Rhapsody in Blue:how to rekindle the fire?

[gammarayson]

After a rather unsatisfactory performance with a very shakey amateur orchestra in November,I've not touched the piece for a couple of months.As I'm committed to a repeat performance in a month,I need to start practising it again.Trouble is,I'm tired of the piece I've worked on it for so long,there's no joy in it anymore.I've tried quite a few Bernhard/Chang tricks,but never really got the fast repetitions up to speed.I found myself getting angry and aggressive when practising the piece,although I normally have a very placid nature!I am presently nearly halfway through learning all Bach's 2 and 3 part Inventions by heart,it's a very joyful experience.Any suggestions how I can rediscover the same joy in Gershwin?

[bench warmer]

 
Sometimes listening to a piece (that's made you weary to practice ) played well by someone else can "reset" your psyche and give you a fresh approach. It might be worth it to throw a cd on or give an mp3 a listen.

Other than that you just have to "bite-the-bullet" since you're already committed.

good luck

[whynot]

I agree that it can be refreshing to hear someone else play your piece when you're sick of it.  I've performed this, but not long enough to tire of it.  I do have a general practice for when I'm burned out on anything, which is to transpose the Bach inventions, whichever ones I know best at the moment.  I like to go through all 12 keys, although if anyone is listening, they'll surely stop you before you get that far (I gather it's a bit irritating to listen to).  It gives me a whole fresh feel on playing.  My analytical side gets stimulated from figuring it out, like doing a crossword puzzle, and at the same time my artistic side kicks into higher gear, because I have to follow my instincts and ear.  It's hard to describe the feeling, but it's as if those two different things get re-coordinated, and it brings back the feeling of "playing around" at the piano that I always had when I was younger.  I find that from there, I can solve all kinds of playing problems in my other pieces.  My technique relaxes and speeds up, as does my brain, and I regain an overall sense that I just know how to play, and that it's fun.     

You could use any music for this, as I used to, but then I heard of a woman who liked to transpose all her recital pieces in practice, and then for a major competition she accidentally started a Beethoven sonata in the wrong key.  She played it very well in that key, and I believe she actually won, but that did give me pause.  I could pull that off at home with my dog watching, but no way could I do it in front of an audience.  So now I stick to things I'm not going to perform, and anyway the Bach is such great material.  Maybe this could be helpful.  Best of luck in your concert!

[Bob]

Try to remember what you liked about the piece.  I've written that down sometimes.  Or tried to.  Could be crisp rhythm, accents, just the joy of the melody, etc.

I think if you listen/play to something too much, the effect wears off.

Which probably doesn't help you much.

Of course... doing a performance, that level of intensity -- You could have burned some negative feelings into the piece.  And then if you practice angry, you "learn" that anger into the piece.  That's what I've found.

Not that that's much help with a performance in a month.

I wouldn't set expectations too high -- Expect to perform how you practice.  If you expect perfection, you're set up to failure.

I don't think anger is necessarily bad -- You can use that energy to do things.  Push yourself, take new risks, try new things, etc.

I might just go back and look at the melodic lines by themselves.  Look at the harmonies. 

And then check out what is getting in your way -- Is there something technical that you can't do that takes your attention away?

Pieces always sound fresh when I've got more technique.  But with a month, you can't really leave the piece and go practice technique and develop more skills.

Pressure of a performance can spoil fun.  You make progress, but if it's not enough it's not a great feeling of accomplishment -- It's just an expected step.

I might set realistic goals and make sure to actually feel the emotion when you practice.  If there's only a month left.  Just like you can practice a technical detail, you can practice feeling an emotion and put that into the piece.  If it's not there, you go back and put it in.  I've tried doing that now and then and it can be a little freaky -- to actually just turn on an emotion and not exactly have a true reason for it.  It's acting!  Or something like it.

[invictious]

Well this happens occasionally to me too, and I am certainly no stranger to that.

One of the things I do is to find a girl who likes that piece, then I will practice it over till I get it right to woo that girl.

never fails to amaze girls.

[teresa_b]

How about NOT playing the piece for awhile?  I realize that if you only have a month until your performance, it isn't too practical to stay away from it long--but maybe one week?

Practice hard on anything OTHER than Rhapsody in Blue--as long as what you practice is just as challenging and keeps you in shape.  Then go back to Rhapsody after the week.

When practicing, try to LISTEN to yourself.  I sometimes imagine I am playing the piece for someone, or actually play it for someone! (see invictious's post above  )  Would that person get energized (esp. with Gershwin) and/or moved to tears by your performance?

Good luck!
Teresa

[gammarayson]

Dear Friends,thank you for responding to this, my first post on Pianostreet and for many useful suggestions.(I've been lurking here in the background ever since taking the plunge and buying my first computer a couple of years ago).Bob,its so true what you say

if you practice angry, you "learn" that anger into the piece.

and

Expect to perform how you practice.  If you expect perfection, you're set up to failure.

To invictious:

One of the things I do is to find a girl who likes that piece, then I will practice it over till I get it right to woo that girl.

never fails to amaze girls..

  Nice idea,but basically I guess I need to play more for(and woo!) anyone willing to listen.
Thanks everyone for your good advice!
Be seeing you!

[chromatickler]

I've tried quite a few Bernhard/Chang tricks,but never really got the fast repetitions up to speed.

clearly this piece is too hard for you. play something easier.

[liszt-essence]

There are no tricks for that. Once music sounds boring, you have to stop listening to it for a long time and when a long time has passed you can 're-discover'. You can't re-start liking a piece just because you have to perform it.

[Bob]

Yes, I see the point of dropping it for awhile.

For me, I think it's doing things the same way -- hearing the piece the same way.  After so many repetitions, hearing the same thing, thinking the same thing.... boredom.   Or boredoom.

So if you drop it for awhile, you can go back to the way you first heard it.  You could have learn to think in certain patterns and those patterns have blocked out the enjoyment you once knew.  Drop it, come back and you see the things you first noticed and enjoyed.  Or if you overcome technical challenges and unlearn the patterns that it took to conquer those challenges, then you're free to go back to how you listened before.

I think there could be some way around it though.  Possibly playing it in a different way.  That's not really what I'm thinking though.  I think it's possible to really force it to happen.  Energize yourself, do something, that will get you hyped enough where you can force yourself to feel.  Force yourself to feel what you want to.  I think it's possible, but takes a lot of effort.

And then I'm thinking of another piece that I never tire of.  However, I almost always just play the piece for enjoyment, not really focusing on perfecting it.  It's probably not perfect, but I can listen to it or play it for a long, long time without getting bored at all.  Just something about the sound, the harmonies, the melody.

If that helps.