Do you choose your repertoire?

[trish89]

My previous teacher always gave me a choice or I could make my own repertoire and then we talked about it.
My new teacher is different, he choosed all the pieces by himself....

Also I can make better progress if Iam part of choosing or if I can choose....

Does your teacher allow you to choose your repertoire by yourself? Or can you be a part of making a new repertoire? Does your teacher give you a choice what you can choose?

[pwla]

My teacher let's me choose my repertorie and after that we discuss if it' good or not.When i was younger she used to choose the repertoire for me .
Why don't you talk with you new teacher to tell her what you think,don't worry it's nothing bad about this.Just try to talk to her and see what she says no one is going to kill you

[trish89]

It's he    but it doesn't matter. Of course you are right, but still Iam new there and I don't know how to ask for this - for me a problem, but I should at least try it next time

[ramseytheii]

Students should have to earn the right to choose their repertoire.  From that point of view, you should be determined to learn as well as you can the pieces your teacher gives you; if you impress him, eventually you will deserve to choose your own music.

Walter Ramsey

[quantum]

With several of my last few teachers and all through out uni, I chose my rep.  Sure my teachers did give me suggestions, but in the end I got to play the pieces I liked - so long as I kept the exam requirements it was ok.

I got into the habit of forming a list of pieces that I would like to play and informing them of a choice when it came time to learn a new piece.  That way I had several options if they didn't think I was ready for the piece, and I would still end up learning a piece I was attracted to. 

I've had some teachers in the past who like to tell me what they wanted me to play.  I didn't enjoy those teaching methods so much.  Especially the teachers who only stuck to the lesson books and had pretty much every other student of theirs play through the same basic set of pieces. 

[go12_3]

Ah, those days of being a student!  As I recall, in the university, my instructor chose the pieces that I needed to learn.  He knew what I needed to work on plus, to prepare myself for the Junior piano recital that has  required pieces from the eras of music, such as Baroque, Classical, Romantic and Contemporary.  Now, as a teacher, I do pick the pieces for my students because they are young beginners to intermediate levels. However, when they progress to a higher level, and depending upon age, then they can choose a piece that they want to learn. I think it depends upon the student's abilities to play a piece, whether they are ready to learn it.  Plus, the student may not like the piece, or it doesn't fit their abilities or the melody is monotonous and difficult to learn, then change to another piece.  When I was a student I didn't pick my repertoire afterall....... and did I enjoy learning the pieces?  Well, some I did and some I didn't.          go12_3

[imbetter]

I don't exactly get to chose mine but I have a big say in it.

[ryanyee]

yes i do whats the point of playing something u dont enjoy? it wont be enjoyable and the music u play definitely wont sound good to anyone but then again im incapable of producing any effect on my listerners(my mom and dad) other than annoying them lol

[amelialw]

well...my teacher from canada used to pick all my repertoire for me when I 1st started lessons with her. When i say all i mean everything! especially when I was her new student.
After 6 months or so, she asked me what I wanted to learn. Back then I had no idea and was ignorant, did'nt know much classical music at all...after not having a solid foundation laid with my previous teacher...so she suggested pieces. Of course she ended up picking the pieces and we would split 50/50. half of what she said that I had to learn and the other half, what I liked. That was for grade 10. For the 2nd set she allowed me more choices. We did the same for my ARCT and when I started it off she basically picked my whole set of pieces, then eventually we added what I enjoyed playing.

[db05]

My teacher lets me choose between some required pieces, yes. But most of it is assigned work...

[kelly_kelly]

My teacher asked me to make a list of pieces I'd be interested in learning (she called it a "wishlist"). From that list, she picked pieces that she thought might be beneficial to me, as well as some others. But she would never make me learn anything I REALLY didn't want to learn.

[fenz]

my teacher gives me some suggestion of pieces and i can freely chose which piece i want to learn... she doesn't force me at all and i'm glad if she suggest me a difficult piece 

[thierry13]

Also I can make better progress if Iam part of choosing or if I can choose....

That is an illusion, or a limitation you have you will have to destroy if you want to get somewhere in piano playing.

[goldentone]

That is an illusion, or a limitation you have you will have to destroy if you want to get somewhere in piano playing.

Why?  I believe the repertoire is big enough to handle "choosers" without compromising the making of well-rounded pianists.  When you are free to choose pieces you like or that interest you, you are motivated to learn, and the entire process is easier and more enjoyable.  And enjoyment is the point of all the work.  Why give perspiration to what returns no inspiration?  Here sacrifice is not worthy.  What concert pianist performs pieces they do not like?  

[trish89]

That is an illusion, or a limitation you have you will have to destroy if you want to get somewhere in piano playing.

But if I talk from my own experience with this....at least if it is the piece I like. You don't play piece you LIKE better? Or doesn't it take less time to learn it because you enjoy it? Aren't you motivated more?
Yes explain this....

[thierry13]

There are pieces that are more helpful to your education at a certain point, of course you can choose your pieces with your teacher, but if your teacher decides you should do a particular one, then I think you should do it.

[pianisten1989]

As a beginner, my teacher kind of picked what pieces i should play, but he always played some pieces I could chose from, with similar difficulty.

But now I kind of pick my own pieces. If my teacher has any objections about it, we discuss it.

Sometimes they say "Oh, this piece would suit you perfectly", but if I don't want to play it, I don't.

So ye, I chose my own pieces.