getting overwhelmed

[deejeff442]

i have been taking lessons for almost 3 months now.sometimes it seems like its too fast paced.i get "homework" with 3 key chords on both hands already.i can sit and play them slowly but it just seems like too much at times.i am curious does my teacher think i am a natural to push this pace or is this about right for 3 months?
i enjoy a challenge but sometimes these notes make my eyes cross.i seem to be caught up with the music by the next week playing it slower than written. when i get to the lesson my teacher has me play it and corrects me as we go.
just curious if this is a good pace?
sometimes when i put a new piece up i play it for 10 minutes then get aggrevated and turn the piano off.or i will go back to some easier music.

[becky8898]

Hi DeeJeff. This is so impossible to answer.  But never fear Becky is here.  So you go to school. What school, what grade.  Have you talked about this with your teacher? Do you like your teacher? What did you think you would be doing after 3 months?  You say you get discouraged after 10 minutes.  Then dont do 10 minutes.  Do five. stop  - do something cool, like have a dish of ice cream or something  - call a friend.  -  Then go back to do the other five minutes.  I guess this sounds all lame, but its the best I could come up with.  more info . then maybe a better answer.

Cheers, Becky

[deejeff442]

i have to laugh.i havnt been in school for 20+ years .i am 40 yrs old.
i have always wanted to play piano .but never had the time untill now.all i knew about piano was there are white keys and black keys.so i didnt know how fast i would learn.i love my piano teacher.once we got on the same thinking line meaning i understood what she was explaining.i am more of a hands on learner than book smart.so this was a challenge for me at first.now i know the notes and can read the music for where it relates to the lines and keys.i still cannot remember all the lingo .i have asked her about my pace and she said i am doing great.of course i hear young students there learning before me and after 3 months i was playing more difficult stuff my first day.she explained i was an adult and smarter .i said you sure?
i actually had some time to practice today and i do pick up on the new stuff pretty fast but just get overwhelmed sometimes.just seems that when she gives me something i have never heard before it is difficult.now i have learned a more simple version of fur elise and can play that for hours.my teacher has said right now it is work then soon i will be playing for fun.makes sense .
by the way i dont like ice cream )

[becky8898]

OMG you dont like ice cream. lol - Anyway so your not a kid.  That explains it.  Figures I didnt read your post right. Saw homework and thought Kid.  Hey all I can say is dont sweat being over whelmed.  Really - Im overwhelmed every day . Honest.  You just kind of get used to it. You know how they teach kids to swim who are real young.  Just kind of throw them in the water and let them splash around a bit.  Thats you.  3 months  is nothing.  Give yourself a break.  Trust your teacher. Most of what I said earlier is true. Let your mind breath. Ten minutes to much . do 5 and then have a glass of wine or whatever else adults do. Then the other five.  Anyway  keep at it .

Cheers, Becky

[lizzie3]

I totally couldn't have written this post!

I have restarted lessons and in 6 weeks I have about 7 different keys I am suppose to be learning including triads. Last week my teacher said at our next lesson we will be starting arpeggios and I am feeling pretty overwhelmed.

I just push through them and do 20 minutes of practicing the boring stuff and then 40 minutes of playing/learning actual peaices. Even if I havn't perfected any keys I know eventually I will - even if it takes a year lol. I also just try to remember that if push through my frustration I am happy in the end when I can play the peice well, and pretty proud too.

Keep at it Jeff, frustration and feeling overwhelmed are temporary emotions!

[thinkgreenlovepiano]

I know what you mean about feeling overwhelmed. Sometimes I wonder if my teacher's forgotten that my pieces may be easy for her (she can practically sight read most of them), but difficult for me.

 There's nothing wrong with not being able to play perfectly when you get to your lesson, is there? Teachers are there to help and correct

Each week, I don't feel like I'm getting better, but if I compare my playing with something from a month ago, I can see the improvement. Every bit of practise helps you improve, even though it might not always be noticeable.
I normally set goals for myself at the beginning of each practise session... eg: I'm going to get these 2 bars right by the end of today. I  Setting goals really helps me turn my frustration into fuel (I start practising like mad to reach my goal), and it also helps me feel happy at the end of each practise session because I feel like I've achieved something.
Three months is quite a short period of time, so don't be discouraged yet. I always tell myself that I'll eventually be able to play my pieces well. Think about all the stuff you've learned so far. They were difficult at first, and now they are easy. The same thing will happen with the stuff you're working on now. It is difficult and frustrating now, but it will become fun and easy one day.
 

[deejeff442]

thanks everyone.actually i only started my first lesson december 4th so not even 3 months.just seems like the pace is fast.it is funny you mentioned your teacher can play sight read.mine has played for 35 years since she was 4.amazing to watch her play.plus inspiring
i will keep chugging along.

