Preparing pianocompetitions

[redberry]

Hello pianists!
To you who are experienced how to do preparing before competiitons. How can you survive to practise all these huge repertoire practising every day before comp.-do you play it through the piece or you practise slowly all pieces? Do you feel secure? etc etc
The time for me is running quickly and generally I can practise just three pieces each day...and then usually I will be exhausted. It is very physical and fysical hard before a competition.Tell me how you do and share your experiences!

[allchopin]

well the most important thing is to get "warmed-up" so that you play your absolute best when youre at the piano.  Then, only (pretty much only) run the pieces with which you are having trouble.  Work mostly on parts where you always mess up.  Work sometimes on ones that you know and play well, just to retain your skill of that piece.  I am awaiting an upcoming competition as well (in January, whens yours?) and this is what i will be doing.
If you nail a problem everytime you sit down, then you will be good in no time.

[willster]

Then, only (pretty much only) run the pieces with which you are having trouble.  Work mostly on parts where you always mess up.

I totally disagree, if you are well prepared but still having difficulties in an area of a piece (let me assure you that this is not uncommon in even the most accomplished pianists) DO NOT keep on playing the parts you are having difficulties with immediatley before the competition as I guarentee that you will make these mistakes in the concert! This is a well-known sods law of the piano world!

Warm up by however you feel comfortable warming up then play through your competition repertoire from start to finish-do this many times before the day of the competition so that you are absolutely comfortable with your chosen programme.

On the day - and this is my own preference - I do not practise as it should not be needed. The practise that you have done in the run up is all you need (remember that "last minute cramming" simply doesn't work on the piano!).

In order to get you feeling comfortable and excited about the performance listen to recordings of the pieces you have chosen-recordings of yourself and of your favourite pianists playing them. DO HOWEVER MAKE SURE YOU ARE WARMED UP!!! Do this your own way but do not do strenuous excercises where you may make mistakes. Mistakes make you nervous and apprehensive, neither give a great performance!

The excitement should come from listening to the recordings (this gives me "itchy fingers") and I want to go and show them how its done!

This is how I focus myself and I know that it is a well-known technique. Do not practise the har areas as if you make mistakes practising them before the concert it puts you in a terrible mind set!

Sorry Allchopin but you are simply wrong.

good luck with the comp. - you are right - they are v. hard work.

All the best

Willster.  

[allchopin]

You sure have a lot of confidence in your reply- I dont think you know what you are talking about.  First, i did not say that you should just practive the hard parts of a piece right before the contest, i was saying, in general.  Otherwise, how would you possibly get good at these parts?  Also, i think you should definitely practice your repertoir the day of, but just dont change anything.  However, this practice wont be like the others- it is just to run it for your brain once, so that is harder for your brain to forget on stage.

[NetherMagic]

well allchopin and willster I think both your techniques apply to 2 kinds of ppl:

ppl who are technically and mentally prepared, and I mean REALLY prepared, should go with allchopin's way of focusing on the loose parts and rehearsing on the day of the performance

if you are not a very consistent player or you get nerve attacks (eg: me) then I think willster's way will bring less tension

And one big point, before the performance (as in a month or two), learn how to continue the piece no matter what, even if you make mistakes!

[willster]

To you who are experienced how to do preparing before competiitons

this is clearly not addressing you Allchopin

How can you survive to practise all these huge repertoire

Confirming my point that he is not addressing you - By stating "huge repertoire" he means a little more than a "mediocre performance" of the revolutionary etude.