How many pieces are you working at the same time ?

[deshaiesm]

Hi,

I would like you to share with us how many pieces are you woriking at te same time ? 1 ? 2 ? For example, with work, I cannot play more than 5-8 hours a week. For now, I am practicing Invention 14 from Bach but I would like to play other pieces also.

[mad_max2024]

I am doing one Mozart sonata in F (k332 I think)
Also doing some pop/rock music with a band and trying to learn guitar at the same time.

I usually do about 3 or 4 pieces at the same time but Mozart is a big one so I figure it counts as 3 pieces with it's 3 movements.

[kard]

I'm doing four. 2 short, 2 long.

Grieg - Puck Op. 71 no.3
Prokofiev - Fugitive Visions no. 9
Dvorak- Humoresque Op. 101 no. 5
Debussy - Danse

I end up cheating and focusing on the prokofiev lol...its so pretty (I think I shall record it)
I do 2 hours a day maximum of practice.

[eminemvsrach]

Let's see...... my teacher gave me Beethoven's Op. 14 No. 1 sonata in E major, Czerny's octave etude Op. 740 No. 49, and Tchaikovsky's Troika (November from the 4 seasons Op. 37a). And I'm learning Chopin's 3rd Ballade, Mozart's sonata in C major K 330, and probably some shorter pieces like Chopin's Mazurkas. So that adds up to 6 pieces.

I get only 1 hour of practice from Monday to Friday during school (We have class in the morning and we stay in the school's dorm at night, I get to practice during free period). During the weekends I can get about 3 hours of practice per day. But I can concentrate really hard during practice and probably that's one of my benefits  .

[shingo]

I used to have about 3 on the go at one time, then I changed to 6, trying out Bernhard's ideas but found it wasn't for me spreading myself to thinly accross them.

Now I have gone to the other extreme, only practicing 1 at a time in order to finish them faster and have something completed.

The way I look at it at the moment is how I look at my books, I have numerous on the go all with bookmarks in, but not one of them is finished, all just bits and pieces. This is often how my repetoire turned out, nothing completed hust a page here and a page there of numerous things.

[deshaiesm]

Hummm...Interesting... Actually I asked the question because what I found frustrating is that I do not have a repertoire even if I played piano in the past. I got back to piano lately (my last course was in 2000) but my level is about 4.  Therefore, it means nothing to me to be able to practice Inventory 14 from Back that the teacher gave me since I cannot play anything else when somebody comes home !... So I decided by myself to play 2 pieces at level 1 and 2 in order to rapidly build a repertory and I will play other pieces later on that are level 3 for example. These pieces will take less time for me to learn and I can try to make them sound very good. It will be encouraging, Is'nt ? I think it is  a good way to mixe pieces...

[sharon_f]

I'm usually working on 3 or 4 things at a time. Right now however I'm trying to put together a recital program so I'm juggling a lot of pieces at once: a Bach transcription, Schubert sonata, a couple of pieces from Schumann's Fantasistucke, a handful of Scriabin Op. 11 preludes, some Liszt and a Debussy piece. I find it absolutely overwhelming and have no idea why I ever let my teacher talk me into giving a solo recital. (The last time I gave one was 40 years ago!)

[bjenkins24]

I like the nice round number of six.  One piece from each period makes four, an etude, and a concerto.

The secret is to not be in the same place for each piece.  For example hopefully you aren't starting all six pieces at the same time.  Maybe two pieces you are just starting and memorizing, another two are memorized and you are working out technical and interpretable issues, while the last two may be "done" but working on small details or the overall flow, and hopefully they are being performed at this stage. 

Then when a piece is done you add another piece from that same category to fill the hole.  If you finish a a Baroque piece you find a new Baroque piece to start.
 
This way you have a balanced diet of piano repertoire, and you don't spend too long on one piece each day.  With this kind of workload I can seem to get everything practiced well in about 4-6 hours. 

