Thoughts about keeping a practice Journal

JustinVG

Besides my notebook with my teacher for what we agreed to practice till next lesson, I tried to keep a piano practice journal one. My goal was to write down all the pieces I learned as a sort of Repertoire that I can look back on, with dates when I first started learning the piece. A wish list. And of course a daily check what I spent my time on (or should be doing). I sadly quit this too fast because It felt like a chore. It felt too much of a hassle too keep. I do see the benefit and I one day would want to try again.

Today I found this video that sparked that initial "I should keep a journal":

One of the first things she said is to keep it simple. I will try this but I am really curious if you all keep one, and if so, what does it look like and do you have any advice?

A few photo's of my tries:

At first I tried to make it nice looking and filled it the box for how much time I spend that day. I created the boxes after my lesson and filled it in the rest of the week.

This was a lot of drawing work and changed it to a more concise version with a list. I also added a column to indicate the order of importance. Additionally I wrote down how the week went, learnings, tips for next time and questions for my teacher.

Note: If someone know how to resize the images on the forum, please tell me and I will make them smaller.

Sophia

JustinVG If someone know how to resize the images on the forum, please tell me and I will make them smaller.

Try [img width=200]link[/img]🙂

Animisha

JustinVG I sadly quit this too fast because It felt like a chore.

This has always been my experience. Furthermore, whenever I did keep a notebook, I never went back and read what I had written, so for me it was an utterly pointless chore.

However, I do have a nice notebook in which I jot down things I want to remember, for instance which sections of a piece I practised, or the highest tempo at which I played a section well enough - so that I can see the next day which sections I should practise today, and at which tempo I should start.

TC3

I started keeping a very minimal one earlier this year. It's just a spreadsheet with three columns: Classical Technique (sight-reading, scales, exercises, excerpts from etudes, that sort of thing), Classical Repertoire (the pieces I'm working on), and Rock & Contemporary (mostly tunes for my garage band, but I've started dabbling in some new age stuff). Then the rows are purely numerical, just how much time spent on each category each day.

It's recently occured to me that I'd like to keep track of how much total time I spend on a particular piece, going from zero to "minimally playable" and then maybe "actually pretty good," so I'll start doing that with the next new piece.

JustinVG

TC3 It's just a spreadsheet

I tried it a very short time on my phone. But one of the reasons I started the hobby is to get away from anything digital, mostly because my work is also 100% on a computer.

TC3 It's recently occured to me that I'd like to keep track of how much total time I spend on a particular piece, going from zero to "minimally playable" and then maybe "actually pretty good," so I'll start doing that with the next new piece.

Nice! That is a good idea.

How do you determine when a piece is good enough and pretty good?

ShiroKuro Anyway, in the notebook, I write the title of each piece, and some notes for myself. These notes are actually to tell me what to do the next day.

Thanks, that’s what I want to start doing. Simple, not much effort and effective.

ShiroKuro BTW a key detail is that one of the first things I do with a new piece is to write in measure numbers (if the score doesn’t already have them) and I add rehearsal marks (sections A, B, A2 if it’s a repeating theme etc.) So in my practice notes, I can write things like “focus on m24-32,” or “start with C.”

So many good ideas! Thanks for the inspiration!

ShiroKuro One problem with this method (which would be the same with a generic notebook) is that it;s hard to get a multi-day or weeks’ long view of things.

True! When I read your reply, I thought about the Getting Thins Done book a read a few years ago. There you have different scopes you write down, a day, week/month and long term goals. I think there is a lot to take from to incorporate into a Practice Journal.

ShiroKuro One last thing I do is I have a separate notebook that I use to take notes during my actual piano lesson.

That’s what I also have. It’s more of a notebook together with my teacher.

ShiroKuro Here is my practice calendar

Super thanks! It helps me a lot to just see how others do it. Very inspirational!

ranjit I was practicing certain things only so that they would look good on my journal, which became counterproductive.

Well, if you keep your journal up to date, you have a strong learning path 😅. But I understand what you mean.

I find it also hard to just write it down without being it visually appealing. Maybe it’s the perfectionist in me. I hope these posts are maybe inspire you too, to start a journal again.

