Practice with purpose
The 15-Minute Piano Practice Workbook for Adults
For adults who already play piano—and those returning after a break.
Keep the printed workbook at your piano, write in it as you practice, and bring structure to short sessions with your own sheet music. Not a beginner lesson method.
By Steven W Summers · a pianist with 45 years of experience
For the music in front of you
Small goals, real attention
Choose a passage in your own music, understand the sticking point, then leave yourself a clear starting place for next time. The workbook offers a repeatable framework for short sessions, not a sequence of beginner lessons.
Coming back after years away? Start hereA note from Steven
Why I wrote this workbook
I've always struggled to practice consistently and with purpose.
When I started piano lessons at about 12, my mother insisted I practice every day. All I really wanted was to be outside with my neighborhood friends until the streetlights came on.
As I got older, the struggle changed. It became impatience with the process. I wanted to play music that sounded like something, not simple melodies I'd never heard before.
Honestly, I still wrestle with practicing consistently and with purpose. But thanks to my mom, I can now play just about anything I want. It does, however, take practice.
That's why I wrote The 15-Minute Piano Practice Workbook. It's the simple, doable plan I wish I'd had: short, focused sessions that fit real life and make steady progress feel possible.
I hope it helps you enjoy the piano again and find real joy in playing.
— Steven
Get the workbookOne passage. Five deliberate moves.
The numbers are minutes, not levels to complete. Follow the same shape with a different, achievable target each time you practice.
- 1
Choose
Pick one achievable target from music you already want to play. Two measures are plenty.
- 3
Prepare
Examine the notes, rhythm, and fingering slowly before repeating anything at speed.
- 8
Solve
Work on the smallest trouble spot carefully. Pause, adjust, and play accurately before adding tempo.
- 2
Reconnect
Bring in the measures around it so the repaired passage belongs to the phrase again.
- 1
Return
Write down exactly where to begin next time, while the details are still fresh.
Illustration, not a workbook page
Example practice session
Suppose two measures in your own piece make you stumble whenever the left hand moves under the melody. Spend one minute choosing those measures as today's goal. For three minutes, look at the rhythm and fingering without rushing; count aloud and play each hand slowly. Take eight minutes to isolate the hand change, repeat it accurately at a comfortable tempo, and only then join the hands. Spend two minutes playing the measure before and the measure after, so the fix works inside the phrase. In the final minute, write: “Start at the left-hand change in measure two; count before adding speed.”
This is an illustrative practice scenario, not a reproduction or preview of an actual workbook page.
Choose your format
The right companion for your piano
The two print editions are versions of the 60-page workbook. The digital practice system is a different product, not a digital copy included with print.
Spiral-bound print workbook
60 pages · coil-bound to lie open at the piano · printed on demand
$24.99
+ $8 US Standard Mail shipping. Mail may be untracked; delivery timing varies.
Amazon paperback
60 pages · perfect bound, not spiral · fulfilled by Amazon
$16.99
Listed as The 15-Minute Piano Practice Workbook: Simple Exercises. Real Progress. A More Joyful You.
Digital practice system
A separate digital bundle with the 33-page 30-Day Practice Prescription
$12
Instant digital download. Contents and page count differ from the print workbook; print purchases do not include this bundle.
Questions about the workbook
- Who is the workbook for?
- This workbook assumes previous piano experience. It is designed for adult pianists and returning players who want more structure in their practice. It is not a course that teaches piano from the beginning, nor a beginner lesson method.
- Can I use it with my own sheet music?
- Yes. Pick an achievable passage in your own piece, then use the practice flow to focus on it and reconnect it to the surrounding music.
- Is the digital system the same as the printed workbook?
- No. The digital practice system and 33-page 30-Day Practice Prescription are a separate bundle with different contents and page count. Neither print edition includes the digital bundle.
- What is the difference between spiral and paperback?
- Both print editions have 60 pages. The spiral-bound edition is coil-bound to lie open at the piano and ships by US Standard Mail from Payhip; the Amazon paperback is perfect bound, not spiral.
- Does this include piano lessons?
- No. This is a way to organize practice with your own music, not a sequence of piano lessons or a substitute for a teacher when you need one.
Want a gentle plan for your first week back? Read how to start playing piano again.