How do you find time to practice piano during workdays?

pianoloverus

If one enjoys practicing or is motivated enough by the desire to learn a new piece because one loves it so much even if one doesn't enjoy practicing, then one will find time to practice. I think that's the real issue in this discussion, and there are very few people who don't have 1/2 hour or more each day of free time that they could devote to practicing if they were motivated enough. The only time I've had to force myself to practice is when I've had to learn music under some deadline so I might have to practice than I'd normally feel comfortable doing.

Player1

pianoloverus If one enjoys practicing or is motivated enough by the desire to learn a new piece because one loves it so much even if one doesn't enjoy practicing, then one will find time to practice.

It's more than this.

There are many aspects to my day, and I suspect the same is true for you, that I don't enjoy or have much motivation for. Yet I do them, as I suspect you do as well. These are things like doing the laundry, washing dishes, etc.

We do these things because they're part of our lives. Making time to play is no more difficult, we just have to make it part of our lives. Once we do, we sit and play. Not because it's a chore, but because we want to.

ShiroKuro

pianoloverus If one enjoys practicing or is motivated enough by the desire to learn a new piece because one loves it so much even if one doesn't enjoy practicing, then one will find time to practice. I think that's the real issue in this discussion, and there are very few people who don't have 1/2 hour or more each day of free time that they could devote to practicing if they were motivated enough.

I think this shows a lack of understanding of the challenges many adults experience when trying to get started (or re-started) with piano. Also, many people are exhausted after work and have a long list of various tasks that need attention. If piano isn't already part of someone's life, it can be very difficult to make space for it, even if, yes, that person does indeed have a spare half hour that they could, in theory, devote to piano. And if that someone is an adult beginner, then this is even more so the case.

Once a routine is established, then it's much easier to maintain. But getting to that point is quite challenging, and not simply a matter of being "motivated enough."

pianoloverus

Player1 Since piano playing is a hobby and not an essential chore like doing the laundry, why even play if one does not enjoy it and it's comparable to something like doing the laundry?

Player1

pianoloverus

I specifically said that we don't play because it's a chore.

hebele

pianoloverus all of my hobbies so far required some level of discipline to show up. At the beginning I am obsessed with them. But once honeymoon ends, progress becomes slower, things settle on a routine then I have to make an effort to start. I usually enjoy the session, if I manage to start it. Lack of that initial discipline is what kills my hobbies unfortunately.

pianoloverus

Player1 OK, but right before that you seem to compare practicing to doing the laundry?

rsl12

Player1 I specifically said that we don't play because it's a chore.

I agree that's what you said, though it's interesting that your latest comment is deliciously ambiguous.

Meaning 1: we play, but not because it's a chore.

Meaning 2: because it's a chore, we don't play.

Anyways, your first comment was clear to me. We make time for chores as part of our daily routines, chores that we don't even like. Piano is something we like to do; therefore it should be easier (in one sense) to make time for piano. I have nothing to add. I just thought the ambiguity was interesting!

pianoloverus

hebele Interesting. My three are hobbies piano, chess, and tennis but, for me, none of them ever required discipline to show up except maybe when I had to prepare something in a limited amount of time for performance so I was forced practice more than I normally would find enjoyable. I think that for piano once one reaches a certain level, maybe around ABRSM 7, there are so many great masterpieces available one doesn't necessarily have to be concerned about improving. I can see that before some level one might be more concerned about improving because many great pieces one might want to play are not yet doable. Of course for some people, depending on one's personality, constantly improving is the most important goal.

iternabe

hebele pianoloverus all of my hobbies so far required some level of discipline to show up. At the beginning I am obsessed with them. But once honeymoon ends, progress becomes slower, things settle on a routine then I have to make an effort to start. I usually enjoy the session, if I manage to start it. Lack of that initial discipline is what kills my hobbies unfortunately.

Well said! I definitely would not claim every minute of my piano practice is enjoyable. Luckily I haven't had any minutes that I dread ... yet. But there are certain exercises that it's hard to feel improvements after minutes, or even hours. Maybe a glint of hope after days and months. Discipline has to be the drive to keep working at it. As adult learner, life experience of knowing hard work may eventually payoff helps, too.

Player1

rsl12 I agree that's what you said, though it's interesting that your latest comment is deliciously ambiguous.

I'm mysterious, not ambiguous.

pianoloverus

ShiroKuro I think most adults do have a half hour of free time(really a lot more) after work and making space for it does not depend on whether it's already a part of their life.

twocats

pianoloverus if you haven't experienced the level of exhaustion that I (and probably many others) have had, you just can't relate. I struggle to get anything done when I'm that tired, it is literally a medical issue. I force myself to do my chores but anything that's more effort than being on my phone is extremely difficult.

ShiroKuro

pianoloverus I think most adults do have a half hour of free time(really a lot more) after work and making space for it does not depend on whether it's already a part of their life.

