I’m learning piano and have been looking for a music journal to record my practice notes. There are some great journals out there already but none that suited me perfectly, so I decided to create my own rather than order another one from someone else. Of course I could just use a plain notebook, but I like having a structured approach. Writing down my goals also helps me to focus.

The book is available from Lulu.com now (click on the image below). It will soon be available at other bookshops, but as with the short story book, I still have to wait for final review and approval before that happens.

My piano journey

I started playing piano when I was well into my 50s and had a teacher and did exams. I reached AMEB grade 6 Piano for Leisure, and passed the exam some years ago. I then stopped playing for several years for various reasons, especially as I found I couldn’t play anything. I couldn’t play the grade 7 yet, and was spending so much time on them I could no longer play anything I’d learned earlier. My teacher was pressuring me into practicing more than three hours a day and doing the classical exams as if I was aiming for the conservatorium, which of course I was not. I loved her to bits and it was hard to give up the lessons because I liked her so much and in many ways she was a wonderful teacher, but eventually I did, and then didn’t play at all.

I’m now teaching myself, but following a more Danish approach than going for more exams. I bought a new piano too, as my old one was over 110 years old and could no longer be tuned. I much prefer an acoustic piano to the digital pianos.

My version of the Danish approach

The Danish approach, as I understand it and have adapted it, is to play whatever I like, no matter what level, genre or anything else; to learn each piece and master any technical challenges it presents, and then move on to the next piece, but often playing the earlier pieces so they remain in an active repertoire list. To that end I’m re-learning all the old pieces I really loved, and when I master (and usually memorise) each one, I put a copy in a repertoire folder. I go through all the pieces in the folder at least once a week. I also spend time improvising and playing by ear, neither of which I’d ever done before.

Best of all, I’m really having fun with the piano again, and loving every minute.

I’m also playing ukulele in an ensemble, so perhaps I’ll buy a journal for that instrument as well!