.

   
   

3. If your current piece has experienced a period of beginning bias, then why not make the last bar of your piece the new beginning point? Then the last two bars, then the last three bars...

"You'll be stunned by the amount of practice time you can save when you work in this commute-free way - and by how much more even the quality of your piece will be." Philip Johnston