how long to learn a song? and how many...

[allchopin]

How long does it take you (audience in general... ) to learn a moderately hard song (such as a chopin waltz)? like with it perfected... about 3 months or more? and how many songs do you know (like larger scale ones, not "the happy farmer" by shumann) . i only know 22! is this bad?

[ThEmUsIcMaNBJ]

22!?  I don't think I could even find 22 songs that were written for piano.  Do you sing well?  I heard it's hard to sing along when you're playing, but I wouldn't know because I don't sing.  And I didn't know that Chopin Waltzes have lyrics?!  Where would I go to download them?

But in general, songs I do know like Thousand Miles by Vanessa Carlton?  That one took me about 15 mintues...  Most of the time songs aren't that hard you know, because the focus is on the singing and the lyrics.

[MeLisa]

I have been maintaining the rate of  1.5 piece per week, since I started learning. Currently, at mid-intermediate level, this rate is difficult to maintain, its more like 1 piece a week now. The pieces were played at 80% to 100% performance speed with full expression, adhering to all dynamic markings, pedal marks, phrasing, ornaments and mood and passed by my instructor.

I am a firm believer that, if I focus on learning techniques inclusive of new expressions, new LH/RH tempo cordination, phrasing, pedaling, improve sight reading, duet, recovering gracefully when stumble etc.. and I can maintain the number of new piece per week even with gradually more difficult pieces, I am doing alright.

The only downside to my approach is; when asked to perform by friends who are music illiterate, I often get the look in their face saying "nice but what the h@@@ was that ?"  

[allchopin]

i may be thiknig wrong, but i am extremely impressed that you can learn a song in a week. i mean, how hard is that song?? are you talking like an etude (which took me like a 1/2 yr to learn #12 op 25) or like a song w/o words from mendel. ?  when i was a freshman in HS it took me nearly a yr to learn and "perfect" fantasie imporomptu. is this too much time?

[MeLisa]

On average is about 1.5 pieces a week but recently I am having difficulty maintaining that. The rule of thumb that my instructor and I use is, if it takes more than 1 month to complete the piece, it's just way too difficult for me, It would be more beneficial learning easier piece with less technical difficulties and build up my skill gradually. If you look at my repertoire https://www.geocities.com/gasilem/musicbooks.htm you might be able to understand how I did it.. the pieces are gradual increment of difficulty, meaning my pieces are just slightly more difficult than the previous piece. Conceivably, you will never ever hear my pieces being performed at Carnegie Hall .  My instructor chose all the pieces for me, there is no way I could do it on my own.

At any one time, I have 3-4 pieces to work on. It takes from 1 week to 3 weeks to finish each pieces, occasionally I take more than a month but its not because the technical challeges overwhelmed me but because the piece is way too long (5 pages)

It's conceivable that a beginner might take a few months to learn my recent pieces... on the otherhand, an advance player like my teacher, could sightread it at performance tempo, complete with expression, pedaling, complete dynamics, phrasing.. everything.. the whole nine yards. I had to see it to believe it.. I am sure many of the advance pianist here could do  the same. and I am sure one day I will be able to do it too.

Don't be impressed.. I have a good instructor and both of us work very hard.

i may be thiknig wrong, but i am extremely impressed that you can learn a song in a week. i mean, how hard is that song?? are you talking like an etude (which took me like a 1/2 yr to learn #12 op 25) or like a song w/o words from mendel. ?  when i was a freshman in HS it took me nearly a yr to learn and "perfect" fantasie imporomptu. is this too much time?