So little time - so much to practice

What to practice if you have only a few minutes:

1 minute	1 scale (major or minor)	Pick a difficult scale and practice intensely HA/HT
2 minutes	one scale – 1 minute one difficult passage from one of your pieces – 1 min.	Make yourself focus intently. Listen and correct. Try to play perfectly and/or slowly.
3 minutes	scale – 1 minute finger or trill exercise – 1 min. one difficult measure/line from your piece – 1 min.	Yes, just doing these few minutes will make a difference. Not practicing won’t.
4 minutes	breathe – 10 seconds scale  - 50 seconds trill exercise (back and forth between fingers as fast as you can) – 1 minute difficult passage or line from a piece – 2 minutes	Breathing helps you focus. Minor scales are important. Use other practice methods. Don’t just play through. Ask me for tips!
5 minutes	breathe – 10 seconds scale  - 50 seconds learn a few notes/fingerings from a new piece or a piece with weak passages – 2 minutes difficult passage from a piece – 2 minutes	If you are avoiding certain passages, now is the time to attack just a tiny bit. Practice just a few notes with correct fingerings several times.
6 minutes	breathe – 10 seconds scale  - 50 seconds learn a few notes/fingerings from a new piece or a piece with weak passages – 2 minutes difficult passage from a piece – 2 minutes Play through one page of a piece – 1 minute	The breathing helps you focus and the scale warms you up. Make yourself attack the measures that are not easy.
7 minutes	breathe – 10 seconds scale  - 50 seconds learn a few notes/fingerings from a new piece or a piece with weak passages – 2 minutes difficult passage from a piece – 2 minutes Play through the last page of a piece – 2 min.	The last page of a piece is generally practiced less than the beginning. That is why it also sounds weak! Attack that last page!!
8 minutes	breathe – 10 seconds scale  - 50 seconds difficult passage from a piece – 2 minutes play the difficult passage in your head – 1 min. Play through your whole piece for the rest of the practice time – 4 minutes	To practice in your head, look at the notes and imagine in your mind that you are playing them. You can almost feel the instrument with your fingers. This demands concentration but keep at it.
9 minutes	breathe – 10 seconds scale & arpeggio  - 50 seconds difficult passage from a piece – 2 minutes play the difficult passage in your head – 1 min. Work on the last line of your most difficult piece. – 1 minute Play through your whole piece for the rest of the practice time – 4 minutes	Make use of these few minutes of practice. Even if you practice only 9 minutes per day, you’ll have practiced almost an hour by your next lesson! Concentrate.
10 minutes	breathe – 10 seconds scale  - 50 seconds learn a few notes/fingerings from a new piece or a piece with weak passages – 2 minutes difficult passage from a piece – 2 minutes difficult passage (last page!) from a piece – 2 minutes Play through your whole piece for the rest of the practice time – 3 minutes	You can get a lot done in 10 minutes. Set the clock if you want but keep your mind on the tasks to be done. Every little step you take brings you closer to playing excellently!

11 minutes	breathe – 10 seconds scale  - 50 seconds learn a few notes/fingerings from a new piece or a piece with weak passages – 2 minutes difficult passage from a piece – 2 minutes play the difficult passage in your head – 1 min. difficult passage (last page!) from a piece – 2 minutes Play through your whole piece for the rest of the practice time – 3 minutes	It is most important that you not call a play-through practicing. Save playing through to the end of your session and get some short yet really focused work done before that.
12 minutes	breathe – 10 seconds scale  - 50 seconds learn a few notes/fingerings from a new piece or a piece with weak passages – 2 minutes difficult passage from a piece – 2 minutes play the difficult passage in your head – 1 min. difficult passage (last page!) from a piece – 2 minutes Play through your whole piece (or two short pieces) for the rest of the practice time – 4 minutes	If you are tired, jump up and down a few times to get your energy back up. Run up and down some stairs. Then set the clock and start breathing to help you concentrate on the next few minutes of deep work.
13 minutes	breathe – 10 seconds scale  - 50 seconds learn a few notes/fingerings from a new piece or a piece with weak passages – 2 minutes difficult passage from a piece – 2 minutes play the difficult passage in your head – 1 min. difficult passage (last page!) from a piece – 2 minutes play the difficult passage in your head – 1 min. Play through your whole piece for the rest of the practice time – 4 minutes	A difficult passage is a measure or a musical phrase that is not easy yet. If you have made mistakes there in the past, that is the passage you want to attack and conquer today. Even playing one or two of the notes that are difficult, or a tricky position change can be practiced. It doesn’t always have to be long. Enjoy your play-through at the end. Note difficulties for tomorrow’s practice!
14 minutes	breathe – 10 seconds scale  - 50 seconds learn a few notes/fingerings from a new piece or a piece with weak passages – 2 minutes difficult passage from a piece – 2 minutes play the same difficult passage in your head – 1 min. difficult passage (last page!) from a piece – 2 minutes play the same difficult passage in your head – 1 min. Play the last page of the piece – 1 minute Play through your whole piece (or two short pieces)  for the rest of the practice time – 4 minutes	If you practice every day at the same time, you will soon be conditioned to concentrate immediately at that time of the day. You will practice better and happier if you practice when you are fresh and full of energy. Lots of students practice before school!
15 minutes	breathe – 10 seconds scale  - 50 seconds learn a few notes/fingerings from a new piece or a piece with weak passages – 2 minutes difficult passage from a piece – 2 minutes play the difficult passage in your head – 1 min. difficult passage (last page!) from a piece – 2 minutes play the difficult passage in your head – 1 min. Play through your whole piece (or two short pieces)  for the rest of the practice time – 6 minutes	Don’t confuse focused practice with “messing around” at your instrument. You can do that afterwards or at another time. Now is the time for deep, concentrated work at your instrument. 15 minutes isn’t long but it can speed your progress immensely - if you do it daily in a focused manner.