Practice Plan

Now you must BREAK IT DOWN into small pieces for practice. Although the size to which you should break down each piece may vary for each individual, the following plan can be used by almost anyone.

Break it down VERTICALLY (into sections). Each piece breaks down neatly into 2-, 3-, or 4-measure sections. Decide how large your sections will be, and then number them. The example to the right breaks down “Silent Night” into six 2-measure sections, marked by the blue numbers.

Break it down HORIZONTALLY (into lines or parts). All trios break themselves down neatly into three lines: one played by the right hand, one by the left, and the other by the feet. These divisions are marked by the gold letters to the right.