Building Piano Repertoire

[chopinfan_22]

I read somewhere on these forums at one point in time, Bernhard suggesting that you write down 100 pieces that you want to learn, then order them from least difficult to most difficult, then work on learning all of them. I have but one question...

Some of the pieces that I've written down on that list are... impossible for me to play, at least at this point in time. These certain compositions are things such as Liszt's Transcendental Etudes, Chopin's Etudes, and things of the sort. When making this list, should I not write down pieces I know are within my reach? Should I leave the impossible pieces on this list of mine?

[sarahlein]

Should I leave the impossible pieces on this list of mine?

Start with the "impossible"pieces. First find the ones you would love to play one day. Write them down. Now...

When making this list, should I not write down pieces I know are within my reach?

Find other pieces that are within your reach but that will prepare/lead you to tackle harder ones, those in turn will prepare you for the "impossible" ones which will not be "impossible anymore!

[chopinfan_22]

Ok. Thanks.

[chopinfan_22]

And another question... to build technique/virtuosity, should I focus on scales/arpeggios/etudes, or on repertoire? Will technique and playing ability increase as repertoire increases? What are your thoughts on this?

[sarahlein]

I want to become a good, no! even better, a great reader! I want to be able to read (outloud)

-accurately: (no word skipping or dropping word endings or mispronounsing, without changing the word order or ignoring the rules of punctuation.)

-clearly: (with proper enunciation, no sluring , with sufficient volume and at a reasonable pace)

-with fluency: (no stublings over words or groping for thoughts)

-with feeling

and so on...

how do I achieve that?

1. By taking each letter of the alphabet and practising, over and over for hours on end, the sound of each one?

or

2.By extensive reading of appropriate material (e.g books)?

I have to make a decision that will effectively help me reach my goal. And will at the same time be educational, mentally stimulating, expanding my knowledge horizons.

Hmm...

It's a tough one!





 

[moi_not_toi]

I as a young student did something very dangerous: I ignored my teacher. She would tell me to do one thing, I'd do another.
I used to play everything that I could get my hands on.
Sightreading was all I would do.

Now...
That's all I can do. Through all those years, I never even had heard of Hanon or Czerney.
Now I can read anything and every note will nearly always be perfect (with exception of feeling and expression. Just the notes are perfect, not the song). But I can't play it perfectly, only good enough to pass having to place fingers.

I can't count and I have no sense of tempo.
My technique is horrid.

But Im trying to change that.
It'll take a while to undo what I've done to myself.

[chopinfan_22]

I want to become a good, no! even better, a great reader! I want to be able to read (outloud)

-accurately: (no word skipping or dropping word endings or mispronounsing, without changing the word order or ignoring the rules of punctuation.)

-clearly: (with proper enunciation, no sluring , with sufficient volume and at a reasonable pace)

-with fluency: (no stublings over words or groping for thoughts)

-with feeling

and so on...

how do I achieve that?

1. By taking each letter of the alphabet and practising, over and over for hours on end, the sound of each one?

or

2.By extensive reading of appropriate material (e.g books)?

I have to make a decision that will effectively help me reach my goal. And will at the same time be educational, mentally stimulating, expanding my knowledge horizons.

Hmm...

It's a tough one!

It would help if I understood your post.

[sarahlein]

What is it you don't understand? Read it again!

It's an analogy. ( Granted it's not as good as other's on this Forum  ) Just apply it in piano playing!

You want to be able to play accurately, clearly, fluently, with feeling etc. So you need to develop the technique (=way of moving on the piano) to help you to that end.

Now you could begin by practising the "building blocks of music"-scales and arpeggios,Hanon- like excersises, outside the musical context found in pieces (the practising of phonetics in the analogy above)

or

By concentrating on pieces and getting your technique out of them!

The decision is yours to make!

You'll know you've made the right choise by it's effectiveness. E.g the path you choose to take will be educational, mentally stimulating, expanding your musical horizons and vocabulary!

Hope that this was clearer than before!