ShiroKuro

I have been in the habit or logging my practice for years. Every now and then I change how I do it, but I’ve found that some kind of record keeping helps me immensely.

The first thing I started doing (some 20+ years ago) was to just write a P on the calendar if I practiced that day. Trying to get as many Ps on the calendar each month was a great way to make sure that I was consistent in daily practice. I still do this. Right now I have a wall calendar in my home office, and after finishing practice, I go in there and write that P. (That’s also how Mr SK knows I’m finished practicing 🙂

At one point I used a phone app (I think it was called Musician’s Journal) which was great but they stopped updating the app and eventually it stopped working. 🙁 Since then I haven’t used any phone or computer based apps.

Then for a long time, I just used a notebook and wrote the date for each entry. But this year, I bought an actual planner, I got one of those big ones (same as a full-sized notebook). I like that it has specific spaces for each day, but I don’t like that Saturday and Sunday are smaller than the weekday spaces, esp. because a lot of time, Saturdays and Sundays are the days I have the most proactive time, so I want to write the most on those days. So I might go back to notebooks again in January 2027.

Anyway, in the notebook, I write the title of each piece, and some notes for myself. These notes are actually to tell me what to do the next day.

BTW a key detail is that one of the first things I do with a new piece is to write in measure numbers (if the score doesn’t already have them) and I add rehearsal marks (sections A, B, A2 if it’s a repeating theme etc.) So in my practice notes, I can write things like “focus on m24-32,” or “start with C.”

I also write in bigger goals, like “record [piece title] by June 30” or “perform [piece title] at July party.”

One problem with this method (which would be the same with a generic notebook) is that it;s hard to get a multi-day or weeks’ long view of things. So another thing I just started to do is print out a single sheet of paper with everything I’m working on listed, separated into “in progress” and “repertoire.” The goal with this list is to make sure I get to each piece regularly enough, for the in-progress pieces, this should be as close to daily as possible. With the repertoire pieces, this should be maybe once a week (or a bit less) for really established pieces or every few days for pieces that’s need more active attention.

I am going to change how I do this list because part of it is too much of a duplicate with what I do in the calendar notebook. I think I will make a list with just repertoire pieces, and maybe a series of check boxes for “solo, duet, cello” since I find myself needing to prep some duet music (piano for four hands) as well as some piano+cello music and it’s hard to make sure I’m progressing on each of these individual categories.

One last thing I do is I have a separate notebook that I use to take notes during my actual piano lesson. Sometimes I fill up an entire page in one lesson, other times I write almost nothing, but I want these notes to be separate from my practice notebook.

So, TL;DR version: yes, I keep track of my practice, using a card are planner, lesson notebook, and tracking sheet. 😅

ShiroKuro

Here is my practice calendar:

And here is my tracking sheet (on the left) and lesson notebook (on the right)

ranjit

I have tried to keep a practice journal in the past. I found that after a couple weeks, I was practicing certain things only so that they would look good on my journal, which became counterproductive.

TC3

JustinVG How do you determine when a piece is good enough and pretty good?

Good questions! "Good enough" is maybe 80% of the way to "perfect" (whatever that means ... ), enough so that I've really learned something from it, and enough that I could play it for someone as a work-in-progress (it would give them a pretty good idea of what it's supposed to sound like eventually). "Pretty good" is more like 90% or more, about as good as I can play it at my current level, allowing for the odd random mistake, and good enough to play for someone so they might actually enjoy listening to it, even if it's not absolutely perfect.

A couple of folks addressed the reasons (or lack thereof) for keeping a journal. I never used to, but just started earlier this year as a way to keep track for the PACT thread -- that's why it's just days and times. I'll start adding notes about when I started a piece, just for my own curiosity, but I doubt I'll add more info that than. I suspect any more and I'd run into the same issues others have mentioned: I wouldn't go back and look at it, it would feel like a chore, etc.

ranjit

JustinVG Well, if you keep your journal up to date, you have a strong learning path 😅. But I understand what you mean.

I did try it out for a few weeks, but didn't find the results surprising or all that helpful. That said, planning practice over a week or several weeks has been quite useful.

JustinVG

Animisha so for me it was an utterly pointless chore.

