Picking Up the Pieces: A Piano Practice Journal

  September Highlights September was a good month for piano. Here are a few standouts: Played Jonny May's "Ode to Joy Rag" in the PWJ recital on Sept. 10. Got to have an in-person piano lesson with Ethan (my ragtime teacher) on Sept. 12, then have dinner with his family and see him perform that night. Completed the Piano With Jonny (PWJ) Chord Shells and Guide Tones Exercises course. Completed Lesson 1 (Cycle of Fifths Progression) of the PWJ Play Lead Sheets with Chord Shells and Guide Tones course. Participated in a short-term PWJ challenge last weekend to come up with something interesting from a chord progression. I came up with a fun ragtime bit, made a short video, posted it, and was done—all in about 10 minutes! Made a "graduation video" for "Over the Rainbow." Made a lot of progress learning the LSU Fight Song ("Hey, Fightin' Tigers") from a lead sheet. Played at a local assisted living facility on Sept. 26 and did well on everyth...

Back in January, I wrote about my modest plan for the first half of 2026. In a nutshell, I wanted to spend six months becoming less of a piece-collector and more of a musician: building fluency in stride, harmony, and lead sheets; developing a smaller number of creative projects; and maintaining just enough repertoire to keep sharing music with other people. And guess what. I did it. I did all these things. Excuse me while I pat my goal-oriented self on the back. I'm actually not very goal-oriented, but years of life experience have taught me that I'll never make progress if I don't set manageable goals. And I set manageable goals back in January. I started the year with no "list of pieces to learn." None at all. I did end up learning two pieces, both of them "core" courses in the Piano With Jonny ragtime/stride track: After You've Gone and Ode to Joy. I'm planning to play After You've Gone at the PWJ recital in June, and I expect to have Ode...

So far, 2026 has been a great year for piano. I want to continue the streak into May and June, and then sit down sometime in June to craft my goals for the second half of the year. Here's an update for my April progress, followed by some May goals. Core April has seen a lot of work in my Core categories: Styles: I've learned nearly all of Ode to Joy and have occasionally reviewed After You've Gone (though I've technically graduated from that one). Thanks to the LNRF challenge, I've put more daily time into OTJ than I would have otherwise, and there is a small possibility I'll have it ready for the next PWJ Recital. Skills: I completed the first course of the Classical Analysis (Analysis Track), focusing on Bach's C Major Prelude . I'm now in the second course ( Chopin's E Minor Prelude ). I've neglected it in the past week, and I imagine it will be my main analysis focus for May, or at least early May. (Dirty little secret: I learned this piec...

March: Where the Plans Went Awry March is almost over, and my spreadsheet tells a pretty clear story: I missed most of my targets. I had planned to spend 65% of my time on Core work, split evenly between Foundations, Skills, and After You’ve Gone. In reality, Core ended up at 49% , and within that, Skills took over, with modulation and transposition getting most of my attention. Foundations and After You’ve Gone got the short shrift. In hindsight, the reasons aren’t all that complicated. First, I picked up “Danny Boy,” which wasn’t in the plan . It’s built on the Misty progression, so I told myself it could count toward Foundations, but most of the actual work was on modulation and transposition. So Skills ballooned, and everything else got squeezed out. And then I ended up dropping "Danny Boy" after all, so now that feels like it was wasted time (though it was good to work on the skills). Second, YAMS took more time than expected. It ended up at about a third of my practic...

After writing down my new "required" and "optional" lists for the lead sheet courses , I realized I'd literally done everything on the list for Lead Sheets Lesson 6. And I thought I had at least two more weeks to go before I'd be ready to move on. So last night, instead of having a standard practice session on Lesson 6, I made this video, shared it with the PWJ group, and called it a day. I also decided to axe the Danny Boy Challenge . The music is so beautiful, but the intermediate version doesn't feel challenging enough (hence my desire to "make it my own project"), and the advanced version ... well, I don't want to say it's too hard, because I could sit down and play it from the sheet music right now. But the concepts—extensions, alterations, etc.—are beyond what I'm learning now, and it just took too much mental energy to both play it and understand it (much less transpose it). This time next year I'll have a better handle ...

