Effective Practice - A Piano Student's Guide.

When I ordered The Piano Student's Guide to Effective Practicing by Nancy O'Neill Breth I admit, I was surprised that this tri-fold sheet was all that I got for $6.99.

However, when I opened it up, it was worth every penny.  Ms. Breth's notes in the beginning encourage students to find a way to practice that will make the hard parts into easy parts.  At the end, she also includes a "when all else fails" section for those times it just doesn't happen.  These suggestions include separating the hands, slow down, take a break, more repetitions, sightread for 10 minutes then try again.

The inside flap includes general practice instruction, such as "set a specific goal for each practice section."  It also encourages you to survey a piece carefully before beginning practice with your pencil, music dictionary, and other tools at hand.

The inside holds 58 specific practice tips.  Wow!  So helpful.  You'll find tips like "Giant Steps: play the passage once in each octave of the piano."  "Spot Check: Close your eyes and drop your finger on a spot in the music.  Play from that spot to the end with notes, rhythm, and dynamics in place."  There is also an index, where you can find your tips divided by categories.  Categories are: accuracy, articulation, balance, continuity, coordination, evenness, expression, fingering, memory, pedal, rhythm, and speed.

This sheet would be very helpful for late elementary students through adult. There are tips that would be applicable for elementary students, but that might be overwhelming depending on the age and maturity of the student.  I would definitely recommend it for teachers, as a quick reference for specific practice advice, or to remind of a practice technique not used for a while.  You can look inside here.

This is available for $6.99 at Sheet Music Plus.