How to keep track of your piano progress using a Piano Achievements diary.
When you finish your daily piano practice, it’s important to answer the following question, “What did I achieve?”
It doesn’t matter how much time you spent practising the piano, but what you achieved in the time. If you’re practising well, there will be plenty of achievements to write down each day. These might be large or small, such as:
· I can play four bars of my piece from memory
· I can play this section faster than yesterday
· I played the G major scale five times in a row without a mistake
· I observed all the dynamic markings in my piece
· I listened to a recording of my piece by another pianist
· I worked out the fingering for the tricky left hand bit
Every achievement is worth celebrating, as proof that you are getting better. The best time to write down your achievement is immediately after it happened, when it is fresh in your mind.
How do I keep a Piano Achievements diary?
Keep a notebook and pencil by the piano, so it is visible and ready every day. Write today’s date and then jot down what you achieved during your piano practice. Just a few bullet points as a list.
Why keep a Piano Achievements diary?
Taking a minute to write down what you achieved at the end of every piano practice session is highly motivating. It makes you feel so proud that you are getting better, and that the time you spend practising the piano is worthwhile. The Piano Achievements diary will fill up surprisingly quickly! It is very motivating to look back over the past few days or weeks and see the written evidence that you are improving, which gives you the encouragement and motivation to practice again tomorrow.
Having a Piano Achievements diary will actually change the way you practice, in a very positive way. You will have to focus on things that need to improve, otherwise you won’t have any achievements to write down! Not being able to write down any achievements will feel terrible, because you are admitting that your piano practice session was a waste of time.
If you are having piano lessons, focus on the things that were assigned by your piano teacher in your last piano lesson. Bring your Piano Achievements diary to your next lesson, to show your teacher what you achieved. Your teacher can then recommend new achievement goals for the following week, to help maximise your progress.
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