practise routine after three years of little playing

[chris08]

Maybe someone with similar problems could give me some pieces of advice: Every time I sit dowm at the piano and play something I get frustrated at my playing and all the mistakes I make. I know that I need a practise routine to get myself on the track again, but actually I don't know where to start. So much to do!

What would you suggest as a practise routine, let's say 15 - 30 minutes full concentration for a start? My level was Mendellsohn Songs without words, and I am an adult "returner".

Thank you for your ideas
Kind regards
Chris

[go12_3]

How about getting a teacher, that would greatly help, and then you would be
able to have a schedule set up and get the correct books that a teacher can
recommend for you to use.  As for yourself, you can pick a piece, a favorite
song or classical piece and learn the right hand and left hand separately until
you feel comfortable with the melody and notes.  Learn some scales and chords.
Do a few exercises.  And play piano daily for 15 minutes at a time through out
the day.  No need to overload, the technique and ability will return. 

best wishes,

go12_3

[chris08]

Thank you for your reply and your ideas. I know about the importance of a teacher, and I will try to find one soon. I would however prefer to become a little better before I contact him or her, at the moment I feel too embarrassed...

Kind regards
Chris

[go12_3]

no need to feel embarassed, that's what teachers are for is to help you get started
on a practice routine.  And it will motivate you to become better. 

best wishes,

go12_3

[guendola]

You need to decide where you want to improve first. Perhaps start playing a few easier pieces that you have played before and get them into shape one by one. If you like scales and other exercises, do them slowly. Basically try to get rooted on the keys again and always remember, that playing piano is never painful - at last not physically. And the worst thing during practise is having no plan.

An example on how to go through one piece:

Have a look at the sheet music and try to remember the piece. Look for fingerings, check the key etc. Then sit at the piano and slowly start to play it through, don't bother getting frustrated at this point, it is a test only. Some parts will be okayish, these need to be shaped and optimised, low priority for now. Other parts will be iffy and you should work on those mostly. Some parts might be impossible and depending on your time, you should pick one or two of those per day only.

Don't push anything. Learning takes place in two different moments, during practice and when you are resting. Without the second moment, it isn't effective at all and won't last. When you get huffy during practice, don't screw it, rather slow down and try to get a result, no matter how tiny it might be. It will help you getting started the next time. I think it is possible to turn frustration into motivation, you only have to be persistent. Some of these moments can turn out to be very successful (I had a lot of them, so I know what I am talking about).

Restarting takes a while indeed. I had a teacher right away, after a break of almost 30 years, but still, I expected way too much and I had trouble learning pieces that I would have played with ease in my youth. However, after half a year, I had more than recovered and from there it went amazingly well.

As for the teacher: go12_3 is right, there is no need to wait, a teacher is the best help you can get right now! He will instantly see what you forgot over the years and remind you. He can also give you some suitable pieces to work on (old pieces tend to get boring quickly). There is really no need to feel embarrassed. You will during the first few lessons but it is still the better option As a matter of fact, after a few weeks of frustration, you might even feel more embarassed, and why should you do that to yourself?

[optimistic08]

I am also returning to piano playing after...maybe over 10 years.  I sometimes feel a bit frustrated because I think of how good I could be by now if only I had stuck with it..but ah well. Crying over spilled milk!

I'm not sure if this will help you, but while I don't have a teacher (too expensive, especially since I don't have a job), I find that it helps to watch some videos on youtube, or hear the audio files of the pieces I want to play. I do this while I have the score and visualize playing it. That way, I tend to internalize the music, and even analyze it, before I even hit the keyboard. It becomes easier that way.

It's not cheating, either, because no one plays the same way, even if we try to copy how other people play.

[chris08]

Thank you for your ideas and your time to reply. Guendola, I will start by looking at the sheet music (fingering, key) without piano. That seems a good beginning. It will help to dive into the new piece, so to say. And I have to chop into pieces without hurry or pushing, another good idea. And playing slowly, real slowly, two hands separately. Thea idea of resting is good as well, though sometimes I have the feeling I start at point zero again. Here comes persistence, I know...

optimistic08, (nice name ;-) I haven't watched youtube yet, maybe an idea, maybe better than listening to Barenboim playing Songs without Words. It is sooooo perfect and wonderful.

Another question: you mentioned playing scales. Is playing scales on piano as important as it is for violin playing?

Kind regards
Chris

[guendola]

Playing scales helps a lot if you don't hate it and remember that you are still playing a musical instrument. Basically, get the fingering into your fingers again, then slowly speed up to like 120, pick up again from there later on. Beyond 120, the movements need to be altered a little bit and it is much easier to do that when you got used to the piano again. You will however enounter scales in many pieces and that is the only place where you need this skill. So you could as well practise scales when you need them. In that case, however, you have that extra work to do... Same accounts for appreggios, triple-runs etc.

What I find important is that you get "rooted" to the keyboard again. Flying fingers look very interesting but they are really hard to control