What’s your biggest problem with practicing piano?

[yjieim]

Hey everyone!

-What’s your biggest problem with practicing piano?

Just thought I’d put the question out there, so that we could help each other overcome our challenges. If we see another member’s problem that we know how to solve, or have solved in the past, we can reply to their thread and help them out. Hopefully someone will do the same for our problem’s as well!
So let’s get posting everyone! We can use this thread to help out our fellow members, and also get guidance from other members in turn. Let’s see how many fellow members we can help! =D

Jie

[jcmusic]

Hi Jie,

My biggest problem is sitting down to practice.  Once I sit down and get involved with the problem I'm tackling, I get absorbed in what I'm doing.

Not sure if this is a legitimate answer to your question, but hope it's OK.

John

[tails]

Hey Jie,

My biggest problem that I have problem to overcome is my laziness (^^"). No one can solve it for me, only I can. XD alright seriously though, I'm quite lazy to START practicing piano, but once I play, it's hard for me to STOP playing too. :/

And sometimes it's the reverse of what I mentioned above -_-

[yjieim]

Haha yeah tails I know what you mean! When you're in the mood, you feel like you can keep playing for the whole day!

I guess one way that motivates me is the piano lessons themselves. I feel bad for spending money on lessons if I don't practice, and that usually gets me going!

[b_nghiem]

I actually don't mind sitting down and practicing , although I definitely much prefer to have the piece already magically learnt and just to perform it. I practice whenever I can because of certain time constrictions that allow me to only play about 4 hrs a day (neighbours...) My biggest problem is that my mind just sometimes easily wanders when I have to practice slowly the technical side of a difficult piece - I think I once was thinking of an episode of Friends while playing/practicing Petrouchka . This is unfortunate since I need to be 100 % focused!   

[point of grace]

...distractions... they are eeeeeeeverywhereeeeeeeee, and they can be anything!! ANYTHINGGGGGGG

[krystellle]

OK, here it goes.  This is sort of wierd.  I don't have any problems of sitting down and practising.  In fact, I love to practise.  My problem is when I'm learning a new piece.  So I read through it, I break it down and I learn it.  BUT, I don't really learn it until I've memorized it.  I have a good sight-reading ability and when I think I've learnt it, I haven't really, because I'm still reading it.  And the concentration is half-assed.  Consequently, I "learn" bad habits.  So I start to memorize it - hands separately, at times - and sometimes I fall asleep at the piano.  
Can someone help me?   

[danhuyle]

OK, here it goes.  This is sort of wierd.  I don't have any problems of sitting down and practising.  In fact, I love to practise.  My problem is when I'm learning a new piece.  So I read through it, I break it down and I learn it.  BUT, I don't really learn it until I've memorized it.  I have a good sight-reading ability and when I think I've learnt it, I haven't really, because I'm still reading it.  And the concentration is half-assed.  Consequently, I "learn" bad habits.  So I start to memorize it - hands separately, at times - and sometimes I fall asleep at the piano. 
Can someone help me?   

I get something along these lines. I look at a piece and see if I can memorize it, I focus on memorizing from the moment I start, then when things go out of hand, I leave the piece, and it takes even longer to memorize the piece.
What did I do? I focus on not trying to memorize the piece and play with the music until I feel confident that I'm ready to memorize.

[mussels_with_nutella]

OK, here it goes.  This is sort of wierd.  I don't have any problems of sitting down and practising.  In fact, I love to practise.  My problem is when I'm learning a new piece.  So I read through it, I break it down and I learn it.  BUT, I don't really learn it until I've memorized it.  I have a good sight-reading ability and when I think I've learnt it, I haven't really, because I'm still reading it.  And the concentration is half-assed.  Consequently, I "learn" bad habits.  So I start to memorize it - hands separately, at times - and sometimes I fall asleep at the piano.  
Can someone help me?   

As self taught, I read really slowly, just because i am not used to. However, on the other side, that empowers my memory. This is how I can learn, with just a (slow) read or two, a passage:
My score is on my PC screen, away from my sight when I look at the piano. I turn my head and read a passage, sometimes playing it at the piano as slow as I read it. Then I focus to give it more celerity, and in that process my head memorizes it nearly completely. That's how I solve (without intention) my problem.

