Better piano practice starts by setting realistic, measurable goals. If you’ve ever sat down at the piano, plunked out a few notes, and then scrolled through your phone for twenty minutes, congratulations! You’re just like the rest of us. But if you actually want to get better (without feeling like you’re spinning your wheels), you need a system. Enter the SMART framework—your new best friend for productive and focused practice sessions.
What is SMART and Why Should You Care?
SMART is an acronym that stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. It’s a goal-setting method that keeps you accountable and helps you make real progress, not just mindlessly noodle on the keys.
So, let’s break it down and see how you can use this to level up your piano playing!
S – Specific: Stop Practicing Everything at Once
Bad practice: “I want to get better at jazz piano.”
SMART practice: “I will learn the first 8 bars of ‘Autumn Leaves’ using shell voicings.”
Being specific is like telling your GPS exactly where you want to go instead of just saying, “Drive somewhere cool.” The more focused your practice goal, the better piano practice you’ll have.
M – Measurable: How Do You Know You’re Improving?
Bad practice: “I want to improve my improvisation.“
SMART practice: “I will record myself playing a 12-bar blues solo and compare it to last week’s recording.”
Measuring progress keeps you honest. If you don’t track it, you won’t know if you’re getting better or just repeating the same mistakes. (Pro tip: If your cat still leaves the room when you play, you might need more practice.)
A – Achievable: Be Ambitious, But Not Unrealistic
Bad practice: “I will master all of Oscar Peterson’s solos by next week.”
SMART practice: “I will learn 8 bars of an Oscar Peterson solo over the next three days.”
Set goals that stretch you but don’t break you. If you bite off too much, you’ll get frustrated and quit. Keep it achievable, and you’ll stay motivated to keep going.
R – Relevant: Practice What Actually Matters
Bad practice: “I’m going to learn Beethoven’s Fifth…even though I only play jazz.”
SMART practice: “I will work on II-V-I progressions because they show up in most jazz tunes.”
Better piano practice means practice that aligns with your goals. If you want to sound great at cocktail gigs, spending hours on classical études might not be the best use of your time (unless, of course, you just love them!).
T – Time-bound: Set Deadlines, Not Vague Promises
Bad practice: “I’ll get better at playing fast runs someday.”
SMART practice: “I will be able to play a two-octave C major scale at 140 BPM within two weeks.”
Having a deadline keeps you accountable. If there’s no time limit, your goals float into the abyss of “I’ll do it later.” And we all know that “later” is piano purgatory.
Put It All Together
Let’s take a random (but totally relatable) piano goal and make it SMART.
Bad Goal: “I want to be a better jazz pianist.”
SMART Goal: “I will learn the melody and comping for ‘Blue Bossa’ in two weeks, recording my progress every three days and playing along with a backing track at 100 BPM.”
See the difference? One is wishful thinking, the other is a clear roadmap to success.
Ready to Get SMART?
If you want structured lessons that actually help you practice smarter, not harder, check out Jazzedge Academy. Whether you’re working on chord voicings, improvisation, or just trying to get your fingers to cooperate, a SMART practice approach will get you there faster—and with fewer “what was I supposed to be doing again?” moments.
Now go make some music! And don’t forget—if your cat finally sticks around while you play, you know you’ve got better piano practice!
