Keeping playing interesting

[Bob]

A new piece.  It will take work.  But I think "I've been there.  I've done that.  Again.  And again, and again.... Nothing new."

I've been there already.  I know I can do it.  Yes, it will take work, but I've done it before.  Many times.

Now what?

[m1469]

A new piece.  It will take work.  But I think "I've been there.  I've done that.  Again.  And again, and again.... Nothing new."

I've been there already.  I know I can do it.  Yes, it will take work, but I've done it before.  Many times.

Now what?

Well, Bob, you are bored with this process ?  Or are you simply wondering what comes after all that talking with yourself ? he he...

I guess if it's the latter, you simply step into the great abyss... scary and ouchie... possibly 

[arensky]

A new piece.  It will take work.  But I think "I've been there.  I've done that.  Again.  And again, and again.... Nothing new."

I've been there already.  I know I can do it.  Yes, it will take work, but I've done it before.  Many times.

Now what?

Yes you can do it! Maybe it will take less work than you think, or just a different sort of work, or no work at all. Yes you've done it before so you know you can do it again. Sounds like it's not fun anymore...remember when it was fun? Try to recapture that! Relearn something you love! Learn something EASY!!! You've done it before, there's nothing to prove. You've been there. Be somewhere else, there's always something new.

Or, do nothing at all...reflect on art; ask yourself why? Seems like you already are...

I've been exactly where you are. I took a year off, thought about it all, a lot. I still don't know, but do we ever? But now I'm enjoying it!

Hope this random way out post helps you....

[debussy symbolism]

Greetings.

One of the ways to keep practice interesting is practicing it in different ways. Like practicing scales. It is alot more usefull to practice them musically as in p to f, staccato and legato, ect. Playing a certain piece in many ways will not only increase the imagination, but will help you develop an awareness of technique. Don't learn a piece the same exact way you learn other pieces. Make it different, that will make playing and practicing alot more efficient and fun.



Best wishes to all.

[alzado]

I wish you had added a bit more information. 

Do you select your own pieces to play?  Does a teacher?

Did you ever think of changing the nature of the material you play -- just perhaps for a change?

[g_s_223]

I agree that just solo playing can become a bit "so what" at times. I'd say the answer then is to try and get involved in playing with other people, e.g. chamber music, lieder accompanying, choir accompanying, church services, etc. When you are working with other people, then your playing really has a purpose, as you don't want to let them down.

And this repertoire is generally challenging in itself, and you have to master ensemble and rehearsal skills too.

If all else fails, put the piano aside for a bit and take up learning another instrument. That will keep you busy!

 

[stringoverstrung]

I have observerd that very many if not most professional piano teachers play less every year often resulting in almost no play once they are about 35-40. Now in "normal" life it is not uncommon to change jobs just to avoid boredom. It is a fact of life that when you repeat things over and over again without adding something substantially new, that this leads to boredom especially for intelligent people!

In order not to become bored you need:
- a real passion. this means: treat every piece as if it is the most unique jewel in the world. Convince yourself time and time again how unbelievably good this music and his composer is and how important it is to keep this music "alive". Reading about the life of the composer is to me the single most motivating thing to play the piano in the long term. Composers are mostly beautiful  exponents of mankind that deserve to be remembered.
- Many people get problems with the fact that the effort they put in is not proportional to the social reach and acclaim: after all how many ppl listen to you or come to your concert? This is not good for the motivation. Instead you must convince yourself to do it for the music itself! The great pianists are a good example: they all put the music and the composer first!

- you must add something new: be a perfectionist. Always try to improve something (technique tone etc) even when you're a little bit older. You should never stop doing this and certainly not before the age of 70

- make a more uneven distribution of the "work" at the piano: relax a few months and only play very little. This is not the same as being lazy. Then suddenly speed up and play a lot more. Variation keeps it interesting and keeps the mind sharp during the entire year.

- remember that one time that you really moved this one listener: you made a lasting difference then and there. All the effort was worth it. Not everyone can say at the end of his life that he made a difference!

- remind yourself that in the end  what we do best we love most and we will retunr to it in old age. The most beautiful old ppl are those who pursued their dreams (in vain mostly) and remain with their beautifully developed hobbies...

- most important of all: not playing will not improve your life. On the contrary there is a good chance that playing the piano a lot will bring you the most valuable of experiences:
INNER PEACE!

[debussy symbolism]

- most important of all: not playing will not improve your life. On the contrary there is a good chance that playing the piano a lot will bring you the most valuable of experiences:
INNER PEACE!
 
I agree with stringoverstrung.

[debussy symbolism]

Sorry I meant to quote that. My first time quoting.

[rc]

-Reading about the life of the composer is to me the single most motivating thing to play the piano in the long term. Composers are mostly beautiful  exponents of mankind that deserve to be remembered.

Not just the composers, but also the times and culture they lived in are fascinating to me. Like being nostalgic for a time you've never experienced. A fantasy of sorts.

- you must add something new: be a perfectionist. Always try to improve something (technique tone etc) even when you're a little bit older. You should never stop doing this and certainly not before the age of 70

This is useful, but can have a double edge. I sometimes catch myself fixing something that isn't broken, or driving myself nuts over some impossible ideal. A lot of the time I'm having to supress perfectionism.

- make a more uneven distribution of the "work" at the piano: relax a few months and only play very little. This is not the same as being lazy. Then suddenly speed up and play a lot more. Variation keeps it interesting and keeps the mind sharp during the entire year.

Awesome idea! I think a lot of us wind up doing this unintentionally as a cycle of losing interest and regaining the passion. I beat myself up over the slow months. To intentionally let it happen is a great idea. Using the slow times to incubate.


...Thanks for the great post Stringoverstrung! I certainly begin to see music as just so many notes from time to time, which would bother me. One thing I usually do is take a time out to go for a walk in nature. Among the trees and sun my thoughts untangle, and my inspiration refills.

[rc]

Sorry I meant to quote that. My first time quoting.

You can click the quote button by a post to start your reply with the quotation already in it.

While writing a reply, you can scroll down to read the previous posts. There is also a link by these posts to 'insert quote'.

You'll get the entire post like this, then you can just trim out what you don't need.

[debussy symbolism]

Thanks for clarifying. I should be able to succesfully "quote" soon. (Although I might still make some mistakes, but probably not)