Fingers just won't listen to me.

[nocturneop2]

I'm currently trying to learn Minuet in G by Bach and I just can't control my fingers to play the right notes. I KNOW what notes to play, but my fingers do something else. I usually have to repeat whatever I'm playing over and over again to get it right, but eventually my fingers start to fumble again. It frustrates me to the point where I lose motivation to play. I want to learn the piano tremendously, but it's these little things that really tick me off. Is it normal for your fingers to not listen to your mind when you're a beginner?

Also, when I play, my left wrist joint start to experience pain near the pisiform bone. It happens regularly and is starting to worry me. I don't have a piano bench, so I sit on a stool that might be a little too low or high, I'm not sure.

[thinkgreenlovepiano]

 Bench height and posture at the piano really does make a difference... can you imagine trying to write a test on a desk that's waaay too high for you? It's really uncomfortable!

And pain is really not a good thing, you should probably try and figure out what is causing it. Could be the bench. Maybe the bench height is one of the causes of your fingers fumbling the notes all the time too. If you don't have a bench I would find a way to adjust the  height of the stool, if needed. Maybe with cushions or something...

https://www.wellbalancedpianist.com/bpseatingguide.htm


Hopefully someone can give you more concrete advice.

[schmetterling69]

Okay, I'm not exactly an expert but I know what you mean about the fingers...very frustrating 
I would suggest doing LOADS of scales and other exercises (I know it's sad, but maybe an ABRSM scale book could be helpful as they do have lots of different exercises!) as they really strengthen your fingers. I had loads of trouble like you but I started doing scales every day (mind numbing, I know) and I have found a significant improvement! I'm extra grateful because I'm double jointed so my fingers bend into all sorts of crazy position when I put any pressure down - can be a problem when attempting to play fast!  Anyway scales have helped me control even these beasts 
It may not work for you but there is no harm in trying - Rachmaninov himself practised scales every day before playing any pieces. They also serve as a warm up and I often find if I don't do them my fingers are too stiff 
In general your fingers tend to listen to your mind more when they have the power to do so - playing requires a surprising amount of physical strength!
Not too sure about the wrist thing sorry, but just try to keep your hands pretty level with your arms...I'm sure there are many articles/videos out there explaining. Or it could be as simple as a bad stool height 
Good luck and sorry for kind of going off on a tangent  xx

[pianisten1989]

And don't play it too fast. Not so slow that you fall asleep, but not so fast that you miss notes.

[jgallag]

Here's what it seems to me you need: First, you need to break it down into smaller sections for work, perhaps only four bars at a time if you're a beginner (some pieces, I practice one bar, but that can be a pretty hellish bar). Make sure when you do these sections that the last bar of the first one is the first bar of the second, and so on, so that it's not too difficult to join them. Secondly, pretend you are a teacher. You know where the notes are, but your fingers don't, so you have to teach them. Be careful, but play as quickly as you can without missing notes. This may be very slow, or it may be just a little slower than you're used to. The smaller sections and appropriate tempo should help you concentrate better. Also, go through your score and circle the notes you routinely miss. Practice these beats alone, then in connection with the beat before and the beat after, and keep hooking on beats until you have a one or two measure unit (if the beat is next to the barline, you need a two-measure unit).

Second, you need faith and persistence. Even if you do all your practicing one day correctly, and by the end of your session, you can play every note in time, there is a high chance you won't be able to the next day. You need to be patient with yourself and go through the whole process you used the day before to get the section perfect. One day soon you will come to the piano and find that you can do it perfectly the first time. It clicks.

One last thing: you said you have to repeat to get it but then you start to fumble again. When you're repeating sections for practice, work on developing the sensitivity to stop before you begin to fumble again. That's your cue that it's time to do something else.

thinkgreenlovepiano already helped you with the bench. Good luck to you and I hope you're playing that minuet like a pro soon.

[nocturneop2]

Thank you guys very much for the advice. I might have solved my wrist problem by taking off a few towels that were on the bench. It's amazing how much difference a tiny bit of height can do to you. Hopefully this gets rid of my wrist pain. I've managed to learn bar 1-12 (linking bars 7 and 8 HT was pretty difficult due to that appoggiatura in bar 8 ) with Bernhard's methods and my fingers didn't fumble NEARLY as much as last time.

Piano is a crazy yet beautiful thing