Guiding students who lack technique

[Bob]

How do you deal with students who don't have enough technique for a piece they are playing? 

I see this in myself and also in my students.  For my students, I don't tell them for fear of discouraging them ("Don't worry student.  It will only be a few YEARS before you can play this right, if you work at it that is.")  I don't tell them, but keep finding pieces that will challenge them toward that end in steps.

Here's an example...
https://www.pianostreet.com/smf/index.php?topic=9988.msg102869#msg102869

[whynot]

Bob, this is very interesting.  I followed your link, but it would be helpful to know specifically what the technical challenge is in that particular piece.  Scale-type stuff?  Jumping around?  Changing chords fast?  I wait with bated breath... unless someone jumps in and totally solves this in the meantime, in which case I will breathe (and take notes).  I understand that you're asking this as a general question, but still, perhaps to nail down an answer in your example piece would lead to other solutions.     

[Bob]

I suppose that's the first step -- identifity the technical problem that is holding them up.

Could be scales aren't fast enough.

Could be not being able to move the fingers fast enough -- like trilling with 3-4.

Also being able to read the music, to take the music in fast enough, while continuing to play -- like "over driving" your playing.  If that makes sense.


The main concern was overall speed -- a combination of scales and fingerwork I guess.  I know I wouldn't expect to develop the technique overnight.  It would take years, so I wouldn't expect I would play that piece up to par, although the work I do on it would be a step in that direction.  Other pieces in the future will help along that direction and eventually I would be able to play other similar pieces up to tempo.  I guess I should just use it as a musical stepping stone.

Wonder if I just answered my own question....

[whynot]

Bob, I enjoyed following your train of thought!  It all sounded very sensible.  But moving fingers quickly actually doesn't take long to achieve.  Bernhard has a brilliant outline of this somewhere.  Forgive me if you already do this-- it's so hard to know each other just by writing, isn't it-- and his explanation is better, but here's what I do:

1. determine all the various positions; for example, the RH C scale has two positions, C-E and F-C...
2. practice getting to those localities on time (this is fun with accompaniment), noticing the shifts needed to get into place... and
3. play the notes within those positions as fast as possible.  I mean, you could break it down more if any of those segments feels uncomfortable, but that's my basic m.o.  If you can find Bernhard's treatment of this situation, it's fantastic. 

As far as the 3-4 trilling thing, it's pretty unusual to HAVE to use those fingers to trill.  Some late Beethoven, some Scarlatti (?) dep. on interpretation, but I play a lot of trill-ful repertoire and have rarely needed to use those fingers.   

About reading fast enough, I don't know what to say about that.  I think strong reading is important for classical performers, but I sense that I'm in the minority in this opinion.  I know that most people do learn music that is more difficult than what they can really read, so I guess it can be done.  I'm afraid that's not a very helpful observation!  Hope the rest is, though.