Motivation (again...)

[mrdaveux]

So I have this student (i've been teaching him for 1 year 1/2 approximately). He is talented and loves music. But he is lazy... very lazy...

He's currently working on Debussy's "La Fille aux cheveux de lin" and Brahms waltz in A-flat, op. 39 #15. He's been stuck on Debussy's first 2 lines for the past 2 months and oln Brahms first 3 bars for the past 2 weeks... Not that it's too hard for him, but he just won't sit down and do his practice during the week... He says that when he tries to sit down and play (which is already a great victory for him), he gets discouraged or tired after 30 seconds and doesn't feel like doing it anymore...

I've tried all I could think about. I detailed a practice schedule for him (15 minutes a day, cause I don't want to push it for him), I've explained to him the practice method that works... I play for him, give him CDs to inspire him... It won't work.

I know this topic has been covered. Please can you refer me a good idea or send me to a post that explains the subject ? Thanks.

[bernhard]

This will definitely work if you are up to it.

Arrange with him to have a special “crash course” during the holidays. This course will consist of five daily lessons (over one week – say Monday – Friday).

During these five days devote the whole 30 minute lesson every single day to work on the first two bars of Debussy, which he did not manage in two months. Sit down at the piano with him and actually practise with him – exactly like a personal trainer will exercise with you. Fight the temptation to cram other stuff in the lesson. Just do the two bars, even if he has learned them by the second lesson.

At the end of the week, I guarantee that he will be playing these two bars absolutely perfectly.

Then point out to him:

1.   30 minutes a day and you mastered two bars. Keep doing it and the piece is yours after 20 weeks (it has 39 bars), right? Not really. You can achieve far more than two bars in 30 minutes, but at least now you know 

a.   the kind of work that is involved in learning to play the piano
b.   That if you do it, it will bear fruit. Now you have to decide if you are going to do it or not, because if you cannot do it, why bother having piano lessons?

2.   That difficulty in piano playing is very real, but it is overcome surprisingly easily, if he persists. If he tries for 30 seconds, that is not enough, it will still be impossible, but after 15 minutes he should experience improvement. So he must hang there. But unless he experiences this fact, he will not do it – hence the one week crash course.

3.   Success is the great motivator, since he is not experiencing it, he is discouraged.

4.   He probably does not have a clue about how to practise. Writing instructions is not going to change anything, since the intellect is powerless to do. For doing you need to engage the emotions.

Have a look at these threads for more ideas:

https://pianoforum.net/smf/index.php/topic,3396.msg30084.html#msg30084
(Laziness, the 3 centres and how to use visualisation to deal with it – consciousness and its location – applications to martial arts and piano playing – locating the consciousness at the movement centre).

https://pianoforum.net/smf/index.php/topic,3625.msg32673.html#msg32673
(Possible to motivate students?)

https://pianoforum.net/smf/index.php/topic,2061.msg17178.html#msg17178
(how to deal with boredom)

https://pianoforum.net/smf/index.php/topic,2082.msg17230.html#msg17230
(how to concentrate).

https://pianoforum.net/smf/index.php/topic,2241.msg19043.html#msg19043
(short attention span)

https://pianoforum.net/smf/index.php/topic,2526.msg21829.html#msg21829
(how to organise piano practise in short/medium/long term – Principle of memory retention – Principle of 15 minute sessions – stopping when you achieve your goals. Teachers should teach how to learn)

https://pianoforum.net/smf/index.php/topic,4244.msg39203.html#msg39203
(How long to practice – having an aim, achieving it and moving on – How to define aim)

Just the tip of the iceberg.

Best wishes,
Bernhard.

[abell88]

One of my students was willing to do a 5-day course in July. She works hard but I guess inefficiently; at least it seems to take her a long time to learn her pieces. We concentrated mainly on the last page of a piece she'd learned the first three pages of over several months. In the one week she pretty well learned that last page, and also improved one of her other pieces quite a bit. I basically coached her through everything, as Bernhard said. I also helped her see how the music broke down into chords, scales, etc. that she knew. (I do this all the time, but I was really intensive about it). 

[jeremyjchilds]

I'm tempted to say just can him, and find a more motivated student...

but that is easy to say when it's not your own student...and have invested so much already.

[RealPianist]

how about if you sit with him, practice that, just say it is 30 minutes long, but if you have more time, you can increase that time each day, but don't tell him that you have make the time longer.
After he can play it all well, say to him that he can do ....hours when he practice with you everyday.
It's a hard job maybe, but it is worth.
so he will know that he can practice that long n not tired after 30 seconds.
if he is studying with you he didn't stop after 30 seconds right?
or after 30 minutes ask him to have a rest 5 or 10 minutes n then comeback with you again...practice again
usually if student practice with their teacher around him, he will always do it.
how old is he?