I am a cello player since 30 years and have played for a decade in a string quartet, taken numerous masterclasses with great teachers. I know what the methods are and what works for me when practicing my favourite instrument.
I sometimes play the piano for fun, but it seems I can not practice efficiently. I don't take piano lessons so I am trying to find a good way to learn a new piano piece by myself.
The piece in question is Arabesque n°1 by Claude Debussy which does not look extremely difficult, but it has its quirks (for instance left hand quavers vs right hand triplets).
Here are some questions I am wondering each time I work on something:
- should I read the score without even touching the piano?
- should I try and play the whole thing even if I only hit 5% of the right keys?
- should I work on hands separately? Left hand first, then right hand?
- should I avoid using the harmonic pedal and rubato?
I am pretty sure there is not a single perfect method that works for everybody and every piece, but advice from experienced players would be really appreciated.