The idea that people do in fact have time may make sense to you, but the fact is that the topic comes up again and again, with regard to piano playing as well as other hobbies adults want to get involved in. This demonstrates that people do in fact struggle with making time for piano practice, whether it looks like they "have time" or not.

For many adults, it's very hard to make time for a new activity and to build that into their daily lives. This can be because of exhaustion, because of other responsibilities, because of child care or elder care... And also because of not knowing exactly how to approach practice and feeling overwhelmed.

So saying "people can make time if they really want to" is just not helpful. Instead, sharing concrete ideas about what to do, when, and how, makes it a lot more likely that people will be successful at making piano part of their daily lives.

TheBoringPianist

pianoloverus I think most adults do have a half hour of free time(really a lot more) after work and making space for it does not depend on whether it's already a part of their life.

This is a true statement about the average person's time management but also not a particularly helpful practical statement for people trying to start a piano routine because energy management, not time, is often the bottleneck. That's why energy-based tactics like setting small but consistent goals (e.g. 5 min a day), linking the new habit to existing habits (e.g. if you already make coffee every morning, play piano instead of doomscrolling while you wait), or moving practice earlier in the day (when you have more energy reserves) can be effective while tactics that treat time as if it's fungible ("just practice instead of watching TV at night") are more likely to fail for most people.

pianoloverus

ShiroKuro If people were really too tired or had no time to practice, then there would be no point and sharing hints about how to practice during work days. If they are not too tired and they do have time, then I think it's mostly a question of motivation.

ShiroKuro

pianoloverus If they are not too tired and they do have time, then I think it's mostly a question of motivation.

I don't think you're hearing what's being said in this thread, by me and also @TheBoringPianist .

The point is, it's not just a question of motivation. Anyway, I have the sense that you find it difficult to imagine challenges experienced by others if you haven't experienced similar challenges yourself. So we don't need to keep going back and forth on this.

thepianoplayer416

The time you put in is relative to your progress. If you practice efficiently, you can get through a piece or a section of music with less repetitions. In the learning process we need to repeat passages.

The last piece I worked on started with slow practice. Make sure I get all the notes before trying to play faster. In 15 min I can learn half a page of music by going slowly & carefully. After playing for a while, reading music is less of a problem getting comfortable with the fingerings & hand positions. Focus on what you need to do and you can get a lot more done in the same amount of of time.

pianoloverus

ShiroKuro If they are not too tired and they do have time, then I think it's mostly a question of motivation.

I don't think you're hearing what's being said in this thread, by me and also @TheBoringPianist .

The point is, it's not just a question of motivation. Anyway, I have the sense that you find it difficult to imagine challenges experienced by others if you haven't experienced similar challenges yourself. So we don't need to keep going back and forth on this.

I'm definitely hearing what's being said I just don't it's correct.

ShiroKuro

Now seems like a good time to return to the OP's core question:

L-M I work full-time, and by the time I get home, I'm either too tired or only have a short window before it's too late to play. I really want to stay consistent with my piano practice, but it’s been tough to find a sustainable routine.

Do you set fixed practice times during the week? Do short sessions still help? Any tips for building a habit when your schedule feels packed?

On Short Practice Sessions

First, I think I mentioned this above, but I make it a point to ply every day. I also tend to go to be bed pretty early, so if I don't get to the piano until 9:45pm, that means I'm only playing for 15 minutes on that day. That's ok, because when I have more time, those short practices help me make the most of the time when I have more piano time available.

I have a notebook where I write down what I'm working on, and at the end of a practice session, I generally make a note for myself about what to focus on or where to start the next day. This lowers the barrier for me and means as soon as I sit down to play, I don't have to think about what I'm doing.

I also write a "P" on the calendar each time I play or practice, so that's a visual cue for me and filling up the calendar is motivating in and of itself.

On Being Too Tired

Sometimes, I am just too tired (or maybe I have a headache, the worst!) On those days, I might just play one piece, or run through a passage that's giving my trouble. I might only put in five minutes, but I do it. This helps me stay consistent and sometimes I find that I end up playing longer than I expected.

On Having Fixed Practice Times

As much as I would like to practice in the morning or other times, it usually just doesn't work out for me, so the end of the day is my most common practice time slot. If you have family, it helps to let them know when your practice time is and to get them on board. As others have mentioned, it can be risky to leave piano to the end of the day, because that increases the chance that things will come up and you won't get there. But for me, the benefit of doing it at the end of the day is that I don't have to think about anything else, I know my day is done and there's nothing needing my attention etc.

Whatever time you choose, I recommend setting up a specific time and aiming for that. When that time rolls around, off you go to the piano.

Do Short Sessions Help?

Absolutely! If you can get 15 minutes at the piano most days (say at least five days a week), you will likely make more practice than if you spent 75 minutes at the piano once a week, because of the way the brain works when learning new things.

Ok, hopefully the above ideas are helpful!

« Previous Page