How do I approach this?

[milk_cookies_and_piano]

Okay, so my teacher gave me new repertoire.

Prokofiev Sonata No.3, Op. 28
Schoenberg Opus 19
Chopin Etude (at the moment I cannot remember)
Scriabin Etude in D# minor
Chopin Scherzo ( I finished)
My chioce of Debussy Preludes

I just started the prokofiev but everything else is untouched
this summer I am participating a chamber music program which is two weeks long,  and  I need to learn the piano trio in G major Hob. XV:25 Haydn ( Rondo all'Ongarese)  then after I finish that Im learning a four hand piece but I don't know yet what it is and that program is another two weeks. It is only after all that that I have actual time to practice   any suggestions on how to manage time on these?

Ive had horrible past experiences with managing repertoire so please help?

[dan101]

If you really want to dig into a work, dedicate two or three piano practices almost exclusively to that one piece (in your case, the Prokofiev). If you spread yourself too thin, you won't see the results you're looking for.

Once all pieces are progressing well, do more of an 'overall' practice. Good luck with your challenging program.

[ramseytheii]

Go through each piece with your full attention, and find the hardest spot in every piece.  Then, every time you have a spare minute or two, practice one of those hard sections.  You have to figure out in advance, though, from reading the music away from the piano, how you are going to practice it.

Then start organizing things by type of difficulty, for instance, is it hard because of polyphony (Prokofiev) or jumping of hands (Prokofiev or Scriabin or Schoenberg op11 no3) or just learning notes (Schoenberg op11 no3) or playing with a specific kind of touch (Schoenberg op11 no2 or Debussy) etc.  Then one day when you have more time, say, I am going to practice all the difficult octave pasages, or all the difficult polyphonic passages in all these pieces.

When you practice a piece as a whole, look at it from every angle: start from the beginning and go to the end; start from the end and go to the beginning; start from the middle; start from wherever seems an interesting place to start.  When you have a lot of repertoire to learn in a short time, you need to start memorizing it immediately, but don't put extra effort towards memorization.  Rather practice looking ahead as much as possible (one bar? two bars?) and then playing that from the keyboard.  Memorize by categorizing technical difficulties.  Memorize difficult passages so you can practice them a) looking at the keyboard and b) anywhere there is a piano, even if you don't have the scores.

Find the pieces that will refresh your mind, even if you are a bit tired.  For instance I find the Scriabin etude to be very fun to practice, even if I spent several hours doing other things.  Let's say I had preacticed the Prokofiev and Chopin all day; I would be hard pressed to practice the Schoenberg (because the music is denser with detail and requires a different kind of attention), but could revel in the physical demands of the Scriabin.  Don't start practicing with the pieces that you may need, to refresh yourself after a long day of mental work.


I'm sure there are a hundred other suggestions, but be creative for yourself in finding them.

Walter Ramsey