enthusiasm

[liszmaninopin]

It seems to me that more and more lately, I have been somewhat losing interest in playing the piano.  Of course I kept up practicing, but now even that is starting to slip.  I really thought that I loved playing the piano-but I just can't gather the enthusiasm for practice that I had a few weeks ago.  It's a very hard to describe feeling, but can you suggest any ways of getting oneself "re-energized"?

[alvaro_galvez]

its kinda hard to explain man...
When I was about to quit piano it was all thanks to my teacher (the first ones) who werent teaching me anything, and I was kinda frustatrated. Maybe that is your case, and if so, I suggest to immediately switch teachers.
Love for music is something u are generally born with although it can lose its intensity depending on the current situation of ur life.  

[willcowskitz]

This happens to me once in a while, and though I can go on for days without practicing, I eventually get back to it at some point.  The mistake I keep doing is, I practice more than actually play the music for enjoyment or thought articulation, and this seems to serve neither.  Listen to your classics over again, get re-inspired by them, think of them primarily as music, secondarily as piano music.  Problem I've found after I started playing piano is that whenever I hear a piece I'm practicing, I imagine the fingers playing it, and it sometimes blurs the actual music.

[Spatula]

Listen to a recording of the repretoire you are doing and then perhaps critique on how you are doing or comparing to that (not that you should copy them), but see what they do and what you do and then look at the music while listening to the piece.

It helps sometimes so give it a try...

[goalevan]

I agree, listen to as much classical piano recordings you can get your hands, pieces you already know and love as well as pieces you're not familiar with. This really energizes me.. something about finding a new favorite piece is really incredible.

[Motrax]

When I get utterly bored of piano, I pick up a new piece and write out a schedule of when I'll have it done. I then revolve my life around learning that piece for a little while, and after a week of greuling practice, when I start seeing results, all the enthusiasm comes back, not only for your new reperetoire, but for your other pieces too.

Skipping a day or two also helps some people, though I've never found that to be particularly satisfying.

[Spatula]

When I get utterly bored of piano, I pick up a new piece and write out a schedule of when I'll have it done. I then revolve my life around learning that piece for a little while, and after a week of greuling practice, when I start seeing results, all the enthusiasm comes back, not only for your new reperetoire, but for your other pieces too.

Skipping a day or two also helps some people, though I've never found that to be particularly satisfying.

I feel so bloody guilty skipping 2 days and playing FFVII, oh my.  Then again I have the choice of practicing on a $4000 instrument or a $200 PS2... decisions decisions
I'm losing interest in the Rach prelude ..dude that is not good at all help me!

[Tash]

yeah for whatever reason i tend to have a lack of motivation to play in may so i'l just leave it for a week and give my pieces some space, and when i'm ready to come back again, they've usually improved and i like them heaps more. also if i've had a crappy lesson i'll mope about it for a day, but then i'll listen to a whole heap of classical music and remember why i play to begin with and that resparks my determination to play my pieces well and thus practice.

always remember why you loved it in the first place as that is what can help re motivate you, but then again i tend to be able to easily re motivate myself as it seems, so that may or may not help i don't know...

[newsgroupeuan]

It seems to me that more and more lately, I have been somewhat losing interest in playing the piano.  Of course I kept up practicing, but now even that is starting to slip.  I really thought that I loved playing the piano-but I just can't gather the enthusiasm for practice that I had a few weeks ago.  It's a very hard to describe feeling, but can you suggest any ways of getting oneself "re-energized"?

Take a month off.  Believe it or not,  it improves one's playing.

Extra ideas:
Spend a whole month without listening to recordings, or music of any kind.

Even better spend a month listening to rubbish stuff,  and you'll be drooling at the end of the month for descent stuff.

Don't look at any sheetmusic or forums for a month

You see things better when in contrast

[Spatula]

NOW I'm really losing interest in Rach prelude and fant impromptu...they're difficult but manageable and I can do them...but now there's so many distractions.

I'm in the same boad as Liszmaninopin, finding somethign to rekindle that passion for this music.  Maybe a walk around the park and listen to the birds sing and the cars go by, and the wind and the pounding of rain...nature and mankind sounds...

I need some fresh air

[liszmaninopin]

I definitely appreciate all your imput.  I could probably get away with taking off a few days-but not a month.  Remember, I've got a deadline of sorts by which I have to finish the Rach 2.

However, I was thinking that a fun new piece that might give me some freshness would be Ravel's toccata, from Le Tombeau de Couperin.  As soon as I heard that piece-I loved it.  Maybe a few days break, then play around with that.  Anyway, bye, then, for a few days.

[Spatula]

I definitely appreciate all your imput.  I could probably get away with taking off a few days-but not a month.  Remember, I've got a deadline of sorts by which I have to finish the Rach 2.

However, I was thinking that a fun new piece that might give me some freshness would be Ravel's toccata, from Le Tombeau de Couperin.  As soon as I heard that piece-I loved it.  Maybe a few days break, then play around with that.  Anyway, bye, then, for a few days.

Maybe I gotta start doing some pieces in the Major Key...most of my works I wanna do are in the minor key..any difference??

Anyways have fun lisz whereever you are going  

[ted]

Could it be that you have acquired the habit of thinking about your music too much in terms of "ought tos",  "shoulds" , goals and achievements instead of viewing it as a constant, unfettered creative joy.

I have never tired of my music in this way, so I am probably not competent to advise beyond a certain point. However, that is one idea which comes to mind.