I've been working through the Lead Sheet Level 4 courses for a while now, transposing to multiple keys, experimenting with different styles, doing some improvisation (or what might pass for it). But I keep getting stuck on one question: when is it okay to move on to the next lesson? I never feel like what I have is good enough, though I'm aware I tend to hold myself to absurdly high standards when it comes to piano. I just want someone, anyone, to say, "OK, Nina, you've done enough. Move on."  What Jonny Said  I asked Jonny about this at this week's Ask Jonny show. His response was completely valid: when to move on really depends on your goals. Which sent me back to think harder about what my goals actually are and how these courses relate to them.  My Relationship with These Courses  The lead sheet courses focus heavily on jazz ... but jazz really isn't my thing. So these lessons have been kind of like Brussels sprouts: I do them because I know they'r...

January was a good month for piano, even though I spent about eight days in North Carolina without my Roland, and even though I was without a left hand for a week and a half thanks to a ganglion cyst. We’re expecting snow on Saturday, so I’m not sure how much practicing I’ll get done this weekend; one downside of a digital piano is that it needs electricity to work. Still, I’m a goal-driven creature, so it’s time to think about February. My original January goals were to: Share a "You Are My Sunshine" (YAMS) performance on the PWJ page Post periodic updates on my progress in Foundations and "After You’ve Gone" Get through at least one Analysis course Keep up with all maintenance pieces Despite the month’s challenges, I managed to do all of that with one exception: I haven’t played "Jingle Bells Rag" a single time. That said, I still have at least three more practice sessions ahead of me, weather permitting. I’d planned to break down my practice time like t...

Remember my piano slump? The one where November felt like an endless month of barely touching the keys? Well, guess what—it's over. In just the first week of December, I've already logged almost as many practice hours as I did in the entire month of November. That's right: I'm back! Most of my time has been happily devoted to Silent Night Rhumba, Jingle Bells Rag, and You Are My Sunshine Rag. Rounding out the Top 5 are Chopin's A Minor Waltz and Liszt's Liebestraum. I've also been doing a lot of technique work (as usual), along with practicing 2-5-1s from a PWJ course. All this momentum now has me thinking about my the future ... Sneak Peek: 2026 Piano Goals I'll post an official goals blog later this month, so consider this a preview. :) Goal: Limit Projects Overall My main piano goal is to LIMIT MY PROJECTS. My failure to do so this past month is part of what led to my slump. I also want to limit the DIFFICULTY of my projects--in other words, avoid pie...

I know it's been quiet on this blog lately, so I offer my profuse apologies to my two or three readers. Actually, I'm not sure I have that many readers, but if I do? My profuse apologies! I am truly sorry and humbly repent! Seriously, though. It's been quiet here, and it's been quiet in my piano room too. Poor, neglected Roland Nicholas (my piano) had to take a back seat to weight-training this month. Between volleyball season and my doctor's osteoporosis warning, I've been motivated for the past four weeks to get back into shape. I dusted off my old Beachbody DVDs and am on my way to feeling strong again! Roland Nicholas got love in October, just a little less of it. Still, I had a few wins last month. October Wins Liszt's Liebesträume No. 3 is now a true maintenance piece! I play it effortlessly (most of the time) and love being able to focus more on dynamics, voicing, and rubato, and less on memory worries and wrong notes. Bare Necessities is back in my...

(Warning: Cheesy Metaphor Below!) This weekend was glorious for piano. Despite my wrist hurting, I managed to put almost four hours into piano on Saturday and Sunday. I never spent more than about 30 minutes on a piece/project, and most of my sessions were just 10 or 15 minutes. In other words, I practiced in bits and pieces. With several projects this month (including three new ones), I'm taking the approach of planting seeds and watering them regularly. The Cheesy (or Flowery) Metaphor It doesn't take long to plant a seed, and it takes even less time to water it. Yet, with sunlight, good soil, and regular watering, the plant will grow. The good soil is my foundation of music and piano knowledge and experience. The sunlight is the goals I'm working and growing toward. And the watering? Those are my short but focused practice sessions. The invisible growth of the plant is my brain working on everything when I'm away from the piano. In my non-piano life, I trust that the...