[ramseytheii]

It depends.  Do you count the movements of Carnaval as individual pieces, or is Carnaval one piece?

if you count them all as individual, and do the same for every other suite of pieces, and count each movement of a sonata as individual, I'm working on... hold on... 115 pieces at the moment.  And that's only for piano solo!

Walter Ramsey

[0range]

If you count pieces that are totally memorized and are just being polished... 24.

[richard black]

I should think my record must be about 100.

(Admittedly I'm not a student!)

[tsagari]

Hi,
Three piece. One Czerny exersise,  Bach Invantion for three voices and  Chopin Waltz op. 64no2 plus scales four actaves contrary motion+ arp. However pieces like Chopin or Mozart Sonatas I work them for months whereas Czerny and Bach I move to the  next one every six weeks or so (I am taking weekly lessons). I like the idea to practice pieces of lower levels just to have a repertoire. I have to find the time to do it. Building a repetoire is not something that teachers usually have in mind and this is bad it should be part of the teaching session. I tend to forget the pieces I am learing after a while even if I have memorized them, recovering a piece (like a sonata) it takes few days but this is time conssuming when you have to study the current pieces.

[prins]

I am in a similar position as you, having a full time job and about 5-8 hours practice time.
I am always working on 2-3 pieces (currently Chopin study op 10 no. 6 / Bach WTC-I Fugue no. 1 in C major / Heller opus 46 no. . I spend about 15-30 minutes on each.

[loonbohol]

I learn one CHOPIN etude and compose one composition.

[deshaiesm]

I like the idea to practice pieces of lower levels just to have a repertoire. I have to find the time to do it. Building a repetoire is not something that teachers usually have in mind and this is bad it should be part of the teaching session.

I totally agree with you and my teacher does not seem to put to much interest in it. But I will take some advice also from bjenkins24 about taking a piece from each period to build a repertoire. Therefore, it's also OK I guess that I spend the time with my teacher only on harder pieces, but when I will feel that my other pieces (lower level) are finish, I will play it to him in order to get some feedback. 5-8 hours a week is a very short of time...  But I think that consistency is the best even if we have only that short time. I can see a lots of improvement since I started that consistency two months ago. Also, in my level, I need to include in that short time exercises from Hanon (60 exercices) arpeggios, scales...

[healdie]

At present i am learning 3 at the moment but hopefully getting new book later so will make it 4

[goldentone]

Right now I'm working on three pieces--a Brahms, a Beethoven, and a Bach. 

[pianisten1989]

For me, it really depends. I can play like 5 pieces at the same time, if they're not to big, Like a prelude and fugue for example. But when I played the mephisto waltz, I only played that one. The same with the Waldsteinsonata. So mostly one or two pieces, since i use to play quiet large pieces.

[db05]

It depends on the situation. If I'm in the mood, I'd take on 5 pieces (excluding sight reading), but that's a bit too much for me atm.

At the very least, requirements for school:
exercises - Hanon, scale, arpeggio
sight read - Czerny, short piece
1 piece by Bach
1 sonatina movement
and 1 piece for my minor instrument (guitar)

I like the idea of building a repertoire, but I can't decide whether to keep reviewing all pieces or just sight read easy pieces and memorize hard ones. Teacher seems to breeze through everything so quickly, I don't get to polish anything unless I give up the routine.

[gyzzzmo]

these are the ones i'm working on now:

Rachmaninov Etude tableaux op 33 g minor
Rachmaninov Etude tableaux op 39 Es minor

chopin ballade no2


thats 3 in total

[kelly_kelly]

Polishing for a recital:

Debussy: Ballade
Prokofiev: Visions Fugitives No. 1 and 4

Still learning:

Prokofiev: Visions Fugitives No. 8, 10, 14 (mostly 14)
Beethoven: Sonata Op. 14 No. 2
Poulenc: Improvisations Nos. 12, 15
Chopin: Etude 25-2 (but might start another one soon)

I guess the actual number depends on how you count...