However, just after that my problem appears: While giving speed to my hands and passage (until it gets its tempo), I focus in pulishing it. That stops my memorizing process, in the way that I don't continue memorizing the rest of the piece until I have pulished it so far. That's why I recomend everybody to learn the piece as fast as you can, although imperfectly performed, and then pulish it entirely... thing i never do, but i should...

Here is an article I translated from a composer and pianist I contacted, Alan Belkin... The article is about the best method of learning a piece, its reasons and an analysis of "tangible" piano techniques and movements... very interesting

https://www.webdepot.umontreal.ca/Usagers/belkina/MonDepotPublic/Piano/PianoTechnique.html

[krystellle]

Thanks so much!  I haven't read the article closely, yet, but first I wanted to ask you a few things.
you say:
My score is on my PC screen, away from my sight when I look at the piano. I turn my head and read a passage, sometimes playing it at the piano as slow as I read it. Then I focus to give it more celerity, and in that process my head memorizes it nearly completely. That's how I solve (without intention) my problem.
 
How long is the passage?  Do you memorize the hands separately?  How much do you do at a sitting?  How long is your sitting?

Then you say:

However, just after that my problem appears: While giving speed to my hands and passage (until it gets its tempo), I focus in pulishing it. That stops my memorizing process, in the way that I don't continue memorizing the rest of the piece until I have pulished it so far.

Now this is what happens to me, too.  When I learn a piece like that (I've tried everything!) I become so bogged down in remembering it, that I forget about the music.  It's like I'm playing like an automaton.  So when you say to learn the piece fast and perhaps "imperfectly", are you talking about notes as well?  Just learn the basic skeleton of the piece?

I'm off to read the article.

[pianolilly]

Hey everyone!

-What’s your biggest problem with practicing piano?

Great question! Here is my answer. Life gets in the way...........kids, school, breakfast, lunch, dinner, family, work, exercise, and of course, the TV is too loud. When I can manage to forget all of this, I can practice - 2 hours fairly regularly.

 

[myr]

Hi Jie,

My biggest problem is sitting down to practice.  Once I sit down and get involved with the problem I'm tackling, I get absorbed in what I'm doing.

Not sure if this is a legitimate answer to your question, but hope it's OK.

John

Martha Argerich said the same thing in one of her interviews, saying that she doesn't like "the thought" of practicing but once she was in the middle of it she liked it. And she's obviously excellent so that's probably good as far as biggest problems go!

[krystellle]

I don't think Martha Argerich can be taken for the norm in ANYTHING she does!!  Certainly not as far as practising goes.  I'm reading one of her latest biographies and I don't think she practises very much.  She doesn't have to.   
Im waiting for Mussels with nutella (YUCK!) to answer my questions.  Please!!

[pianowolfi]

OK, here it goes.  This is sort of wierd.  I don't have any problems of sitting down and practising.  In fact, I love to practise.  My problem is when I'm learning a new piece.  So I read through it, I break it down and I learn it.  BUT, I don't really learn it until I've memorized it.  I have a good sight-reading ability and when I think I've learnt it, I haven't really, because I'm still reading it.  And the concentration is half-assed.  Consequently, I "learn" bad habits.  So I start to memorize it - hands separately, at times - and sometimes I fall asleep at the piano.  
Can someone help me?  

I might be wrong but my impression according to your recordings: you are very talented and very musical. So you need challenges. If you are falling asleep at the piano you might just be bored. You are maybe subconsciously breeding out a lot of musical ideas and desires that want to come out and be realised. I'd right away start to work out concert programs and plan concerts, book venues etc.

[refugepiano]

My problem is not learning a piece or technical work (although I do need to work in it), my main problem is of finding somewhere to play piano (never owned a piano. Not good at all.)

[collectivecolors]

For me, I don't normally have a problem starting practicing but when I start and I feel like I'm not getting anywhere for a little while, or start to get really close to having a piece down I get distracted VERY easily; and then I start doing the weirdest things. Like, today I decided just all of the sudden to bend over backwards off the piano bench, and lay on the floor for five minutes. After that, I was fine and able to practice but just little things like that really slow me down.

