Today I filmed myself practicing, talking through what I'm doing and why. Here's the video and a summary, and a downloadable one-page PDF for @everyone with specific practice tips drawn from the session!

How to Practice Effectively

Lessons from Peter Stoltzman’s Practice Session

(Etude Practice Video – Key Takeaways)

In this video, I demonstrate how I practice a challenging piece I wrote years ago. The goal is not perfection in one session, but making meaningful progress in a short amount of time.

Many adult musicians only have 20–30 minutes to practice, so the key is learning how to practice intelligently.

Use the ideas below as strategies for your own practice sessions.

1. Work With the Time You Actually Have

Most of us don't have hours to practice.

“I have about 20 minutes… maybe 25 or 30 if I’m lucky.”

Instead of waiting for the perfect practice window:

Use short sessions effectively.

Practice Strategy

20 minutes of focused work is powerful
Start immediately
Accept that you may only get through small sections

Key Mindset

Progress comes from many small sessions, not one marathon.

2. Get the Music in Your Ear First

Before practicing mechanically, know how the music sounds.

“I would highly recommend when you're trying to learn music, get it in your ear first.”

Ways to Do This

Listen to recordings
Sing the melody
Hear the harmony internally
Imagine the phrasing

When the sound is clear in your mind, your fingers have a target to aim for.

3. Start With One Hand

When learning complex material, isolate parts.

Example from the video:

Begin with left hand bass line
Repeat until the motion feels natural

Practice Strategy

Work in this order:

Left hand alone
Right hand alone
Hands together slowly

4. Repeat Until the Body Understands

Repetition builds motor memory.

Example strategy used:

“Ten times or so in a row without a mistake.”

Why This Matters

Repetition trains:

finger memory
timing
hand shapes
confidence

Practice Rule

Repeat until the movement feels automatic.

5. Prepare Hand Shapes Before Playing

A huge efficiency principle.

Instead of reaching for notes after landing:

Prepare the shape of the hand before touching the keys.

“Your hand is already ready for the notes.”

Example

Instead of:

Hand lands → fingers stretch → search for notes

Practice:

Hand shape forms → hand lands → notes already aligned

This dramatically improves accuracy and speed.

6. Practice in Small, Manageable Chunks

Don't try to learn entire sections at once.

“Manageable chunks.”

Example approach:

1 measure
2 measures
small rhythmic cells

Why This Works

Small chunks allow:

deeper focus
faster correction
higher success rate

7. Identify Intervals and Patterns

During practice, I analyze the structure.

Example from the session:

noticing sixths
noticing sevenths
recognizing repeating shapes

Why?

Because once your brain understands the pattern, you no longer rely on pure memory.

Practice Tip

Ask yourself:

What interval is this?
Is this pattern repeating?
Is this sequence transposed?

8. Slow Practice is Powerful

When combining hands:

Slow down.

Much slower than performance tempo.

This allows:

rhythmic clarity
coordination
confidence

Slow practice prevents panic and tension.

9. Fix Problems Immediately

When something goes wrong:

Stop and diagnose it.

Example moment in the video:

mistake occurs
analyze the fingering
adjust strategy

“Notice I made that mistake… I'm not just continuing.”

Practice Strategy

Instead of repeating mistakes:

Stop
Identify the issue
Adjust fingering or movement
Repeat correctly

10. Microscope vs Telescope Practice

Good practice constantly zooms in and out.

I describe this as:

Microscope

Zoom into tiny problems

Examples:

a jump
a fingering
a rhythm

Fix them in isolation.

Telescope

Zoom back out

Play the section again in context.

Both are essential.

11. Train Difficult Movements

If a jump or motion feels unreliable:

Practice that movement alone.

Example in the video:

practicing a jump between two notes repeatedly
training the hand like a motor skill

This builds precision.

12. Use the Music on the Page

Don't avoid the sheet music.

Sometimes looking at the page gives clarity.

“Look at the sheet music… it’s there for me.”

Use the notation as a tool, not a crutch.

13. Build Confidence Through Repetition

Fear in performance often comes from uncertainty.

Solution:

Install what I call “milliseconds of confidence.”

By repeating slowly and correctly, your brain learns:

“I know what comes next.”

Confidence grows from clarity and repetition.

14. Accept Imperfect Progress

Even experienced musicians don't master pieces instantly.

Example from the video:

After the session:

only the first page was worked on

And that's completely normal.

Good practice is about incremental progress.

Suggested Practice Flow

You can use this exact sequence in your own practice.

Step 1

Listen and internalize the music.

Step 2

Practice hands separately.

Step 3

Repeat sections until comfortable.

Step 4

Analyze patterns and intervals.

Step 5

Combine hands slowly.

Step 6

Fix specific problems immediately.

Step 7

Zoom in on difficult spots.

Step 8

Return to the full section.

Final Thought

Effective practice is not about playing more music.

It's about thinking more clearly about what you're doing.

Even a 20-minute session can produce meaningful progress if you practice intentionally.

What Jazz Educators Get Wrong

Hour Practice Session

Practice Session with Peter