[xxmynameisjohnxx]

Right now....let's see.
I'm working on polishing Clementi's Sonatina in C....which is basically done.  I'm playing three other simple pieces from my level 4 book that I'm playing through, I'm polishing Bach's invention 4 in Dm, and I'm working on Chopin's Waltz in Am Opus. 34 #2.  So I guess I'm working on 6? I'm gonna be done with Clementi VERY soon, along with two of the other pieces in my level four book, but I'll probably throw on another bach invention, two or three more from my level four book, and perhaps something else.  So right now I'm working on 6 but soon may up it to 7 or 8.

[j.s. bach the 534th]

well, it really does depend on if you couont each movement as a separate piece, and so on, but using common sense counting, usually no more than 3 pieces at a time.

I hate spreading myself out over many pieces at the same time; it just takes too long to learn songs. But, I need more than 1, so I have another piece to practice when one is frustrating me too much.

[chopinmozart7]

right now composing my etude No 1, Prelude No 5. repetoire: chopin etude op 10 no 12

[allemande]

right now...

-etudes 41 and 49 from czerny's op. 740
-Bach: prelude and fugue nos. 5 in d major and 9 in e major from WTC vol. 1
-Bartok: microkosmos vol. 5 nos. 124 and 130
-Beethoven: sonata no 10, op. 14/2 in G major
-Chopin: Waltz no. 14 in e minor op. posthumous
-Debussy: La fille aux cheveux de lin
-Ginastera: Milonga for piano

[qoppa]

Relearning/Polishing/Memorizing:
Chopin - Raindrop Prelude, Op. 28/15
Rachmaninoff - Moments Musicaux No. 3, Op. 16/3

Learning:
Brahms - Intermezzo in A major, Op. 118/2
Scarlatti - Sonata in C major, K. 159

I might add something else if I have time.

[nanabush]

Bach-Busoni Toccata and Fugue in D Minor
Debussy Suite 'Pour le Piano'
Rachmaninoff Etude Op 39 #6 A minor (top of page 5 is currently destroying me)
Brahms Rhapsody in B minor

I'm entering the Ottawa Kiwanis competition (hopefully), and entering the '20th century Impressionist' w/ the Debussy.

I'm also thinking of entering the generic '3 contrasting pieces' class with the Bach-Busoni, Brahms and Rachmaninoff.

The Debussy is one of the funnest pieces I've worked on in my life.  The Toccata is incredible.

Also realized I've only played 2 Sonatas in the past:  Pathetique and the Grieg Op7.  I might start one in mid December, but choosing only one's gonna be like pulling teeth.

[j.s. bach the 534th]

right now I am working on a Beethoven Sonata, Chopin Etude Op. 10 No. 3, and two different Chopin Polonaises. Will also start a Chopin Mazurka within a couple weeks. Maybe a Prelude too. (I like Chopin a lot)

[amelialw]

I just started 2 new pieces, so now i'm working on 4+1(on the side)

Mozart Piano Concerto in D major "Coronation"-complete
Beethoven Piano Sonata in D major op.10 no.3-complete
i'm almost done with these 2, just polishing up the little bits that occasionaly cause problems

I switched from Schumann's Abegg Variations to Papllions because I was struggling too much. Am doing much better now.
new piece* Rachmaninoff Prelude in D major op.23 no.4 ( I just changed my mind because I was flipping through my books just now. My best friend learnt this piece for his ARCT exam and often practiced at while i was at his home. I was just curious to see how much my sight-reading had improved and how much my ability helped. Before I knew it I fell in love with it and played through the whole prelude with hardly any problems at all soo......)

and at the side for fun...due next year to be played with my best friend
Stravinsky-3 movements from Petrushka

[csharp_minor]

Being a beginner the pieces I'm working on aren't quite as impressive as you more experienced guys, but get back to me in ten years!

