I feel really bad, I mean really bad.

[invictious]

I have stopped practicing piano for half an year.

I KNOW, BAD ME

Please, stab me.

Yesterday I picked up the piano again, and I realized, how bad I WAS.

I was Grade 8 ABRSM before, then I finally realized, I really suck at piano.

Everything I played, was so sloppy, I just felt like crying.
I can't even play the C section of the Turkish March by mozart properly.

Neither can I play the descending triplets of Arabesque by Debussy.

I think I need to start over somewhere? Where should I start?

Please?

[preludium]

Calm down, it will all come back within a few weeks. I stopped and restarted making music several times in my life. There were years when I didn't touch an instrument. But nothing really got lost. It's like swimming or cycling - once you learned it you cannot lose this skill anymore, although it takes some time to get into it again after a break. Maybe you'll have to relearn something that you knew by heart, but it will take much less time than when you learned it for the first time. Try to play something and then forget about the whole thing. When you sit down at the piano the next day you will probably remember more.

[invictious]

During the time, instead, I have been composing.

I see myself as a musician, rather than a technician at piano. I make music, not sparks and fireworks.

Thanks preludium, but I think I will restart.

Alright. Go on buddies. I summon the power of PS!

[pianowolfi]

I have stopped practicing piano for half an year.

I KNOW, BAD ME

Please, stab me.

Yesterday I picked up the piano again, and I realized, how bad I WAS.

I was Grade 8 ABRSM before, then I finally realized, I really suck at piano.

Everything I played, was so sloppy, I just felt like crying.
I can't even play the C section of the Turkish March by mozart properly.

Neither can I play the descending triplets of Arabesque by Debussy.

I think I need to start over somewhere? Where should I start?

Please?

Well you know i think the C section of turkish march is not easy and is something that needs preparation if you haven't played it for a while. Same for arabesque triplets. There are many pieces in piano rep that are quite delicate. And popular too. And this makes them hard to play imo.

[thalbergmad]

Remember, it is much easier to get back what you had than it was to gain it in the first place.

Many times i have stopped playing for months and in one case years. It all does come back in a suprisingly short space od time. Perhaps in only 2 or 3 weeks.

Taking a break has always done me good. I come back refreshed and with new ideas.

Everything will be fine for you.

Thal

[pianowelsh]

S. Heller....'practice very slow progress very fast!'   when you percieve you have gone back. Take everythings slowly and work for control and understanding. This will give a new dimension to the piece reversing your thought that you have gone backwards and it also provides a sable bass technically for you be able to bring things back up o perf tempi

[strepito]

You know, I'm studying abroad now. I think I'll only touch the piano like for 2 months every year when I went back to my hometown. But I recently played in the piano practice room in my school and I can see I haven't really lost much. Once I warmed up like 2 hours I could play the Chopin Ballade the same way as when I was in my prime time.

So you don't have to worry.

[shortyshort]

I stopped playing for about 25 years.
After 2 weeks of starting again I remembered nearly everything I wanted to, (which probably wasn't that much, as I was a child learning mostly kids music).
But everything I chose to remember was still in there somewhere. 
My fingers did need a couple more weeks to catch up though.

Shorty

[elevateme]

get over yourself

[arensky]

get over yourself

and get to work

[liszt-essence]

start improvising..

the only thing on the piano that fits you for 100 % because it's so you

It gets me going within minutes

[cmg]

S. Heller....'practice very slow progress very fast!'   when you percieve you have gone back. Take everythings slowly and work for control and understanding. This will give a new dimension to the piece reversing your thought that you have gone backwards and it also provides a sable bass technically for you be able to bring things back up o perf tempi

Thanks for this quote!  It's terrific advice and advice I followed when I returned to the piano after five years.  It works.  Invictious, take it very, very slowly and you'll be fine.

[matraveo]

 ;)Don't feel bad, I left piano for over a year before I started up again. I think you always remember what you learned in the back of your head. Starting new is hard but picking up where you left off is easyer.