That was my feeling too but if I look back at it now, I think I quickly forgot why I felt the need to start a practice journal. I wanted to start because I winged it at practice and strayed too much. Resulting in spending too much time on pieces and too less on exercises.

The next time I start, I try to remember my goal: write down what I want to do instead of what I did.

thepianoplayer416

Keeping a calendar? A log with the hours I put in? No. A log book with the names of pieces and the hours I put in tell me nothing about them.
Music is a hobby that I don't need to force myself into or have the discipline to practice daily. I have accumulated enough pieces to keep me going for a while. If I don't feel like playing certain pieces, I can play others.

Details on individual pieces: I'd make a folder on computer to store text, video, audio and other files related to the piece.
I'd type in details on a piece including legato playing, pedal use, dynamics etc. into Notepad on computer.
For future reference it's easier to take a photo of individual bars and write in details into the image file than writing a lot into the original sheet making it hard to read.

I also use the phone to make video clips showing both hands playing specific sections in slow motion. It's easier to watch your hands playing than to go by finger # on the sheet.

Deciding whether I worked on a piece sufficiently before quitting I'd make a final recording. Not everybody feel comfortable recording themselves. After a while you wouldn't get too nervous when you take out a phone and press record.

BartK

Like others, I don't find that keeping track of all my practice is helpful in anyway. I can remember what I did yesterday and what needs work. Anything further than that is irrelevant.

The only tracking I do is to keep a list of what pieces I learned with start and end dates so I know what pieces I learned, say, 3 years ago and for how long. That doesn't require any daily tracking but only writing down when I start a new piece and when I finally drop the piece.

Simonb

I used to keep a spreadsheet with a list of things I needed to practise for either my ABRSM grade 7 or 8, and checked them off every day I did them. But I stopped after a while.

That aside I know what I need to practice, whether it's for my diploma, one of the bands I'm in or something just for fun, and aside from having a historical record of what I've done I can't see a point to it.

That said if you find it a useful tool, either as a reminder or a motivational thing then do it. I've always said on these forums do what works for you!

Cheers

ShiroKuro

One thing that hasn’t come up here (maybe because it’s too obvious?) is writing on the score itself. I generally write start dates on each score. That way, if I put something away and return to it, I can see when I started it. I’ve found that to be quite helpful, esp. with pieces that were maybe too hard and I decide to put them away with the intention of returning to them.

In terms of being able to keep track of what you’re working, I think this will be different for each person as well. Right now, I’m prepping pieces to play with a cellist, as well as my usual solo piano music, plus trying to lengthen my playable repertoire set from 30 minutes to an hour’s worth of music. That’s a lot to keep track of, and if I didn’t have some system, I think I’d get lost in all the details and not be able to make progress across all these different pieces and different goals.

But for me it doesn’t feel like a chore. And since I have several pieces going at once, it makes my life easier to not have to try to remember small details for multiple pieces (e.g., piece 1, start with measure 24; piece 2, do metronome practice on section C; repertoire piece 4 hasn’t been played in a week so spend some time on that…). I also find it incredibly satisfying to be able to look back and see what I’ve done, how much progress I’ve made.

But at the same time, the thought of tracking how much time, how many minutes within a practice session I spend on specific things? To me that sounds like a chore! 😃

So of course, this will be different for everyone, and it takes a while for each person to figure out what works for them. But over the years, reading on the piano forums about what other people do has been incredibly helpful.

🙂

BartK

ShiroKuro One thing that hasn’t come up here (maybe because it’s too obvious?) is writing on the score itself. I generally write start dates on each score. That way, if I put something away and return to it, I can see when I started it. I’ve found that to be quite helpful, esp. with pieces that were maybe too hard and I decide to put them away with the intention of returning to them.

I write start dates in the score too but having a master spreadsheet with a list of all the pieces I have ever learned is easier to search than my multiple shelves full of scores. The date on the score is just a quick reminder for when I want to know how long I have been practicing something when it's still on my music stand.

ShiroKuro

BartK Do you use paper scores primarily?

BartK

ShiroKuro Do you use paper scores primarily?

Yes. I had an iPad but it started crashing for no reason and now it's too old to get any updates. I don't feel like buying new devices every few years for no reason when old ones were perfectly fine for the job. Books last a lifetime.