Learn only musical, performable, compositions; no Hanon, Czerny, exercises, etc., but scales, arpeggios, chromatic scale are necessary, and performable etudes (Chopin, Liszt) are helpful. Specific exercises may be necessary for advanced students.
Listen to performances and recordings to improve musicality.
Practice Hands Separate, in Segments (Segmental Practice) that overlap (Continuity Rule); switch hands before the working hand becomes tired. Get up to speed quickly. All technical development should be accomplished HS.
Practice the most difficult sections first.
Memorize first, HS, and practice only from memory.
Learn Mental Play, Memory, Relative/Absolute Pitch and Play By Ear skills, which raises the IQ.
Use Parallel Sets to diagnose weaknesses and correct them.
Practice softly, without pedal, and use staccato practice.
Learn to relax.
Always play the last repetition of any repeated fast practice slowly.
Play through mistakes to prevent stuttering.
Use metronome to check rhythm, speed briefly; do not use it for ramping up speed or continuously.
Use Post Practice Improvement which occurs during sleep.
Hand motions: forearm rotation, curled and flat finger positions, thumb over, power thumb, jump rules, glissando motion, quiet hands/fingers, cartwheel motion, finger splits, finger/wrist/hand staccato, etc..
Hands Together methods are the same as HS (4-14). Use outlining.
Sight reading: look at sheet music, not hands; read in phrases, one or more bars ahead, memorize all common constructs, learn to practice using mental play only (no piano).
Play finished pieces cold; acquire advanced technique using finished pieces.
Performance preparation: On practice day, practice recital pieces only; ONCE at nearly full, then medium and slow speeds. Practice insecure sections in small segments, below final speed; avoid over-practicing. Always play slowly at least once before quitting. Use breathing routines to cure performance anxiety.
Most upright acoustics are obsolete; use digital pianos for beginners; need either high quality digital or acoustic grand above intermediate level.
Youngsters should be started before age four when they can learn absolute pitch, mental play, memorization, play by ear effortlessly.