I Always Play Better at Home!

Sound familiar?

A common complaint from students, we hear it all the time. My reply, "yes, but I wasn't there listening to you." What causes this and what can you do about it? The obvious cause is that when you practice at home no one's really listening, and if they are it's not from a critic's viewpoint. More than likely you're more relaxed, sitting and practicing in an area you're comfortable with, and feeling more confident. When you get to your lesson, the pressure's on whether real or imagined. Try as I might, it's very difficult to put a student at ease enough to play as well as they do at home.

It happens to the best of us!

When I went back to college, I had to take class piano. In addition to playing an electronic keyboard through headphones, we'd have to play a real piano, one on one with the teacher listening. In 2 years I can honestly say I NEVER PLAYED AS WELL AS I WAS CAPABLE OF. It was totally frustrating, especially considering that I could play my guitar in front of hundreds of people and not be the least bit nervous.

What's the answer?

It's simply a matter of confidence. In the back of my mind I knew I wasn't as good at the piano as I could be and probably, ok, certainly, didn't practice as much as I should have. I'd work on the songs but the finger exercises got a quick once over a couple days before I had to play for her. So, if you want to play well for your teacher or at the next open mic or recital, practice a lot, work on trouble spots and think positive. Henry Ford once said "whether you think you can do a thing or think you can't do a thing, you're right.