September had a slow start, but I still logged 37.1 hours of practice, averaging about 1.2 hours a day! My top projects were Liszt (7.1 hours), Bare Necessities (6 hours), technique (6 hours), America the Beautiful Rag (3.1 hours), and the PWJ Lead Sheets course (3 hours). I also kicked off Honky Tonk Women and worked on St. Louis Blues/G blues improv. September Highlights In the past month, I managed to: Prepare Liszt for my upcoming Piano With Rebecca performance this Saturday. Master Jonny’s St. Louis Blues Challenge. Keep my maintenance pieces performance-ready. Start reviving Jingle Bells Rag for the holidays. Be seriously inspired by Chuck Leavell’s live performance ! Realize I want to shift focus away from " playing by the dots " and more toward improvising, arranging, composing, and playing by ear. Revive Bare Necessities to near-performance level—check out this video of the first section! (Apologies for the weird angle!)    I also hit my percentage goals and made sol...

Hi, piano friends! I’m finally ready to share my August piano goals with you! Over a few lunch breaks, I tinkered with my practice log (yes, my trusty spreadsheet!) and had a little heart-to-heart with AI to figure out what’s doable this month. I’ve decided to push some projects to September and October to keep from overwhelming myself. Here’s what’s on the musical horizon! America the Beautiful As mentioned in my previous post, I'm shifting this holiday piece to my maintenance pile, but I'm going to give it a little extra attention for a September 11 performance at an assisted living facility. I’m not going nose-to-the-grindstone like I did in July (whew!), but I’ll polish it a few days a week to have it memorized and at tempo, with all of the improv included. Liszt, Liebesträume As I also mentioned earlier, I'm at a crossroads with Liebesträume: Do I prepare it for a Piano with Rebecca B recital, or let it rest? I’m hoping to chat with Rebecca in another week or so to get...

Hello, lovely piano friends! July was a whirlwind of 46.2 hours at the piano -- quite a feat considering a week-long vacation and 1.5 post-trip days when I could barely muster the energy to sit at the piano. Was it a successful month? I’m leaning toward yes, with some sweet wins and a few projects that, well, fizzled out. Here are the highlights. An Unexpected Gift: “America the Beautiful” Picture this: We're all packed for vacation, rushing to the tiny Augusta airport (two gates, folks!) for a 6 a.m. flight. But a low tire throws us off, and we miss check-in by two minutes. The airline’s computer says, “Nope, you’re done.” Disappointing? Sure. But the gift for me was a bonus day to play piano, tidy up, and plan our trip. That extra day truly was a gift. I poured hours into “America the Beautiful,” determined to share a video before vacation. I’d been bummed about not finishing it earlier, so this felt like a second chance. The video isn’t flawless, but it’s a milestone I’m proud o...

  How is it almost time to flip the calendar to July? I swear I just started my June spreadsheet, but here we are, with June nearly in the books. July will be a bit of a whirlwind--partly because I'm sneaking away for a week of vacation. This means I'm keeping things focused: no shiny new pieces until August. Instead, I'll focus on Liebesträume and America the Beautiful for performances, keep up with my maintenance pieces, and dive into a few creative projects that have been swirling around in my brain for a while. Still, I need to have goals beyond "focus on," "keep up with," and "dive into." Let's make them SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound)! Liszt: Back in the Spotlight After a short break, I'm putting Liszt back on the priority list. My mission? Get it performance-ready before vacation. I'm aiming for an August recital--maybe Piano with Rebecca B or a video to share on social media. I'm hoping...

June’s almost in the rearview mirror, and what a ride it’s been at the piano! This month has dished out some serious highs, a few lows, and a whole lot of learning. With one week left, I’m ready to wrap it up strong and set the stage for an exciting July. Let’s dive into the good, the not-so-good, and what’s on the horizon. June’s High Notes (and a Few Flat Ones) This month was a whirlwind of progress and a few stumbles. Here’s what went down: Big Wins: I nailed Pineapple Rag (or is it Pine Apple? Who knows!) not once, but twice in performance. It felt like a graduation ceremony for this sassy, syncopated gem—time to hang its diploma on the wall! I also kicked off a new weekend ritual: dusting off old pieces to keep them shiny and ready. Plus, I’m making serious headway on two new projects: America the Beautiful Rag (perfect for July 4 vibes) and a great G Blues Improvisation course from PWJ . The Struggles: Mid-June, my daily Liszt practice hit a wall. Between pouring my heart into ...

