Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Teachers Forum Teachers! How many hours do you practice daily?

Hello Teachers!

I am a teacher and am currently working as an adjunct professor at a couple of local institutions, have a private studio, and am a church choir director. In addition to my teaching responsibilities, I keep an active performing schedule that includes chamber and solo recitals. Ideally, I would like to practice 4 hours or more daily; however, two hours is the most I can do. Just curious to see if others out there are experiencing the same issues I am.
Thank you!

Hello Chickering,

On my current schedule I practice 3 hours daily four times a week, 2 hours on two days, then one day off. There are variations to that schedule, of course, but that is how it generally works out. And the only reason I can practice even that much is because my usual teaching schedule of 20 hour per week is not filled out - otherwise it would be just 2 hours a day.

For years I have limited my teaching of private piano lessons to 20 hours per week because if I cannot have enough energy and time available to practice for my own advancement then I see no point in being involved in the art form at all. Also, the more I attend to my own continuing development the more alertness and innovation I bring to teaching - if I slack off my practicing for a couple of weeks for whatever reason I have noticed a decline in the quality of my instruction (I start to talk in clichés) so I am compelled, as they saying goes, to stay on top of my game the best I can. Furthermore, a few of my students are advanced, and because I am a teacher who chooses to illustrate at the keyboard when I feel it is useful, it is hardly helpful if my playing is sloppy.

I must constantly, daily, struggle to find adequate practice time - so we are facing that same challenge all the time. And frequently failing to find adequate time can be emotionally debilitating. I also have a church job because it is, frankly, quick and easy money on the side, but I no longer lead choirs - I simply play the organ. Choirs can chew up much more time than a salary warrants in many cases, and since I am not particularly religious or interested in church politics I keep my involvement limited to sight reading hymns and improvising preludes, interludes, and postludes, and nothing more in that department.

Heinrich Neuhaus speaks eloquently to the difficult challenges of a teacher-performer in his his wonderful book, "The Art of Piano Playing." If you have not already read it, I think you will find a fellow soul in his writing.

Hang in there!

JB

Jonathan, Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts regarding my question!

I have a private studio, a Sunday-only church job, accompany for dance classes, and occasionally perform. Most of the dance accompanying work is at local colleges, so it is a different schedule every semester, and nothing during January and summer.

When there is no dance accompanying to do, I can easily practice 5-6 hours several days a week and 1-2 on the "off" days. When I am in the middle of an unusually busy semester (like now) it's more like 2-3 hours a day, 1 on the off days, with maybe one 4-5 hour day.

I'm with Jonathan, I feel that taking on enough work to obliterate my practice time is ultimately not worth the money. I need practice time in order to be effective as a teacher, to not suck at work, and for my emotional and spiritual well-being.

Thank you so much for your input Heather! Both you and Jonathan mentioned feeling not adequate as a teacher and perhaps emotionally and spiritually drained if you don't have a chance to practice. That is something that I have been feeling lately and have been questioning if it is worth taking on a large number of students. You both have confirmed my suspicions. I think I am going to take Jonathan's advice about keeping my teaching hours to 20 instead of 43 as it is at the moment.

I have not read Neuhaus' "The Art of Piano Playing," but will be doing so in the very near future.

Thank you both!

Your plate sounds more than full. I would consider prioritizing the obligations and removing some that just aren't as important as the others. A 43-hour workweek is a hefty load for any piano teacher.

Maybe you can refer some students to colleagues? Or recommend somebody else to take over your choir duties? You'll also make some friends in the process. It's a win-win situation.

Thank you for your suggestions, AZNpiano! After reading the responses from the previous two posters and yours, I have started to prioritize my jobs and responsibilities.

Very good painful topic! In my opinion have not yet developed a coherent methodology for teachers - how to keep your apparatus in working order, even if the lack of time.
When I attended a masterclass drummer Billy Cobham; he spoke also about this theme. He was known as a very busy drummer, and almost all the exercises , in his words , he spent mentally, for 5-7 hours a day ,sometimes even more. But not all were so lucky to learn from Karl Leimer !