ABRSM grade 1 piceces ( polishing )

Beethoven ecosaise in G major WoO 23 ( polishing )

Beethoven ecosaise in E flat major WoO 86

Christian Petzold Minuet in G major ( polishing )

Bach prelude BWV 999 C minor ( gotta finish learning! )

Chopin Prelude 7 in A major Op 28 ( Slowly slowly trying to work out were my hands are going and destroying this piece of all its elegance - sorry Chopin, please forgive me!    )

[pianoperformer]

Just two. Saint-Saëns Piano Concerto Op. 22, first movement, and Rachmaninoff Polichinelle Op. 3 No. 4. Next week I'll be adding something by Scarlatti (I can't remember what).

I'm just afraid of trying to memorize too many things at once, so I'm memorizing one thing at a time, then starting another. Plus if I work on two at once, one will surely gain preference and the other will wait till the end, anyway.

[j.s. bach the 534th]

Being a beginner the pieces I'm working on aren't quite as impressive as you more experienced guys, but get back to me in ten years!

No worries there, I think we have all been in this position at some point. (and I'm not far past it myself)

[trish89]

Well, right now I work on 5 pieces, I play usually around  4 - 5 hours per day. But honestly I am not used to work on 5 pieces, I did not more than 3 before....

[nyonyo]

I usually practice seriously only one or two pieces at one time. I do not practice more than 2 hours a day. I also do not practice every day.

However, in the middle of the learning the main pieces, I will start initiating to choose  new pieces with my teacher. If it is a big piece, I choose one, if it is shorter pieces, I choose two. Therefore, I can start practicing these new pieces. Once I am done with the main pieces, I can go right away to the new pieces.

For me practicing many piece at the same time gives me preassure.....

[hristo]

now i learn :
chopin-etude-op.10,no.1
chopin-etude-op.25,no.9
beethoven-sonate-op.31,no.1
bach-prelude and fuge in c moll
and brahms-rhapsody,not sure right now which one exactly
....but i`m concentrating for most of the hours of my practice on chopin`s etudes,`cause i am in love of op.10.no.1 !!!!

play hard dudes

[scottical]

I have on my agenda at the moment:

Bach - Invention pour clavier no. 8
Scarlatti - Keyboard Sonata in D minor K141
Mozart - "Allegretto" from Sonata K330
Chopin - Mazurka in F Major Op. 68 no. 3
Chopin - Etude Op. 10 no. 12
Ravel - "Ondine" from Gaspard de la nuit
Czerny - School of Velocity, Book I

I practice roughly 1-2 hours per day, in small clusters.

[nyonyo]

I have on my agenda at the moment:

Bach - Invention pour clavier no. 8
Scarlatti - Keyboard Sonata in D minor K141
Mozart - "Allegretto" from Sonata K330
Chopin - Mazurka in F Major Op. 68 no. 3
Chopin - Etude Op. 10 no. 12
Ravel - "Ondine" from Gaspard de la nuit
Czerny - School of Velocity, Book I

I practice roughly 1-2 hours per day, in small clusters.

Very interesting selection.... The level of difficulties are vary dramatically. It is very unusual for a person who practices Czerny School of Velocity and practice Chopin Etude plus Ondine at the same time. Are you sure that you typed the correct pieces?

[end]

HI,

I'm working on several easy pieces (for children) - about 6 or 7.
And I'm working on two serious pieces:
  Chopin's prelude op.28, n.4
  Satie's gnossienne n.1

I'm a total beginner and everything is difficult for me. But I see results and am very enthusiastic, so, I keep going.

[csharp_minor]

No worries there, I think we have all been in this position at some point. (and I'm not far past it myself)

Thank you j.s. bach the 534th for your kind comment.

