MAKE PRACTICE FUN

Practice is something you should try for every day. Give it all you can. If you have difficulty with any part, slow down, practice slowly. Try introducing an interval of at least 1 second between each count until your playing accuracy has improved. It isn't necessary for you to play any piece at the correct speed right from the start. If you slow down a bit your accuracy will improve and then you will find it easy to speed up. Practice should not be a chore and a bore but an interesting journey of discovery. You should have no trouble getting motivated to practice because you should look forward to it as an enjoyable experience. You should practice as often as you can and practice slowly and carefully. You will be surprised at how quickly you can progress with careful repetition. What at first seems almost impossible suddenly becomes easy. You see, playing music well happens when you cease making a conscious effort. A concert pianist, for example, doesn't sit at the keyboard and think; "Right! I will now depress the C key with the 3rd finger of my left hand and at the same time depress the E with the 1st finger and the G with the Thumb and at the same time I must remember to play 5 keys with my right hand" etc. etc. What happens is that he sits down, calmly and plays. There is no conscious thought commanding the muscles of his hand to move his fingers. He relies on MUSCLE MEMORY. This happens when something is practiced so often that conscious thought is no longer necessary. It is subconscious and the muscles react automatically. If you find this hard to believe then I suggest you suspend your disbelief until you have proven it to yourself and prove it you will. It always surprises me that I can sit down at the keyboard and attempt a piece I haven't played for a year or so and find that my hands produce the tune automatically. There is no thought as to what is the next note, my fingers are there playing them. Hard to believe? Well any accomplished musician will tell you the same thing.