What is the point of learning more difficult pieces...

[wotgoplunk]

If you're spending forever learning them? 

If it's taking you months to finish a piece, why are you struggling to do it? Why not simply leave it alone and go back to it at a later date, when you're ready to?

Surely it would make sense to only play piece you know you're capable of, wouldn't playing them before you're ready not only ruin enjoyment of the piece, but also ruin the way you play it?

[gyzzzmo]

Because as long as you study them correctly, you increase your piano-skill. Also, playing them not at full speed doesnt mean that you cant have fun playing it.

gyzzzmo

[wotgoplunk]

Because as long as you study them correctly, you increase your piano-skill. Also, playing them not at full speed doesnt mean that you cant have fun playing it.

gyzzzmo

But don't you find you tire of a piece after playing it for so long? Doesn't it get less fun after you've had it for a while?

[gyzzzmo]

But don't you find you tire of a piece after playing it for so long? Doesn't it get less fun after you've had it for a while?

It gets actually easier for me to after playing it for long, since i already had the most annoying part: finding the right notes with the right fingers. And i like getting closer to a certain goal, that motivates me.

[lostinidlewonder]

The discussion about difficult piece is all relative. It can be absolutely fine to study one piece for 10 years if it is large scale enough and difficult enough, so how can we accurately judge what you mean when you say you play a piece for months before you get it? Are you talking about say... Liszt's Sonata in B, sure this will take a few months to do service to it, but for some it might take years, or might take forever and some might even master it in a few days.

Looking at difficult pieces really does nothing else except highlight what you do not know. A piece is difficult if it requires technique that you have not come across before or practiced much in pieces you already know. A piece is not difficult if it contains movements you have had ample experience with.

Too many aspiring musicians tackle pieces which contain new ideas and are then surprised why learning piano is such a steep climb for them. Some learn a lot this way, but the efficient rate of learning is stunted for the majority. Clearly the best way to learn an instrument is to ensure that you do not tackle pieces full of ideas you have never seen before. This is not to say to shy away from pieces which has some passages which are difficult for yourself, you should know how to apply practice method to absorb it into your technical tool set.

[Bob]

To push your skills.  You might not actually finish it with a polished, final-sounding performance, but you can use it to push yourself.

To learn the literature.  Doesn't matter if you perfect it, but you will become very familiar with it by working on it.

If you can push yourself and pull off your best playing, I think that's good.  If you can actually get a polished performance on a piece that is a real challenge for you, that's a huge plus.

For the physical skills to develop, it takes months and months.  If you spend a few weeks getting the notes down, you're still not pushing your physically yet.  Once you don't have to think about notes and can start pushing the limits of what your body can do, then you can start growing new technical skills.

[pianochick93]

If it's taking you months to finish a piece, why are you struggling to do it? Why not simply leave it alone and go back to it at a later date, when you're ready to?

I do

[guendola]

There is no point learning difficult pieces at all if you have nothing else to do aside (on piano). It is great for your skills and death for motivation. So better learn "normal" pieces at the same time.

But "difficult" is relative. If it comes close to "impossible" it is a bit too difficult and you should not spend too much time with it yet If in doubt, consult your teacher!

[shadow88]

I played 3 pieces that where so difficult for me, I needed 3 or 4 months. It was Jeux D'eau, Gnomenreigen, and the 1st Chopin Ballad.
When I played Gnomenreigen, I really didn't enjoyed training it, but after playing it and working on other pieces, I noticed that it made technical wonders!
When I worked on Jeux d'eau, I just had fun. I really enjoyed playing it, because if you play music like this I think mistakes doesn't sound as horrible as in . lets say. Mozart Sonatas
And when I worked on the Chopin Ballad, after 2 months I was really annoyed because I trained hard and harder on the Presto con fuoco part, and I NEVER mastered this page without any mistakes.

My teacher told me that she thinks a piece is too hard TO PLAY IT IN A CONCERT if you need more than 3 months to develop the necessary technic, because she thinks after all you're still not able to play it perfectly. But she also thinks that training on very difficult pieces is good for technic AND for motivation, because if you enjoy playing it, you should just do it.
I totally agree

[kghayesh]

It is the nature of the human spirit, to always aspire for challenges and to nail them down to feel more successful. Playing hard pieces makes you feel you are improving, when you hear yourself playing them.  Playing hard pieces also will make your standards higher and will make you play easier pieces (which was previously your level) much more manageable.

Even pieces that are very hard and way out of reach, won't do you harm if you trying messing around with them. At least you will get to know how much work you have to do