[depp]

My biggest (?) problem is that I learn so slowly.

I play note for note and every thing that comes after the note is a suprise, every time.

I can play the same bars hundreds of times and still not play it without the sheets.

[danhuyle]

Scales, arpeggios, scales in 3rd, scales in 6th, chromatic scales, scales in 10th...

The challenge - Playing them at 120 per crotchet or higher.

[jcmusic]

Hi Depp,

I'm a VERY slow learner.  I know what you mean.  Seems new every time, even after much practice.

I'm often tired when I practice, which is not good.  Painful to think.  I've been trying to be as conscious as possible of what I'm doing.  What's the harmony? What's the pattern?  Where does it repeat?  What's the overall form of the piece? (very important!)

Also, I try and break the problems down into the smallest possible units.  Maybe take the soprano and bass only.  Things like that.

Also (maybe most important) I try and be kind and patient with myself.  Gentle self-talk.  The other happens all too often.

Have you tried anything like this?

John

[smoothsound]

biggest problem for me about practicing is me.  God do I hate to practice. Don't get me wrong, i play piano all the time, just don't do what you would call formal practice.  Closest i come to practicing is at the end of an evening when half the crowd is loaded and  wherever I'm playing is starting to slow down, i may try out some new arrangements of songs i have been kicking around in my head.  Maybe not a totally fair comparison since I'm not a classical player, but it kind of answers your question. 

Mitch

[pianoplayjl]

Hi Yjieim,
My biggest problem with practicing the piano is distraction. Every time I finish a practice spot I just find that I couldn't resist hitting out a famous tune. Also, I'm a very slow learner. My pieces only come together before an exam.

[hbofinger]

I don't have a problem practicing, I just love my time on the piano, even when working on technique.

My biggest problem is slowing down for slow practice. I have trouble keeping it slow. I usually only slow down when I have to while learning a piece.

[Bob]

Energy.

[m1469]

I'm with Bob on this.  Definitely, right now, the top three:

1.  Time
2.  Energy
3.  Organization

[sevencircles]

I don't think Martha Argerich can be taken for the norm in ANYTHING she does!!  Certainly not as far as practising goes.  I'm reading one of her latest biographies and I don't think she practises very much.  She doesn't have to.   

Can imagine that, heard some stories about her and it seems like she is almost alone in her greatness when it comes to motorics. Most people have to start with a slow tempo and gradually learn to play faster. She can often play things fast and accurate as soon as she has read through the piece.

I am personally working a lot on motorics right now and playing on a silent keyboard while listening to other music like pop music helps me a lot. I get bored very quickly but I have found a method that works for me.

[jesc]

1. memorization
2. (for very fast pieces) achieving my limit in terms of speed and retain clarity (for each freakin note).

[dcstudio]

not practicing is my biggest problem usually.   I can sit there and play for hours and hours and enjoy every minute--as soon as it is time to "practice"  -- well--I go and give the dog a bath, or make coffee, or balance my checkbook.  that is my problem

[m1469]

--as soon as it is time to "practice"  -- well--I go and give the dog a bath, or make coffee, or balance my checkbook.  that is my problem

That is my problem with vocal practice ... although I don't have any desire to sit there all day long singing, either!

*pardon me while I ignore my life-questions and drag my digital piano into the garage for some piano practice for a few hours before an hour of teaching prep., an hour of errands, another hour of teaching prep., then teaching at a school for 5 hours*

Yeah, that's right, I'm gonna milk it.

[dcstudio]

biggest problem for me about practicing is me.  God do I hate to practice. Don't get me wrong, i play piano all the time, just don't do what you would call formal practice.  Closest i come to practicing is at the end of an evening when half the crowd is loaded and  wherever I'm playing is starting to slow down, i may try out some new arrangements of songs i have been kicking around in my head.  Maybe not a totally fair comparison since I'm not a classical player, but it kind of answers your question. 

