There is a common assumption out there that once you get really good at something, you no longer have to practice. You become as good as you’ll get and the rest comes naturally.
Not true.
When you do something over and over again, you take on an effortless appearance. It seems as if you can do it without really trying at all. You have the skills. You have the knowledge. You know how to put all best efforts into practice. At that point you “get it”.
You’re one of the best. And you either have it or you don’t.
If you’ve always wanted to be a great piano player, chances are you’ve watched “the best” and marveled at their talent. It’s human nature to focus in on their talents, and look on in amazement at all they display.
But are you born with a talent for piano playing? Probably not.
Instead, what some people are born with is a desire to play the piano. So they buy a piano and start playing. They take lessons. They learn from the best. They improvise.
They practice.
Over and over again, many hours over the course of days, weeks, months.
If you ask someone who has a desire to play piano, they’ll probably have a belief that it takes “natural talent” to become an accomplished pianist. After all, they know just how difficult it is to play a quality tune.
But if you ask an accomplished pianist what it took to get to where they are today, you’ll very rarely hear “talent”. Instead you’ll hear “hard work”.
The more you play, the more you enjoy playing the piano. They more you play, the better you get. The more practice you put in, the more accomplished you will become.
Practice puts certain muscles into action. If you skip practice, those muscles slow down. They don’t operate at the same level as before. You miss the little things that once made you good.
Do even the best piano players in the world know this? You bet.
That’s why they practice every day.
