Taking a break from piano - a crime?

[csharp_minor]

I recently allowed myself a bit of a break from playing piano for a few weeks, and have just started to go back to my pieces and normal routine. I told my teacher this last lesson just so she knew why my playing wasn’t up to normal, and she looked at me in horror and then said ...why!? Like it was unheard of to do such a thing.

Is it really such a crime to have a rest from the piano, when motivation takes a dip? I thought I would give myself a rest as the pieces were becoming too familiar for me, they are short and fairly repetitive so I thought having a rest would help me listen to them again with fresh ears and come back to playing with more enthusiasm – which has worked.

I’m not a proper music student; I’m an adult learner that plays for fun so I have no deadlines to get pieces learned and am not currently thinking of doing another exam for a while. So I can’t quite understand her reaction. The piano is a hobby for me not a chore! People shouldn’t have to feel like once you start the piano you are chained to it.

I wonder what teachers views are on this and other students...

[pianisten1989]

Well, *** her. You have all the rights to take a break from piano.

[pianissimo123]

No, I don't think that that is a crime at all! In fact, sometimes it is best to have a little break from
a regular routine. I know for a while I was going fairly hard at it, and then I set aside my books and teaching texts and just did my one lesson a week and practically nothing else. I took like two months off. Then I slowly got back into it, building back up to where I was before. I think it works better if there is no pressure. Sometimes rest is needed. Who knows, maybe you will find reoccuring motivation and inspiration once you get back into it again!

As for your teacher, I think the reason they act like that is because more than anything else they want to see you to succeed. They understand you need rest, but at the same time they can be very anxious to get you back up and going so you will make progress rapidly. It's a very exciting thing for  a teacher when they see a student making good progress. No doubt your teacher will support you no matter which decision you make. Even if they seem disappointed at first, whether you choose to push forward, or ease up is ultimately up to you. They have to respect that. If they are good, they will know when to apply a little more pressure and when to loosen the reins (cut you some slack). Hope this helped. 

[mistermoe]

I think that reaction just shows your teacher cares.
If a student tells you this kind of things, you instantly search for reasons. Could be something personal in the student life, but it could also be your fault!
Would it be better if she didn't react at all? Or something like "ok, whatever"? I guess not 

I believe that in those situations, it is allways a good idea just to talk to your teacher, getting rid of any misunderstandings which could lead to way worse situations. If she is a serious person, this shouldn't be any problem.

[kookaburra]

I used to have a teacher who was very serious about piano-  a phrase she would often use was, "that's why you should do it this way, because then you will still remember it when you're eighty years old."   if I had ever (worked up the guts to) told her that I didn't plan to be taking piano lessons, or being a proffesional pianist when I was 80, she would have said something like, 'well, then what's the point!? why are you even taking lessons?!'

But it was because she saw piano very seriously - you either play it or you don't, and there's no such thing as 'oh, I just want to play a little'....

She was very good, but I switched to someone who could help me work towards my goals, and not be offended that I'm not planning on playing piano when Im 80. (ok, I probly will, if Im alive, but I don't really care about that right now, that's not why Im playing.....)

oh yeah, this same teacher, when I informed her on the dates of my summer vacation (3 weeks), and that I wouldn't have constant access to a keyboard the entire time, got this totally stricken look on her face, like, "*gasp* three whole weeks without a piano...?!?!!? *shudder shudder*"    That's when I realized how serious she was, and how not I am.   Later I laughed about it....    the way she reacted, you'd think I'd been telling her about neglected children having to eat moldy fruit from dumpsters....   

Oh yeah, on topic, I've taken both short and long breaks from the piano, and find it quite refreshing. But only when I dont have lessons, of course.

[fifthelegy]

Taking a break is definitely not a crime. It's your choice and up to you what you want to do.

I also took a two year break from piano and only started again at the beginning of this year and my piano teacher has told me how much I've been improved! It wasn't about my technique/piano skill but I've just experienced alot in those two years and now I understand what I play now and can convey those emotions in the music. I guess a break was what I really needed and it's certainly been beneficial.

[pianist1976]

Of course is not a crime! I'd said that it is absolutely necessary! Two pianists as different (and incompatible) as Claudio Arrau and Jozef Hofmann wrote in their respective books that every pianist must rest from the piano one month a year. The muscles must rest and the mind must rest also of the tons of music we introduced to it during the year. Both will thank you I'm really tired now (this has been a very hard year) so I'm looking forward to have a good month of rest some miles away from my piano