There are all sorts of ideas and notions as to how much a person should practice, but the answer is not really a simple one as it is entirely appropriate for different people to practice in differing amounts. What I am trying to do is to present some ideas that will help you pinpoint how much practice you should be doing.
If you are having piano lessons with a teacher then you should be practising how much they recommend. The reason why you should do what they suggest is because they know you as an individual and they know what you are capable of . Piano teachers know their students strengths and weaknesses, they know what the goals are and they know something about you as a person, not just a student.
If you are working without a teacher, then the ideal is to be practicing every single day. If this is just not possible, then practicing most days would be adequate. As a beginner, you really only need to do a minimum of ten minutes per day. Anything else is an added bonus and yes, the more you practice the quicker you will progress.
Especially if you are learning to play the piano for the sheer joy of being able to play, then your piano practice should, for the most part, be enjoyable. There will be times, as you are learning and increasing your skill level, that you will not always having fun, but in those times, it will feel more like hard work. It is during these times that persistence is required.
If you have very few commitments, then you can practice the piano as much as you like. My own Grandmother would spend somewhere between 1 to 3 hours every morning playing her piano. Once she had finished raising her family, she had time to herself and when my Grandfather passed away, my Grandmother was in her mid seventies and so she had approximately 17 years living alone with not a lot of responsibilities. She had oodles of time and she found playing the piano to be one of the greatest joys in her life – so she thoroughly enjoyed her time at the piano.
In working out what is the right amount of practice for you, take into consideration what responsibilities you have – do you regularly take care of the grandchildren or help out with them? Are you caring for an elderly relative or friend? These commitments will impact on how much you can practice.
How much time practicing the piano would feel right to you? It’s a basic but important question to ask yourself.
In setting yourself goals of how much you want to practice the piano, make sure you are striking a balance between all your other commitments and responsibilities, and how much time you want to set aside to practice. Be realistic, so you can maximize how much you can practice and the efficiency of your practice.