God Damn piano is too hard I think IŽll chop off my arms.

[Petter]

 

[etcetra]

wouldn't chopping your hand make it even harder to play the piano? 

[faulty_damper]

But think about how much other people would appreciate that gesture!

[Bob]

If it were easy, everyone could do it.  (I still think it should be easy and everyone should be able to do it anyway.  Maybe with computers...)

It gets easier and more challenging as you go.  You can conquer bigger challenges (and become aware of even bigger ones, except that's not very motivating).

Practice intelligently.  And take some time off if you need it.  No harm done. 

[db05]

Really? I agree, but piano isn't as hard as ear (s)training. Think I'll do a Van Gogh and chop off my ear now. 

[a-sharp]

It gets easier and more challenging as you go.

Ain't that the truth!!

[lina rose]

hard things should motivate you, easy is boring.

[Bob]

There is such a thing as too hard though.  I tend to dig in on something hard and then find out it's too much to do consistently, day after day.  In that case, I can just ease back and have plenty of material and plans.

[db05]

hard things should motivate you, easy is boring.

There is such a thing as too hard though.  I tend to dig in on something hard and then find out it's too much to do consistently, day after day.  In that case, I can just ease back and have plenty of material and plans.

Yes, I've had that happen to me a lot. Now I have a lot of plans and don't know how to start usually. But piano is infinitely easier than ear training. At least there's progress, memorizing a bit better, learning something even if it's just a note a day. Piano is at least POSSIBLE, unless your hand is too small, or you don't have hands at all. But hearing? How do you know you're hearing something correctly? It's all just guesswork to me.

Other studies are like that, you don't understand something, or there's a gap in your knowledge, you're stuck there, maybe forever even. We're so lucky to have piano. It's not easy at all, but at least fulfilling in that sense.

[lina rose]

There is such a thing as too hard though.  I tend to dig in on something hard and then find out it's too much to do consistently, day after day.  In that case, I can just ease back and have plenty of material and plans.

that's true...it happens to me a lot actually and really gets me down. So i try to get an easier piece, but not too easy  then i'll try the other one again...

[a-sharp]

Actually - piano is still possible even if you have small hands. My hands are not huge, and there are great pianists who don't have large hands. I know of a teacher who plays really well - and she has tiny hands. You have to do things a little differently - but it's certainly doable.... with all the "regular/usual" other elements.... (motivation, hard work, desire, talent etc)

[rc]

with all the "regular/usual" other elements.... (motivation, hard work, desire, talent etc)

and the Farnsworth Finglonger?

[db05]

Actually - piano is still possible even if you have small hands. My hands are not huge, and there are great pianists who don't have large hands. I know of a teacher who plays really well - and she has tiny hands. You have to do things a little differently - but it's certainly doable.... with all the "regular/usual" other elements.... (motivation, hard work, desire, talent etc)

I wonder what you mean by "small hands". Around here, the hand span is usually just reaching an octave, so that precludes a lot of repertory where you have 8ve chords, legato 8ve, 9th, etc. If you fake the legato using a pedal, won't it be apparent in the music?

WHAT IF... Your hands are so tiny, you can't even reach a 5th? If chords are impossible, what else is left?

[Petter]

WHAT IF... Your hands are so tiny, you can't even reach a 5th? If chords are impossible, what else is left?

[healdie]

I know of a teacher who plays really well - and she has tiny hands. You have to do things a little differently - but it's certainly doable.... with all the "regular/usual" other elements.... (motivation, hard work, desire, talent etc)

my theory teacher (who plays piano) can't reach an octave

[rob47]

Petter, I would heed Kevin Garnett's advice given in this video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyjOy7fRzs0


specifically what he says at 0'20....but even more so what he says at 0'22 

[a-sharp]

and the Farnsworth Finglonger?

Yeah, that too. I forgot.   LOL

[lina rose]

petter, i'm worried about you...please don't make drastic decisions.

[rc]

She's right.  All your tissue being cut up could clog up a perfectly good chainsaw.  Spare the chainsaw and spoil the hacksaw.

Or maybe lying down with your arm across a railroad track?  Could be nice and quick.

[quantum]

Piano may be hard, but there are many other things in life that are harder. 

Would you rather be practicing or filing papers all day?

[loonbohol]

Oh!It is really hard to make an octave happen in a small hand but "La Campanella" by Franz Liszt might be the solution to the problem. To be honest my hands grew after mastering the piece for months.

Just for that solution,You may praise me for that effective suggestion.

[etcetra]

Petter,

I was wondering, do you know about Kenny Werner's book "effotless mastery"?  I've read his book and it changed my outlooked on how I practice... the book addresses a lot of the frustration that we all deal through in music and shows you how to overcome them.

He did a seminar online.. here's a link, you should listen to it.

https://www.instantteleseminar.com/?eventid=4007271

[Petter]

Thanks for the tip, but he seems a bit too new ageish for my taste. I prefer mean russian professors with surveillances cameras and mind numbing exersices in quantaties that could fill the Moscow Kremlin...

[etcetra]

Thanks for the tip, but he seems a bit too new ageish for my taste. I prefer mean russian professors with surveillances cameras and mind numbing exersices in quantaties that could fill the Moscow Kremlin...

Maybe that is part of the problem.. you associate piano playing as something difficult and grueling, something that may even require pain. I live in asia so that kind of attitude towards piano playing is quite common.. it's funny, its so painful just to watch some people play sometimes.

I know kenny werner sounds new age-ish, but I think he is right about one thing.. anyone who plays at a high level can do so because whatever they are playing has become easy for them through practice.

Bottom line is that I've had similar thoughts about music, and it was very frustrating for me..It took all the fun out of piano playing, but at one point I realized that music is supposed to be fun.. and it's not supposed to be like this and something had to change.

[vilius]

My advice is to take a short brake from piano. Doesn't have to be more than a couple of days, really. Practising while you are frustrated gives you 2% of what you would get otherwise. After a break like this I sometimes even get surprised how easy some things seem to play!

[theodore]

The piano manufacturers sell thousands of pianos every year, but they refuse to accomodate pianists who have small hands. String instrument manufacturers (violin - cello - guitar - harp) all have instrument models which have graduated sizes. The same goes for all of the woodwind instruments.

Violins have a 7/8 size which is very popular and guitars come in a wide variety of sizes. These instrument manufacturers bend over backwards to accomodate the wide variety customers whom they serve.

Th piano industry still remains in the stone age as far as accomodating the needs of young musicians. You have to play on the same size piano irregardless of if you are 6 foot four or 4 foot six.

 

[hyrst]

The fortepiano used to be made in a size for children.  I've sometimes wondered what happened  - they sure would be worth having.