Path to Perfection in Piano

Well, that’s tricky.

The truth is that there is no perfection in piano, just like there is no perfection in life. I mean, we should always be moving toward perfection, but we should also be willing to accept that we will inevitably fall short. In fact, when music is made perfect through audio engineering, it loses the human element and becomes much less enjoyable.

Vince Lombardi is reported to have said, “Gentlemen we are going to relentlessly chase perfection. Knowing full well we will not catch it because nothing is perfect. But we are going to relentlessly chase it. Because in the process we will catch excellence. I’m not even remotely interested in being just good.”

So, let’s catch excellence by relentlessly chasing perfection. Here, five things to remember as you walk this path.

1. According to Brene Brown, healthy striving is self-focused (“How can I improve?”). Perfectionism is other-focused (“What will they think?”). As you are practicing and preparing for performance, keep your focus on what you can do to be better. People will think what they think. Their thoughts should never be part of the equation.
2. The pursuit of excellence should never supersede the joy of making music. That’s not to say that every minute of every practice session will be joyful. It won’t. Sometimes it’s painful. But you should always allow yourself a few minutes of joyful, playful music-making.
3. Take action. Thinking of perfection can be paralyzing. As you keep it as your end-goal, take consistent action toward small goals. And on that note. . .
4. Break up your goal into small chunks. Practice a phrase at a time. Set a timer for a predetermined time for each portion of your practice. Keep yourself from being overwhelmed by taking one bite at a time.
5. Be consistent. It is true that a focus on quantity produces greater results than a focus on quality. Play. Play more. Play even more. The more you play, the better you’ll get. If you play one piece nearly perfectly once a day, you won’t be nearly as accomplished as if you play multiple pieces not-so-perfectly for an hour (or two or three) a day.
6. How about a bonus? Once you visualize the end result you want, tuck it away in the recesses of your mind and put your focus on the process. Focus on how you feel as you practice. Focus on the changes you saw today in your practice session.

Keep at it! Perfection may not be attainable, but excellence definitely is. Don’t accept anything less.