Hard as a Diamond

[Bernardswatch]

When choosing what piece to play next I often start learning pieces that are above my level.  

Is this bad or will it aid my learning?

will it improve my tecnique or would it be better to learn slightly easyier works, play them well, and probably learn them alot quicker, then move on the next.  

When playing a difficult piece it may require a specialist tecnique e.g a 4/5 trill variation.

By learning this piece it would improve this tecnique for definate.  But would it enhance my overall playing tecnique (as in range of skills needed).

Would not the rangle of skill be enhanced by playing a larger variety of easyier comositions which each require a different tecnique?  You could then master each piece slowing gaining more skills/tecnique, then when you come to tacle the harder pieces it becomes much easyier.

What are other peoples throughts on this??>?>

[bernhard]

You may be asking the wrong question.

As you put it, my answer would be that it does not matter which way you do (learn easy pieces, move on to the next, or learn more difficult pieces).

Let us consider your question from a different angle.

1.      There are no difficult pieces. A piece is either easy or impossible. The difference between them is correct practice. Or putting it the other way around: Correct practice is the process by which impossible pieces become easy. Superlative pianists make even the most impossible pieces look easy to play. It is not just looks. It looks easy, because for them it is easy. By they were not born that way. They had to work hard to turn an impossible piece into an easy piece. So make this your ultimate goal with nay piece: to make it easy.

2.      Piano technique is not that hard to acquire (if you know what you are doing). It should take about a year to acquire all the technique you will ever need.

3.      Acquiring repertory is another matter altogether. Acquiring repertory takes time. A lot of time. Consider reading. It is not that difficult to learn how to read – after a year or so you should have mastered the technique and that will enable you to read any book. To actually read all the books and assimilate all the knowledge in them is what takes time. In fact a lifetime is not enough to read all the worthy books in existence.

This leads you to this very urgent conclusion:

You must start working on repertory right now. No one has time to waste on pieces they do not intend to play as part of their repertory. Your first step is to make a list of everything you would like to play eventually. This list will change with age and as your taste develops. Nevertheless you must start a list and keep adding to it over the years.

Then whatever you play, play it only from this list. If you have problems, be they musical, technical, emotional, the solution must come ffom your list. You just do not have the time to learn stuff that you have no intention ever to play as repertory.

By all means, organise your list in a progressive order of difficulty. But do not fall into the trap of wasting time learning stuff that you think may help you with your repertory later (e.g. Hanon exercises. Are you going to play them in a recital?).

Does this mean that you do not have to do Hanon like finger drills? No. you still have to do them. But look at the motif of the J.S.Bach 2 voice invention in C (CDEFDECG). This is a Hanon exercise. So instead of wasting time doing an abstract drill, you will do a drill that has an immediate relevance for the piece you are learning. (I am assuming that the 2 voice invention is in your repertory list)

I cannot be much more specific than that. But if you look around the forum you will see many threads where this sort of approach has been used in specific pieces.

So by all means do lots of easier pieces and learn them fast – provided you intend to play them as your repertory. Otherwise you will be wasting time that would be better employed learning repertory.

Best wishes,
Bernhard.

PS. Are we related?

[Bernardswatch]

Thanks Bernard (maybe were long lost cousins ), some good points.

I do however find it hard to believe anyone can gain all piano technique in a year?

My reportoire is one place where i am weak and its something I've got to work on. and i shall