[amelialw]

alot......

all my competition rep, plus pieces for my new piano teacher

i'll list it out when I have the time. sigh. can't wait for competitions to be over and done with.

updated on 23rd Jan:

Concerto Competition (between 2nd Feb- 27th Feb):

Mozart Piano Concerto in D “Coronation”

1st mvt-polishing
2nd mvt-polishing
3rd mvt-polishing& memorising
Solo Piano Competition (between Mid March to Early April):

1st round

J.S Bach Prelude and Fugue in E no.9 from bk 1

Prelude-polishing
Fugue-polishing
Chopin Etude in c sharp minor op.25 no.7

learning
2nd round

Mozart Sonata in a minor K.310 1st mvt

learning
Mendelssohn Andante& Rondo Cappriccioso

polishing
Pieces for my new piano teacher:

J.S Bach Prelude & Fugue in C sharp major from bk1 (she suggested a suite/partita but I would like to learn a few more P+F’s 1st)

Scarlitti Sonata- still selecting

Beethoven Sonata in c minor “Pathetique”

Chopin Nocturne in D flat major op.27 no.2

Rachmaninoff Prelude in D major op.23 no.4

Bartok 6 Romanian Dances (just for fun, will move on to something harder after this)

Prokofiev Sonata in C major no.5

[nyonyo]

alot......

all my competition rep, plus pieces for my new piano teacher

i'll list it out when I have the time. sigh. can't wait for competitions to be over and done with.

You have a fun life! Very few people who spend their days just to play piano all day long without thinking of making money. No wonder you can play many pieces at the same time...

[scottical]

Very interesting selection.... The level of difficulties are vary dramatically. It is very unusual for a person who practices Czerny School of Velocity and practice Chopin Etude plus Ondine at the same time. Are you sure that you typed the correct pieces?

I'm open to a wide variety of styles, as well as "difficulties".  A few of the pieces, notably Ondine, are challenging.  I'm always learning things from them as a student.  At the same time, I try to emphasize expression in simpler works because my maturity is geared closer to them.  Everything is a learning experience.

[amelialw]

You have a fun life! Very few people who spend their days just to play piano all day long without thinking of making money. No wonder you can play many pieces at the same time...

and the only reason why I can afford to do this is because I am under a full-music scholarship that pays for my school fees as well as $800 pocket money per month

Well, im in a music school and I have classes to go to, so I spend my free-time at the piano. Of course I do spend time with friends too....what makes it easy is that i've learnt all the theory&history that the school is teaching now so I hardly have to study or am able to finish my written work fast

[allemande]

and the only reason why I can afford to do this is because I am under a full-music scholarship that pays for my school fees as well as $800 pocket money per month

Well, im in a music school and I have classes to go to, so I spend my free-time at the piano. Of course I do spend time with friends too....what makes it easy is that i've learnt all the theory&history that the school is teaching now so I hardly have to study or am able to finish my written work fast

do you mind me asking what music school you go to??

[go12_3]

Depends upon my mood each day.  I have a stack of a variety of music books and work on two or three from each book from Monday through Saturday.  I have the powerhouse pieces, like Bach and Etudes by Chopin to work on each day.  Each week I end up doing a whole book, like Kuhlau and Diabelli Sonatinas, plus a variety of books, like contemporary, jazz, etc.  I can only get 2 hours a day when I have no where to go.  Plus, I practice violin which is an hour a day.  Then I teach 4 students a day in the afternoons.  So my time is limited.  What helps me the most is my list to play pieces each day, then I don't have to think about....what should I practice, instead, I have a plan and then practice what's on the list.  I have 6 books to go through, plus Hanon exercises.  Then the Bach and Etudes makes 8 books a day. And if I have time, I play other misc. pieces.   

[amelialw]

do you mind me asking what music school you go to??

not at all

I go to NAFA( Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts) in Singapore

www.nafa.edu.sg

[alpacinator1]

I learn one CHOPIN etude and compose one composition.

I can play CHOPIN!!! Everybody heard that, right?

[thierry13]

I learn one CHOPIN etude and compose one composition.

Haha, compare that to Liszt 

[go12_3]

I work on several to keep me out of trouble............    go12_3

[mefidys]

ha! hundreds of pieces, (my repetoire consists of tonnes of unfinished pieces and only a few which are)