Pace of lessons vs. MIxing it up vs. results

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MiddleC
Posts: 45
Joined: Sun Oct 04, 2020 11:09 am

Pace of lessons vs. MIxing it up vs. results

Post by MiddleC » Thu Nov 05, 2020 3:21 pm

My path of practice has expanded a bit. I started going serially through the Bootcamp. Now mixing it up a bit.

A few lessons ago it indicated I coud do a "Beginner Bootcamp Song from the song store". So at this point, my practice is going like this (today was a couple hours):
  • Practice on the song
  • Go to Bootamp and work on lessons
  • Work on scales (currently 1 octave)
  • Finisih up with another pass at the song
On the lessons, my prcess has been to do it until I can play it at 100% twice in succession, then move to the next lesson. This includes the lessons I"m stepping through on the scales.

So here's the question: In the process above that I did today, I got to a point of playing through the song up to the song lesson I'm on. What I find is that when I go back at the end of the session to step through the song a bit more, it's almost like I am just starting it. I can't move through it w/o lots of errors. If I spend a few minutes practicing, I utimately can.

I am certainly a beginner. Maybe that is par for the course. But after having gotten to the piont that I played it a couple times to 100% (again, this not the entire song, but a good bit of it), I'm a bit surprised that I can't just do it again without slowing down and refreshing myself.

Is that par for the course for a beginner (~34 hours invested so far); are my expectations too high; do I need to change my practice regimine; or is the progression fine as is, and just need to expect what I"m seeing?

EFlatMajor
Posts: 147
Joined: Tue Dec 19, 2017 2:51 pm

Re: Pace of lessons vs. MIxing it up vs. results

Post by EFlatMajor » Fri Nov 06, 2020 10:42 am

Hello MiddleC,

That is a good practice plan for a beginner. I think the one thing you are missing is "repetition".

Getting 100% on a lesson or song by no means that you are done. You still need to commit it to memory, so that you can play it at 100% at will.

A couple of tips to accomplish this - keep practicing until you can get 100% every time in PGS. Then, start by looking at the keyboard and not the screen as you play. This will stop you from depending on the notes, finger numbers, and the line that moves across the screen. Listen for the metronome sound to stay on track with the beats. It will feel like a brand new lesson that you never did before. Keep practicing even after hitting 100% that way. Before doing today's lesson for example, do the last part of the previous few lessons to 100%.

In terms of songs, there is an additional step. Shut down PGS completely and play the song with or without a metronome. Your ear will tell you when you make a mistake. When you can play at 100% without a metronome, you are 99% done and ready to play it for others.

The last 1% involves you playing the song once in a while to refresh the muscle memory so you do not forget the song.

Seems like you are very analytical in your approach to practicing. I hope this helps.

SJunior22
Posts: 110
Joined: Mon Jun 13, 2016 4:04 pm

Re: Pace of lessons vs. MIxing it up vs. results

Post by SJunior22 » Fri Nov 06, 2020 11:00 am

Hello MiddleC!

I've finished all the bootcamps a few months ago and I still go back to a few songs from each level as apart of my warmup (I also still run thru the 1-octave scales). What I view as "warmup" as playing the song as close to 100% accurate and only from memory. Sometimes, I just dont remember how the song goes (even on songs in beginner bootcamp) and I'll allow myself to read the sheet music without any references (meaning, no finger chart or auto-notation selected). I've played these songs at least 30 times each and I still sometimes forget.

So, I think what you are going through is very normal. When I first started with Playground, I spurred myself with the expectation that I was going to score 100% in every section of every lesson. I found that I was doomed even before I started. I think it was a bit of an ego issue since I've already had 2 other instruments under my belt. However, I was the same as you - a complete beginner; didnt know anything about the piano (except there were white and black keys and that it was a percussion instrument). I lowered my expectations and concentrated more on muscle memory and why the notes fit the way they do in a song rather than scoring a 100% on everything.

I would advise that you alter your practice itenerary a bit. Perhaps focus only on the bootcamp lessons one day. Then the next day, work on that practice song only. I would strongly advise that you warmup with 1-octave scales everyday. Even try to play them without looking at your hands. Then maybe at the week's end, you step it up with 1-octaves warmup, bootcamp lessons, then work on the practice song all in the same day. Dont forget to give your mind a chance to process what you've worked on. Sometimes it just takes a bit for the mind-hand connection to be complete.

Sounds like you're well on your way to becoming that awesome piano player you've always wanted to be. Keep on keepin on!

MiddleC
Posts: 45
Joined: Sun Oct 04, 2020 11:09 am

Re: Pace of lessons vs. MIxing it up vs. results

Post by MiddleC » Fri Nov 06, 2020 9:46 pm

EFlatMajor wrote:
Fri Nov 06, 2020 10:42 am
Hello MiddleC,

That is a good practice plan for a beginner. I think the one thing you are missing is "repetition".

Getting 100% on a lesson or song by no means that you are done. You still need to commit it to memory, so that you can play it at 100% at will.

A couple of tips to accomplish this - keep practicing until you can get 100% every time in PGS. Then, start by looking at the keyboard and not the screen as you play. This will stop you from depending on the notes, finger numbers, and the line that moves across the screen. Listen for the metronome sound to stay on track with the beats. It will feel like a brand new lesson that you never did before. Keep practicing even after hitting 100% that way. Before doing today's lesson for example, do the last part of the previous few lessons to 100%.

