The Practice Letter
Practical piano advice, delivered to your inbox every week
Would you like to make more progress at the piano — without necessarily spending more time practising?
The Practice Letter is my free weekly email for pianists who want to practise more effectively, overcome problems at the keyboard and get more enjoyment from their playing.
Each week, I share practical ideas drawn from my work as a pianist, piano teacher and music examiner — ideas that you can take straight to the piano and try for yourself.
Join The Practice Letter - FreeJoin today and receive my free guide, Practice Smarter: Seven Keys to More Effective Piano Practice.
Is The Practice Letter For You?
The Practice Letter is particularly written for adult pianists.
Perhaps you learnt the piano when you were younger and have recently returned to playing. Perhaps you've been playing throughout your life and would simply like to make better progress. You might be preparing for an exam or performance, or you may play purely for your own enjoyment.
Whatever your level or ambitions, it's very easy for practice to become a matter of repeatedly playing pieces through and hoping that, eventually, the difficult bits will improve.
There is a better way.
The Practice Letter is about developing the skills to recognise why something isn't working and finding an effective way of fixing it.
What Will I Receive?
Every week, you'll receive a short, practical email exploring an aspect of piano playing or practice.
Topics might include:
- how to tackle a difficult passage
- what to do when hands-separate practice works but hands together doesn't
- improving accuracy without endlessly repeating mistakes
- building speed gradually and securely
- memorising music
- using the pedal effectively
- developing phrasing and musical expression
- preparing a piece for performance
- making good progress when practice time is limited
- knowing when to stop practising something and move on
I also share new video tutorials, resources and occasional opportunities to take part in workshops or other piano-practice events.
My aim is simple: each Practice Letter should give you something useful to try at the piano.
Join The Practice LetterYour Free Practice Smarter Guide
When you join, you'll also receive a copy of: Practice Smarter: Seven Keys to More Effective Piano Practice
This free guide introduces seven principles that can transform the way you approach your practice.
Rather than simply telling you to "practise more", it will help you think more carefully about how you practise — so that the time you spend at the piano is focused, productive and enjoyable.
It's yours to keep when you join The Practice Letter.
Get the Free Guide & JoinWho Am I?
I'm Jonathan Delbridge, a concert pianist, piano teacher and music examiner.
Over many years of teaching, I've worked with pianists of different ages and abilities and encountered the same problem again and again: people are often told what to play, but not necessarily taught how to practise it.
Effective practice is a skill in its own right.
Through The Practice Letter, my videos, courses and teaching, I want to help pianists develop that skill — giving them practical tools to become more independent, confident and thoughtful musicians.
More About JonathanWant To Go Further?
The Practice Letter is completely free and is a great place to start.
If you'd like a more structured approach, you can also explore my online course: How to Practice Piano More Effectively
Work through a complete collection of practical strategies and techniques at your own pace and learn how to approach your practice in a more systematic and productive way.
Explore the Online CourseJoin The Practice Letter
Make your next practice session a better one
Join pianists receiving practical ideas and encouragement from me each week and receive Practice Smarter: Seven Keys to More Effective Piano Practice completely free.
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