I was thinking about something last night before I found this topic today. I was wondering if anyone, ( and whether it would be considered "ok"), focuses only on shorter or "easier" pieces that aren't so technically demanding. I mean pieces such as the slow movements of Beethoven's sonatas or short pieces such as by Schubert, Schumann or Songs Without Words by Mendelsohn. Before I found this forum I had almost convinced myself that I would never really be able to play pieces such as Beethoven sonatas. Then after reading Bernhard's (and others) strategies regarding practicing pieces small amounts at a time I took on the Pathetique and over the course of a year had it about 95% learned and memorized and up to speed. I was excited and made plans to learn another sonata and started Op. 2 #1. The thing is that on many occasions I am only able to spend about 10-15 minutes practicing for the day and on some days none at all. The point that I am getting at after all this rambling is that I can spend those 10-15 minutes working on 2 or 3 measures of something like the 4th movement of Sonata No. 1 and maybe in a couple of months I'll have it learned. (You can't take many days off on stuff like this because of the need to build on the previous days practice.) Or I can spend the same time working on something physically easier but just as rewarding, say Chopin's Nocturne Op.9 No.1 (which I just started) and have it completed in month or so and still work on other pieces as well. I know we all need to choose our own path but for so long I"ve felt like I've taken the easy road because I avoided the hard stuff. Now that I proved to myself that I can learn more difficult pieces (than I was playing) why bother? I haven't decided yet to quit the hard stuff but when I sit down at the piano and have to decide between 15 minutes of 3 or 4 measures of presto Beethoven that I may never actually finish or an entire movement of adagio Beethoven that I know I can learn well I would really prefer the movement. James.
You are absolutely correct. This is actually the idea: to increase one´s repertory of musically superior pieces by learning mostly pieces that are either easy or slightly challenging, since these can be learnt reasonably quickly. Then throw one that is truly challenging or bordering on difficult, and that youy will need a longer time span to learn.
But that is all right, since while you are learning it, you are leaning other easy ones in paralell.
Now, the trully beautiful thing about applying this in a cinsistent manner is that over time you will start to realise that what you regarded as challenging a while ago has suddnely and unexpectedly become quite manageable. So you may after all be able to master that Beethoven sonata that now would take you a year to complete, in less than a month in a couple of years time. And all the while you have been adding to your repertory.
But prejudice against "easy pieces" runs high. I suggest that it is possible to learn 30 pieces a month, and what do people come up with? the 48 WtC
Best wishes,
Bernhard.
Topic: finishing pieces