What’s a good piano practice routine?

A good piano practice routine doesn’t need to be complicated, but it does need to be balanced. If you structure your time well, you’ll improve faster and avoid picking up bad habits along the way.

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Start with Scales (They Really Do Matter)

Scales might not be the most exciting part of piano practice, but they are one of the most valuable.

They help you:

• Strengthen your fingers
• Improve speed and control
• Learn key signatures naturally
• Understand chords more easily
• Build proper fingering habits

There are plenty of good players who don’t practise scales regularly, but in most cases they end up limiting what they can do. You also risk developing awkward or inconsistent fingering, which becomes harder to fix later on.

So even if they feel repetitive, they’re worth keeping in your routine.

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A Balanced Practice Structure

The main challenge with scales is that they can get boring if you overdo them. That’s why balance is important.

A simple and effective 1-hour practice routine could look like this:

• 20 minutes – scales and technical work
• 40 minutes – pieces, songs, or improvisation

As you improve, you might reduce scales slightly to around 10–15 minutes, especially once they feel more natural.

The key idea is this:

Aim for around 30–40% of your practice time on technical work (like scales).

It doesn’t matter if your session is shorter or longer—this balance still applies.

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Using ABRSM Scales Effectively

If you’re working towards graded exams, the ABRSM scale books are a very useful resource.

They introduce scales gradually, which means you’ll eventually cover:

• All major and minor keys
• Technical patterns across the keyboard
• Increasing levels of difficulty

Even if you’re not planning to take exams, starting from Grade 1 scales and progressing step by step is still a very solid approach.

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Don’t Let Practice Become Rigid

One important thing to remember: your routine should help you, not frustrate you.

If you find yourself getting tired or bored of scales:

• Take a short break
• Spend a few days focusing on pieces you enjoy
• Switch things up to keep motivation high

That’s completely normal.

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But Don’t Leave Scales Too Long

While breaks are useful, it’s also important not to drop scales entirely for too long. If you do, you’ll likely find:

• Finger control becomes less consistent
• You feel “rusty” in technical passages
• It takes longer to get back into shape

A few days away is fine—but always bring them back into your routine.

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Make Time for Music You Actually Enjoy

A good practice routine isn’t just about technique. It should also include playing music you enjoy.

That might include:

• Learning new pieces
• Revisiting old favourites
• Improvising
• Or experimenting freely at the keyboard

This is what keeps you motivated long-term.

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Final Thought

The best piano practice routine is one you can actually stick to.

A mix of scales, pieces, and enjoyable playing is usually the most effective approach. Keep it structured, but not restrictive—and adjust it as your playing develops.