When I get a new song to practice I always seem to get bored with it and go on to a different one. Does anyone know what I can do to discipline myself to practice better? (By the way I'm obsessed with Final Fantasy music. Nobuo Uematsu is my composer idol.)

When I get a new song to practice I always seem to get bored with it and go on to a different one. Does anyone know what I can do to discipline myself to practice better? (By the way I'm obsessed with Final Fantasy music. Nobuo Uematsu is my composer idol.)

Ummm... lol!
Welll... not really much to say how you can discipline yourself to practise better, i mean if you're bored of the piece you're practising... there must be something about the piece that you're not interested in or is it the process of practising the piece which is boring you out?
I mean... there must be something great that attracted you to that piece of music in the first place... so why did you get bored of it?
Umm... lol, but really just think that this practising would mean that you'll be able to play something you really enjoy/like... :)

Good Point. Thank you very much.

play a song that u like !! u will not find playing piano that boring after that ^^

hard to tell if you are bored of the piece or bored of practicing can you specify?

Ask yourself: Do I really want to play this piece to the level of performance or is it just for fun?

I always found myself practicing more when preparing for a competition or performance.

depends on the level of interest in waht you're doing and also yes the circumstances
are you required to learn it? if so you are more likely to be diligent
if you're just doing it on your own time, only you will decide how much you practice on it

Arrange a performance, and force yourself to practice before the date. :P

The reason that you might get bored with it is either its too hard and your mind is too lazy to try, or, you have no goal to drive to so you can actually force yourself to enjoy practicing.

Most of the time with people who actually play this much piano is the second reason. My sister plays the piano WAY more than I do, and she always has a goal that she wants to reach so that she can play without getting bored or tired.

Me? Well, I blow out like a balloon as soon as I start playing a new piece, no matter how much I love it... -.-

But yeah, like what Zero said, make a goal for yourself! Set a performance date at a venue and practice towards that date! ^^

Well, practicing shouldn't be looked at as boring, pointless playing. I mean, what's the reason you're practicing? To learn the piece, and play it (at LEAST) fairly well, or without mistakes. Am I correct?

The question of getting sick of the piece is entirely up to you. It can be many things which range from the style of the piece, difficulty, what do you physically play in it (arpeggios, chords, lots of runs, etc.) and the emotional quality you get out of it. You have to ask yourself what do you like about this piece, and consider if you really like the sounds/melodies/harmonies and from that, do you want to play it? Then, go so far is if it's worth you wanting to actually practice it so you can play it, and proficiently.

From then on, you have to know how to practice that piece.

Prologue : Look over the piece, and sight read through the entire thing. Try to pick a slow, comfortable speed, and just play through the piece without making too many mistakes.

I : Start practicing. I like to start from the beginning and work to the end, myself. It's good to pick out a good section to start. Let's say the first 12 bars (or the opening/beginning to the piece). From there, go over the piece with hands separate, very slowly. DO NOT MAKE MISTAKES. If you mess up, stop immediately and start again. If you mess up constantly at a certain speed, slow down until it's comfortable and free of mistakes.

NOTE : I like to follow a structured check list. Let's say I practice the opening phrases with the right hand 20 times. Then the left hand 20 times (same measures) and then go back to the right, and then the left again.

II : From there, add both hands. Follow the instructions above, and do it about 10 times. Each time you get 10 perfect times in a row, click up your tempo a little bit, and repeat this step.

III : Now, move on to the next section, and repeat steps I and II. After you complete your next section, keep going on to the next, and the next, etc. You can probably feel the piece in your hands at this point, and should be able to play it fairly proficiently.

This whole process should take about 30-45 mins. I don't like to spend too much time on one piece, unless you're really into it. And even though music is supposed to be musical and full of expression, practicing like this (which is really structured, and disciplinary) adds to your technique and will give you ability express all those feelings and musical ideas with your clean, crisp playing.

I hope this helps you, and everyone else that reads this little mini-essay I put together.