Efficient Worship Piano Practice: 4 Tips to Improve with Limited Time

Whether you are learning worship piano for personal worship or playing on a team, chances are that you have an already-busy schedule. Fitting practice time and/or lessons into your week can be a challenge. Here are a few tips to make the most out of your weekly practice:

Tip #1: Schedule your practice time.

It is amazing how much we can accomplish if we set aside a short time every day just for that activity. Ideally, in order to improve your piano skills or prepare for church, you should set aside 20-30 minutes a day, 4-5 days a week to practice. (Preparing for Sunday worship may require additional time.) Add this as an appointment to your calendar, with a reminder 10 minutes beforehand.

Tip #2: Plan ahead; don’t cram.

Studies show that long-term memory is more stable and reliable than short-term memory. If you have a worship team practice or lesson coming up, don’t wait until that day to begin practicing. Start several days ahead of time, working through a little bit every day. By the time the lesson or church service arrives, you will feel much more confident in your songs.

Tip #3: Work out notes and rhythms first.

Before working out cool accompaniment patterns and ideas, first make sure your chords and beats are solid. Play a “boring” pattern to start with, to be sure you know exactly how many beats each chord should last as well as how to play each chord.

Note and rhythmic accuracy are the most important aspects of piano playing. Once these are worked out, you can (if you have time) experiment with dynamics, accompaniment patterns, and other cool ideas.

Tip #4: Take lessons.

By investing an extra 30 minutes a week in lessons to learn the foundational skills, you will save yourself so much time and frustration both now and in the future. If you would like one-on-one instruction, check out online lessons with Makayla. Or if you would prefer a self-paced option, check out the worship piano courses.

Want to learn more?

If you would like to learn how to play worship piano like a pro, check out my Worship Essentials courses. This unique approach combines a simple, easy-to-follow method of learning the piano along with teachings on the heart of worship - and it has proven successful for people of all ages and levels.

Or, if you would prefer one-on-one instruction, consider online lessons. Lessons incorporate the same content of the Worship Essentials courses but have the added bonus of one-on-one coaching and instruction.

Happy worshipping!