While playing a song / melody, Why does my timing of hitting the chords go wrong?

[pw_bodhi]

As Col said, there's no one "right" way, thought I'd offer what I do as well to see if it is of any help to you.

1. Warm up - usually a few scales. When I was more of a beginner, I had a fairly structured approach to scales and would do two octaves of all majors and relative minors in parallel and contrary motion. These days I just noodle around for a while with whatever scales I feel like until I don't want to do it any more.

2. Warm up part 2 - play a tune for fun. Something I already know just for enjoyment or to keep my "hand in".

3. Song list - I will have a set list of songs I want to get through. They'll either be new ones I'm learning, or ones I want to polish up because I haven't done them for a while. I try not to spend more than 20 minutes on any one song, unless it's REALLY new.

4. Finish - I try to spend somewhere between 45 - 90 minutes practicing. Any longer than that and I start to become mentally fatigued.

Edit: I should add that I also vary my practice between my piano and my 61-key unweighted keyboard. So for example - one day I might play on my piano and the next day on my unweighted. I find this helps me adjust easily to the ergonomics of the different actions. I find the unweighted keyboard much harder to play accurately on if I don't practice on it regularly.

Just tried this approach. It clicked. A piece that i was trying to get correctly from long time, i practiced it slow.. Real slow, even without tempo before beginning with slow tempo, then with slow tempo and then normal. Ended up playing that piece more than 30 times.. But then in the end got it... Good and happy about it... How will i improve at it gradually taking lesser time in future? What should be my Practice methodand what should be my routine? Your advice really helped.. Hoping you would guide me further on this too...

@
cpcohen1945
I have posted my routine above in one of the replies. Please can you review if that is ok?

 

[pw_bodhi]

As Col said, there's no one "right" way, thought I'd offer what I do as well to see if it is of any help to you.

1. Warm up - usually a few scales. When I was more of a beginner, I had a fairly structured approach to scales and would do two octaves of all majors and relative minors in parallel and contrary motion. These days I just noodle around for a while with whatever scales I feel like until I don't want to do it any more.

2. Warm up part 2 - play a tune for fun. Something I already know just for enjoyment or to keep my "hand in".

3. Song list - I will have a set list of songs I want to get through. They'll either be new ones I'm learning, or ones I want to polish up because I haven't done them for a while. I try not to spend more than 20 minutes on any one song, unless it's REALLY new.

4. Finish - I try to spend somewhere between 45 - 90 minutes practicing. Any longer than that and I start to become mentally fatigued.

Edit: I should add that I also vary my practice between my piano and my 61-key unweighted keyboard. So for example - one day I might play on my piano and the next day on my unweighted. I find this helps me adjust easily to the ergonomics of the different actions. I find the unweighted keyboard much harder to play accurately on if I don't practice on it regularly.

thankyou. I have posted my routine above to one of the replies. Please can you review it

 

[CowboyNQ]

thankyou. I have posted my routine above to one of the replies. Please can you review it

If it works for you, it’s good.

The important thing is to practice regularly. In my opinion 45 minutes a day every day is better than 5 hours once a week.

I find It’s also important to spend at least some of the time practicing things that are fun so that it doesn’t become a chore.

Outside of that, work on whatever you like. It’s your practice time to spend as you wish.