Ideal # of pieces to learn simultaneously

[allchopin]

I find that i like to only work on 1 piece at a time, so i can concentrate and stay focused on that type of music.  How many have you worked on at once? What is [shadow=red,left,300]ideal[/shadow]?

[MzrtMusic]

Well, I think that "ideal" is different for every person. I personally can work on three pieces, and give them all full concentration. That's the most I've ever tried, so I don't know what will happen if I ever try more. If you can work on that one piece, and get it learned well, and play it with all of your soul, then don't worry about anything else!

Love,

Sarah

[Irock1ce]

well. im working on 3 pieces at the same time...i find it keeps me from geting bored.. i start all my pieces at different times.. like i get one piece to a point where i can almost perform it.. then i start another.... and another....... so this way i dont get bored and i always learn.

[dj]

well i guess i learn 3-4 at the same time, but they are all from different musical eras to get rid of monotony when im practicing. i personally get bored just playing one piece or one style of piece but if u can do it and remain concentrated then y not? i don't think there are any rules that say u have 2 work on multiple pieces at the same time. whatever's right 4 u.

[BoliverAllmon]

It really does depend on the pianist. I personally can't seem to keep the concentration on a piece up for more than an hour, so I work on several pieces at a time. My teacher has been working on 10 pieces at a time since she was a little girl. She told me that you learn how to work on that many pieces. I am currently working on how to increase my volume of pieces.

boliverallmon

[NetherMagic]

darn, i work only 2 pieces of a time

well usually one is really hard, and the other is like a simple one, like 1 is Chopin's ballade and the other is one of his much simpler waltzes

[BuyBuy]

Right now, I work on about 3 pieces at the same time.

When I use to practice several hours a day, I woulf work on 6 pieces at a time.

There's just so much to play, I can't stand being stuck on one thing.

[trunks]

I would work on 2 - 4 pieces at a time. Usually not one because working on one piece all the time could be dog boring. I would rather work on different pieces by the same composer, like I am currently working/re-working on four Liszt etudes.

Last time on Chopin I had been working on his Scherzos. Three at a time (I don't feel fit to play No.4 yet - it's a bit too sublime, and could be fiendishly hard to memorize!), plus one or two Polonaises (3, 6).

[squinchy]

Since I'm learning pieces that would be considered jokes in the piano world, I usually have about six at once. I think it helps me with attention span; if I become bored with one piece, there's another contrasting one I can practice to relieve my boredom and keep me at the piano longer.

Edit: As for 'ideal,' that would vary greatly depending on the difficulty level of the pieces, skill of the person, amount of time the person has, amount of determination the person has, etc.

[penelope]

  If I work on more than 3 pieces at the same time, jumping from one to another occurs and at the end of the day I have not enough improvement on any of them   :-/ Maximum 3 is enouh for me
 (I am still student)
 Penelope

[newsgroupeuan]

5 for me at the most

[Shagdac]

I agree that this definately varies according to each individual. I usually have several going at the same time.  For me personally, after working on a piece for a certain length of time, I don't know if I lose interest, concentration or just get sloppy, but being able to switch to a new piece works best. I have had times however when I've been working on 3 or 4 and dropped one for a while because the difficulty of another piece and feeling overwhelmed. It also depends on whether I'm learning them for my own enjoyment, competition, or playing somewhere, and how much time I have to learn the pieces.

shag

[Clare]

I'm working on seven at the moment because of upcoming exams and I hate it. I feel I work most efficiently when concentrating on two at a time, but maybe with a third sort of just being semi-learnt.

[bernhard]

30 (Thirty).