The Practice Plan: A Smarter Approach to Piano Mastery

We’ve all seen those videos on social media with catchy headlines like:

“Practice This ONE THING to Become Great at the Piano”

The headline grabs attention, right? It worked on me too! But after watching the video, I quickly realized that, while the advice is helpful, the idea of practicing just one thing to become great is, well… unrealistic.

Greatness on the piano doesn’t come from a single trick or shortcut. It’s about building a well-rounded set of skills—filling your musical toolbox with a variety of essential techniques. Whether you’re playing classical, jazz, or anything in between, you need to master multiple foundational skills.

“ONE THING”??

To borrow a phrase from President Joe Biden, “Come on, man!”

Imagine if you asked, “What’s the ONE thing I need to practice to become a professional baseball player?”

It’s impossible to answer without knowing the specifics: Are you a pitcher or a catcher? A power hitter or a fielder? Do you even like sunflower seeds?

You get where I’m going with this. Each player, each musician, has their own journey and areas to develop.

On this site, we focus on playing the piano by ear. Over the years, I’ve identified key areas that, when honed, can elevate your playing to a high level.

The 7 Essential Piano Chops

In this context, chops refer to the skills or techniques you need to build and refine to play well. Here’s what I consider the core chops:

  1. Fundamental Chops – Basic skills every pianist must master.
  2. Chord Chops – Mastery of chords is a must for any style, especially when playing by ear.
  3. Charting Chops – Learning to move smoothly between chords, an essential skill for improvising and being able to hear something and play it back.
  4. Style Chops – The ability to adapt to different genres and sounds.
  5. Improvisation Chops (Pattern Chops) – Understanding and creating musical patterns in real time.
  6. Enhancement (Trick) Chops – Techniques that add flair and creativity to your playing.
  7. Music Theory Chops – Understanding the structure of music to enhance your ear and performance.

When I create a practice plan, I ensure that I incorporate something from each of these areas. Developing all these chops is key to becoming a versatile and skilled pianist.

Muscle Memory: The Key to Mastery

Think of your practice like walking through a forest. The first time you go through, you’re hacking through the underbrush, but after walking the same path a ridiculous amount of times, it becomes clear and well-defined. The more you practice, the more your brain and body begin to remember the movements—this is muscle memory in action.

Kids are experts at this! They’ll play, sing, jump, or ride the same way until they get it. This repetition is how they develop their abilities, and it’s how you can develop yours, too.

Building Your Practice Plan

To help you build your piano chops, I’ve created a Practice Planner that you can fill out based on your current level and goals. It’s a roadmap to ensure you’re hitting all the necessary areas in your practice sessions.

Visit the curriculum page to see how these skills are connected and to find useful links to fill out your practice plan.

By practicing regularly and strategically, you’ll build a strong foundation across all these areas. So, while there’s no one thing that will make you great, a consistent, well-rounded approach will get you there faster.

Ready to build your chops? Let’s get started.

by: Wade McNutt

 

6 Comments on “The Practice Plan: A Smarter Approach to Piano Mastery”

  1. This is just what I desperately need. I have the time, but lack the structure. Now I gotta get to it. Thank you 💕.

  2. Thanks for all your hard work. I appreciate
    what you do for us. I pray for your family.
    The blessings of the Lord truly make you and your family rich and add no sorrow.
    Pastor Joe

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