I am so excited about this weekend! I'll be able to put in a lot of practice tomorrow, and I may be traveling to the Atlanta area on Sunday to meet up with a few other piano lovers! I'll also get some practice in tonight. My goals? Liebesträume - Y'all, this is sounding so much better than it did a month ago! I will continue drilling the few sections that are still a little bumpy. I also need to commit the final page to memory. I want to spent some (more) time listening to recordings and taking note of what this pianist or that pianist does, and then trying to reproduce the effect myself. Pineapple Rag - This one is coming back, albeit a little more slowly than I'd anticipated. I fully expect to have the whole thing back in my noggin (i.e., by memory) by the end of the weekend, and I'll be able to start playing it through and thinking more about expression and dynamics and less about where my fingers go. Blues - With all my work on Liszt, I haven't really fel...

Back on January 1, I had so many great plans for my 2025 piano year. In 2024, I averaged about 52 hours a month, most months, on piano. But in 2025? 40 hours in January, 15 in February, and 18 in March. I'm currently at 22 for April and am hoping to make it to 30. Why has this happened? Part of it was volleyball season . I knew I wouldn't get as many hours in from January through March because we'd be traveling a lot of weekends for volleyball. The weekends we didn't have tournaments, I either (1) visited my mom in North Carolina or (2) caught up on all of the house and yard work that I'd neglected over the previous weeks. With all of that, I fell out of the habit. And I was tired. When I did find myself with a half-hour or more for piano, I chose instead to veg in front of the TV or just go to sleep. (I also got out of the fitness habit during this time, so it wasn't just piano.) Back to Piano In March, after Don died and Brenda asked me to play a couple of son...

January was not a great month for piano practice. By the time I go to bed tonight, I hope to have reached the 40-hour mark. I normally practice at least 50 hours a month, sometimes 60. Despite my mere 40 hours, I did have a few accomplishments. Learned the entire Liszt piece and can play it, slowly, from beginning to end. Memorized about half of the Liszt. Became much more proficient at playing the two quasi cadenza sections of Liszt. Learned all four sections of Pineapple Rag. Memorized the first two sections of Pineapple Rag. Practiced Bare Necessities enough that I can play it again Learned Czerny Ex. 2. Made it through Lesson 4 of the Bible of Blues Riffs course. In addition, my blues improv of a few weeks ago was recognized yesterday as one of five "standout performances" on the PWJ Members Facebook page! So, it wasn't a terrible month for piano. And I knew going into it that it wasn't going to be a heavy practice month. And it wasn't--I ended up with not one...

It's New Year's Eve! Happy New Year! I don't have any big plans for the evening, and I'm secretly hoping to spend a few hours at the piano before the year is out. To meet my percentage goals for December, I need to focus on ragtime and blues tonight. Yes! January Challenges Before I get into my January 2025 goals, I'll get the challenges out of the way. 1. Weekend travel. It's club volleyball season! My daughter is on a 15u club team this year, and we have two tournaments in January, three in February, and three in March! Add to that the fact that I'll be traveling to North Carolina to visit my mom once a month, and that's not a lot of weekend piano time. Oh, and there is the regular driving back and forth to practices twice a week. Can I make up for the lost time on non-travel, non-volleyball-practice days? We'll see! (By the way, I love club volleyball season. This is my daughter's third year playing club, and I look forward to it every year. T...

Yesterday was the Piano With Jonny annual student awards, and I won a ragtime performance award! It was quite an honor because there are a lot of good pianists, including ragtime pianists, in the PWJ community. Most of the awardees had been in PWJ for multiple years, so I felt particularly honored as a first-year student. Here is the clip where they announced the award! This honor has inspired me to think about my future long-term goals. Barring further issues with my wrist (and elbow), I think I have big plans for 2025. Ragtime First, I want to learn three new Scott Joplin rags: Pineapple Rag, Elite Syncopations, and The Ragtime Dance. I want to learn them in that order--in other words, from the easiest to the most difficult. The plan is to average four months per piece, with the hope that Pineapple Rag will take a little less than that so I have more time for the others. These will be more challenging than my pieces from 2024 (Maple Leaf Rag, Solace, and The Entertainer). Not only a...