In terms of songs, there is an additional step. Shut down PGS completely and play the song with or without a metronome. Your ear will tell you when you make a mistake. When you can play at 100% without a metronome, you are 99% done and ready to play it for others.

The last 1% involves you playing the song once in a while to refresh the muscle memory so you do not forget the song.

Seems like you are very analytical in your approach to practicing. I hope this helps.
Thanks for the input.

I actually have the plan on mind to take the song to memory. Interestingly, I am playing several stretches w/o looking at the music. Anyway, mainly for the exercise value. In terms of a song to 'play for someone', it's a pretty simple song, while both hands in use, it is all single key.

Regarding the numbered notes, I have been turning that off. Although, lately, I've turned it on a bit. I'm not sure what is best for learning the reading, but I don't want to become reliant on the music telling me the fingers to use. I did have accordion lessons, actually for 3 years, and quit it, unfortunately. Long time ago. But I do find some of the things apparently stuck. The playing with hands rooted at different places has been a good exercise for me. One thing that has been busting me is my old learnied memory is that middle C is my thumb landing point/

Another thing I plan to experiment with on the song: chords are coming up before long in my lesson itinerary. I'm wondering if I can change my bass playing to playing cords. I had thought I would turn on the single finger cord and see how it sounds. I have no idea if it would work...the plan was to experiment and with single cord on, play the bass as it is written. So, if I play a C in bass, it would play C Major cord. Then if it sounds good with the cords, study/practice with actually playing the cords.

All that being said, I piddled with that just a bit today. Turns out that I had thought anything below middle C would be bass, but I have to get maybe a couple octaves down before the single key actually plays a chord. So that plan may already be off the chart.

I'm starting to wonder...I'll end it here.

Thanks again for the input.

MiddleC
Posts: 45
Joined: Sun Oct 04, 2020 11:09 am

Re: Pace of lessons vs. MIxing it up vs. results

Post by MiddleC » Fri Nov 06, 2020 9:54 pm

SJunior22 wrote:
Fri Nov 06, 2020 11:00 am
Hello MiddleC!

I've finished all the bootcamps a few months ago and I still go back to a few songs from each level as apart of my warmup (I also still run thru the 1-octave scales). What I view as "warmup" as playing the song as close to 100% accurate and only from memory. Sometimes, I just dont remember how the song goes (even on songs in beginner bootcamp) and I'll allow myself to read the sheet music without any references (meaning, no finger chart or auto-notation selected). I've played these songs at least 30 times each and I still sometimes forget.

So, I think what you are going through is very normal. When I first started with Playground, I spurred myself with the expectation that I was going to score 100% in every section of every lesson. I found that I was doomed even before I started. I think it was a bit of an ego issue since I've already had 2 other instruments under my belt. However, I was the same as you - a complete beginner; didnt know anything about the piano (except there were white and black keys and that it was a percussion instrument). I lowered my expectations and concentrated more on muscle memory and why the notes fit the way they do in a song rather than scoring a 100% on everything.

I would advise that you alter your practice itenerary a bit. Perhaps focus only on the bootcamp lessons one day. Then the next day, work on that practice song only. I would strongly advise that you warmup with 1-octave scales everyday. Even try to play them without looking at your hands. Then maybe at the week's end, you step it up with 1-octaves warmup, bootcamp lessons, then work on the practice song all in the same day. Dont forget to give your mind a chance to process what you've worked on. Sometimes it just takes a bit for the mind-hand connection to be complete.

Sounds like you're well on your way to becoming that awesome piano player you've always wanted to be. Keep on keepin on!
Thanks to you too. I appreciate the input.

It's interesting...I didn't go into the detail, but I have been jumping back some to refresh on exercised that I had already mastered. The interesting thing that probed me to start this thread, is the experience with the song of feeling like I had it pretty well nailed for a given part I studied, to come back the next day, or even later in the same day, and I would have to sort of study it again and catch back up to where I was at a couple hours earlier.

I like the suggestion of mixing it up, but do it by session, that is, as you said. Study just the song one day (although of course do the scales :D ), then do lessons the next day, etc. Mixing it up every day may be pulling my old grey matter in too many directions at once.

On the scales, I'm a bit surprised how I seem to be picking them up fairly quickly. Of course I did a lot of those on the accordion so many years ago, but no left hand with it. Playing them together with both hands was a bit of an effort, but it's coming along. Plan to do them a lot, and expand them as the lessons take me there.

I've read a lot of your posts. Very helpful, and appreciated.

St8kout
Posts: 15
Joined: Sun Jun 30, 2019 4:52 am

Re: Pace of lessons vs. MIxing it up vs. results

Post by St8kout » Fri Nov 13, 2020 6:37 pm

I too was following the lessons in order, but got hung up on some sections within a lesson. I moved on to a new lesson and found it not so easy to pick up where I left off in an older lesson.

Sight reading is MUCH harder than playing songs you already know, so when you go back to earlier lessons you are having to do some 'sight reading' because you forgot some of the songs. What I've had to do is start the lesson from the first step, and as it comes back to me I start to progress much faster through the lesson.

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