How "finished" are the piece when you leave them?

[Bob]

What level do you leave your pieces at generally?  How complete? (because you can never totally finsih a piece.  There's always something left that needs work.)

How satisfied are you with them?

[llamaman]

My piano teacher won't let me stop playing a piece until it's as close to perfect as possible.

[dinosaurtales]

I work mine till they are up to speed and clean.  Then I perform them for a piano group that meets every month, where upon I always flub something (!)  Then I play it for my teacher, where it's usually ok, but not as spectacular as at home, where upon she declares it "done" - and we move on.  But I am always wishing the performance was better, so I am not happy with the "doneness" of my stuff.  Trouble is, if I kept at it till I was happy with it, I'd spend YEARS on stuff,so maybe this is for the best.

[ako]

I usually leave a piece after I play it in class (a gathering of piano students where we play for  each other). But sometimes, if my teacher is not satisfied with my performance at class, we'll work on it after the class also. It's usually as good as I can get it at that time....sorry that I cannot give a more precise answer. But the thing is, after each class, I find the piece has really improved. It's like playing it in front of people made it improve.

[6ft 4]

to the point where if the piece is needed for a public performance i can polish it to almost perfection in about 2weeks.

[Antnee]

Usually a piece will be as close to perfect as you can get it at one particular time. I can usually feel when this happens. Its that stage that no matter how hard you practice those little things that bug you they still creep around during performance. I will usually perform the piece then put it away for a while. When you come back in a couple months or a year or so to try it again, you will quickly re-learn it (which is important not to rush, or the old mistakes will come back) and it will sound much better than last time. Do this enough times and it will be in your hands forever. And it will sound good too!

-Tony-

[ted]

With pieces about 95% at a guess. The time and effort to result ratio climbs too steeply after that. As I do not perform I feel it is more rewarding for me to spend that time in improvisation and composition.

[lostinidlewonder]

After all the notes are memorised I move on to the next piece. Even if the piece is not played at a Performance level. I feel it is a waste of time to linger on a piece you have totally memorised hoping to force improvement in the expression. You just will never be completely satisfied. One of my teachers said to me, "A good artists knows when to stop." Which i disagreed with at first because of my perfectionist attitute, but now I start to agree. Because a good artists knows their limitations, knows when to stop "obsessing" over particular points, and just lets their art flow. Sometimes if you obsess people can hear that in your playing, and things start to sound fake, overdone, weak.

I don't think that pieces I have memorised ever are removed from inspection and upkeep/maintenance with regard to expression. I like to think you play music differently today than what you will tommorow, maybe not that much of a quick contrast, but on the same track. But I do believe there is a time limit to the time you spend memorising notes, the physical playing, the expression never ends, if it did I dont think I'd ever play music.