hard pieces for begginer

[drhosseinzadeh]

hi
I am self taught in learning piano.is that ok to learn and play at least trying to play hard pieces when your practice is lessthan1 year.
thanks

[gyzzzmo]

You can always try, but since you dont have enough technical base you wont be able to play it properly.

[drhosseinzadeh]

hi gyzzzmo 
i mean is it harmful to play hard pieces or just inability to play it properly? i know it may take a lot of time to do it properly.if i practice on easy song i can do it in a couple of days and it  has a positive effect on me  but hard pieces may take several months to do so it may cause negative effect on a begginer.in other word is step by step practice absolutely necessary for all age groups?or it may vary pesonally?
thanks for reply

[gyzzzmo]

Its not really harmfull, but you have to realise that its more difficult to UNlearn stuff than learn stuff . So make sure you dont play the wrong notes.

[m19834]

All that really matters when learning pieces/music is the process (practice techniques) and physical technique used to learn them with.  What is harmful about learning pieces that are difficult, without knowledgeable guidance (and sometimes just having a teacher is not going to actually provide sound guidance, either), is not just about learning wrong notes, but using inadequate physical technique and inadequate practice techniques. 

If a person is unaware of inadequacies in these areas, more severe problems can develop both mentally and physically and have longer lasting (detrimental) effects on one's overall development process as a musician (and as a person) than whether or not a single piece has been learned well.

I will admit that I used to feel quite differently on this subject than I do today.  But, after going through some major changes myself, as well as having prospective students come to me with severe problems from practicing wrongly for years, I have developed a sense of caution when it comes to all of this. 

Every step of the learning process should ultimately be confidence-building !  The process of learning and the physical techniques used to move around the piano will play a very integral role in whether or not a person feels confident in how they are spending their time.  Now, with that all being said, it is not so strange to take a few months to learn a piece of music, even with all of the right techniques and processes.  Also, it depends on what you would like to do with your piano playing, too.

It is possible to play wonderful pieces with poor physical and practice technique -- what really matters with technique is developing it in such a way that a person can play wonderful pieces wonderfully for the rest of their life ! 

[slobone]

Very well said, Karli. I would only add that you do need to be challenged by what you're learning, or you won't grow.

Also, it can be very rewarding to work on a piece that's musically interesting but not hard technically, so that at least you have the experience of making beautiful music at the piano.

[m19834]

Very well said, Karli. I would only add that you do need to be challenged by what you're learning, or you won't grow.

Thanks and I agree with what you have added.  I just want to point out that my emphasis is very much on the process of learning, and not whether or not the piece itself is difficult to "play".  Greater personal and musical growth will come from challenging our process of learning vs. thinking about our "playing" being challenged.  Especially for people who are just starting to develop a process of learning, I think it's very important to think along the lines of the learning process itself vs. just the playing of a finished piece.  I think problems in practice arise from an impatience toward the process of learning and a lust-like desire to just play the darn thing.  People don't want to have a process to get there, so here we have already quite a challenge .

There is a joy that comes from patiently following a process that yields "visible" results each step of the way, and even little 8 yr. olds can experience this.  This joy is much deeper and more fulfilling than immediate, sensual gratification that would urge us into territory that may be ultimately harmful. 

What truly makes a piece difficult or not is the demand it places on us within the process of learning it.  So, if we need a bigger challenge, it would be along the lines of more steps or more time involved within the process of getting it to where it can truly be played well (with full freedom and confidence). 

What makes a piece feel difficult and even impossible is when the number of steps involved in learning a piece exceeds our talent and giftedness in the world of patience  .

[slobone]

Yes, but -- it's also very frustrating to study for years and never get a single piece to the point where you'd want to play it for your friends. This actually happened to me with one of my teachers. She was always in a hurry to rush me on to the next piece.

[m19834]

Well, of course I don't mean to imply that pieces don't get finished and performed, that is part of the learning process !  And, just like all of the steps in the process of learning, this step of performing them should not be ignored .

[quantum]

The way I look at it, pieces can be hard for anyone from beginner to professional.  Tackling challenging pieces is a way to boost your skill and technique.  The idea is to find a balance between something which is challenging, and something which is beyond your current skill level.

Learning a hard piece won't be harmful as long as you approach it with correct technique and guidance from a teacher if necessary.  Since you are self taught, I would recommend you study with a good teacher this is usually the best way to learn properly. 

[i heart xenakis]

Try qwerty- it looks like it might be just a bit too tough for you though.

[pies]

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