Efficient Practice Ideas
I’m sure this has been answered before, but I couldn’t find a satisfactory answer for me, so I’ll ask again anyway.
I’m an 18 y/o going to university in the next few days for Electronics Engineering, so I don’t envision having more than 1h/day to practice (if that). I’m well aware this is quite a sufficient amount of time for most, but I’m used to having multiple hours a day to practice whatever and whenever I want.
I was hoping to get some ideas for getting the most out of my practice time. For context, I’m currently learning Fantaisie Impromptu and the Pathetique Sonata. I do have a teacher and will take her input on this matter too.
I’ve noticed myself tending to idle about a lot on the piano. Things like playing passages over and over just for fun without actually spending time practising them. This sometimes leads to bad muscle memory build-up and is generally not optimal or enjoyable in the long run (I’d rather work more early on while learning and then have a satisfactory performance-worthy piece).
This aside, what are other ways I can make the most of my time? I know I will have to slow down on my rate of progression, but I don’t want to sacrifice how much repertoire I digest simultaneously (usually 2-3 pieces from different eras), or stagnate too much on improving my technical and musical facilities.
I do have a repertoire dream/goal list I can share if that is of any interest to this specific question. I’d appreciate any help I can get. Thank you!
Posted Aug 14, 2026, 10:13 PM UTC