[brogers70]

Ten minutes to much . do 5 and then have a glass of wine or whatever else adults do.

Cheers, Becky

Becky, I love it, "have a glass of wine or whatever else adults do."  Actually, much as I like wine, I've noticed that a glass of wine really interferes with playing the piano. And ice cream, alas, makes old guys fat.

I enjoy reading your posts.

[pianissimo123]

It sounds like you are doing really well! Kudos to you!
It sounds like your progressing at a nice steady rate, which can be almost bittersweet in that while it is fairly rewarding and enjoyable to see results , it can still be aggrivating when you have to wrap your mind around newer, more challenging concepts.
It's actually funny that you mention the three chord progressions, because  I still remember doing them to this day. I think the best way to progress is to focus on technique and getting a solid foundation. Make sure you feel comfortable as you attempt some of the things you are doing. (Hand positions, extention of hands/wrists etc.) It is important to make sure you are relaxed and all tension is vanquished. Make sure your hands are ready for your exercises. As Becky suggested, breaks are always a good thing. Multiple breaks will do wonders.(Even if it's to get a drink or do a quick task around the house.) Be sure to stretch your hands and arms out regularly, and make sure you don't ever play cold! Because if you strain something that would not be alot of fun... 
As for the practice time, I always look at it this way- Make sure that you play enough to learn something new/beneficial to you personally, then leave off the piano just as you are really overcome with a joy for it. Then you will finding yourself really looking forward to going back on. And too, slowly you will find your periods of practice gradually start to lengthen as you see the fruits of your hard work!
But anyways, don't give up! I know, sometimes it can seem challenging , but I think that your teacher pushes you because they are excited to see what you are capable of. Try to be a figurative sponge. Take in the things they say and any suggestions that they may make. If you feel you aren't quite ready for a new step or need  to clarify something from your previous homework( technique or artistry) feel free to vocalize it to your teacher. Explain how you feel and ask lots of questions if you're curious. This shows the teacher that you are interested and it also ensures that you get the answers you need.
I think you are really doing great. I myself am a later starter as well. I'm hoping to become a teacher one day. So I view every single day as a stepping stone in my musical journey.
But never stop. Do what you love. Love what you do.
Hope this helped.
All the best.

[pianissimo123]

I totally couldn't have written this post!

I have restarted lessons and in 6 weeks I have about 7 different keys I am suppose to be learning including triads. Last week my teacher said at our next lesson we will be starting arpeggios and I am feeling pretty overwhelmed.

I just push through them and do 20 minutes of practicing the boring stuff and then 40 minutes of playing/learning actual peaices.

If your technique is like your spelling .....*__* Ha. I'm just teasing you.
 It seems like you will be very busy in the next coming little while.  It also seems like you are progressing at a nice steady rate as well, but please bear in mind that it is actually the boring stuff which will be imperitave to you actually learning so called actual pieces. Technique is the core of all great piano playing. I mean, sure it's not the funnest thing in the world, but don't rush through it to get to something better. Take it all in stride. Enjoy the gradual progress. Some times it's not so much the destination, but the journey.

Even if I havn't perfected any keys I know eventually I will - even if it takes a year lol. I also just try to remember that if push through my frustration I am happy in the end when I can play the peice well, and pretty proud too.

I'm sure all of us have had frustrations at times, especially when we are in the middle of a new realization.
There is nothing more rewarding, though, than seeing how far you've come. It's like climbing an enormous hill and then looking down below at the point where you first started. Absolutely breathtaking.Not to mention inspiring.

Keep at it Jeff, frustration and feeling overwhelmed are temporary emotions!

It is true, these emotions are merely temporary.But our passions and dreams are forever. Stay strong everyone! You are all great.

[lizzie3]

If your technique is like your spelling .....*__* Ha. I'm just teasing you.

That's not bad spelling those are typos!  Or so I shall claim

My teacher keeps saying how the scales and such will really help me in the long run, and so I do them. But I can't wait for the day when I don't have to put so much effort into them!

[quantum]

OMG you dont like ice cream.

Seconded 

Talk to your teacher, if you find the amount of material is too much that it is overwhelming tell him/her so.  Sometimes there is a tendency for teachers to put a huge knowledge dump on students.  They don't usually intend to, it's that they forget sometimes how much work and energy it takes to initially grasp a concept.  Maintaining knowledge is much easier than wrapping one's head around a new concept.  There is a sort of absorbency factor, a saturation point at which the brain's ability to take in new information in a given moment is diminished.  Once the saturation point is reached, there needs to be a period of time for the brain to make sense of it all.