Mitch

hey another piano player!!! good to meet you.  Funny how we wait till the third set to try new stuff--when you are just counting how long you can drag out the standards and get to the end of the night.  I don't consider myself a classical player either---even after 18 years of formal training.  I practice exactly like you do!   Nice to have another jazzer around here.  It gets lonely...  

gotta confess--I do still love to play Beethoven--even though as of yet--he doesn't pay my bills like Vince Guaraldi does. 

[m1469]

Oh, there's another thing that I'd absolutely love:

My own separate studio just for me to practice in (not teach) in the backyard or so ... where I could be in, undisturbed, for hours and hours and hours and completely lose track of time and all things else other than music.  I think, though, that I'd probably lose complete contact with the world other than internet if I had that (unless I kept a computer and internet out of there altogether ... hmmmm).

[pianowolfi]

hey another piano player!!! good to meet you.  Funny how we wait till the third set to try new stuff--when you are just counting how long you can drag out the standards and get to the end of the night.  I don't consider myself a classical player either---even after 18 years of formal training.  I practice exactly like you do!   Nice to have another jazzer around here.  It gets lonely...  

gotta confess--I do still love to play Beethoven--even though as of yet--he doesn't pay my bills like Vince Guaraldi does. 

One of the most fascinating pianists I ever met is Kenny Drew jr. He's at least as good playing classical as he's at Jazz. Actually he's outrivaling many classical pianists on their terrain! Simply astonishing!

[dcstudio]

One of the most fascinating pianists I ever met is Kenny Drew jr. He's at least as good playing classical as he's at Jazz. Actually he's outrivaling many classical pianists on their terrain! Simply astonishing!

that is great! wow do I love to hear stuff like that.   it is possible to be equally able to play in both the classical and jazz worlds.  no matter what anyone says.   

[pianowolfi]

that is great! wow do I love to hear stuff like that.  it is possible to be equally able to play in both the classical and jazz worlds.  no matter what anyone says.  

He's really a breed of his own  

He's just so freaking good, it's not fair 

 

[ethure]

concerntration!

[pianoplayjl]

The fact i can barely last 1 hour with my practice.

[_achilles_]

My biggest problem recently (apart from time) is having a nice piano to play on. I have a digital piano at home that is ok, but it just doesn't cut it when I start to really put emotion into the music. There's a baby grand I can play 20 minutes away, but it's in a church that doesn't keep the heat on during the winter.. plus it's keys are getting really worn out and I think it's out of tune.

I'd give EVERYTHING (minus hands/eyes/arms/shoulders) I have to just have a little room, a nice upright, food and no distractions. Wow, I should really work on finding a place to realize that dream, it shouldn't be too hard, just need a place where piano won't disturb the neighbors and to buy the upright..

[thinkgreenlovepiano]

Well sometimes I when I'm having difficulty I just feel so overwhelmed and frustrated I cannot practice efficiently...
Or if there's a lot going on in my life, then I feel guilty practising piano when I probably should be doing something else. But then I feel bad for not practising piano.

Usually the two go together. If I had more time to practise, I wouldn't mind the difficulties I have as much, I would just practise more. But sometimes I really can't afford to

[pianoplayjl]

I would give anything to practice in an empty room.

[keyboardkat]

My biggest problems with practicing are, one lack of sufficient time (because one must be involved with working to make a living, among other extraneous nonsense, because one's wife and family unreasonably insist on eating regularly), and two, a wife who considers practicing an unproductive waste of time, since, A, I don't have a concert career, and, B, who do I think would be interested in hearing me play, anyway, and C, it's time taken away from the family.   But I love her anyway.

[yjieim]

Seem like many people have difficulty concentrating when playing the piano.

You don't have to be to hard on yourself. Concentrating on one thing for more than 1 hour is a pretty tough feat. It can be even harder after a day of work/studies.

Try really concentrating on just one bar at a time. I found that to really really cut down the time I needed to learn a piece. That way even if you have just 10-15 minutes, you know you can get 1-2 bars done.

Your brain learns by repetition, so by doing just one bar, you get to repeat many more times than if you tried to do a whole page at once!

Try it out and let us know if it works for you!

[jtguru]

Seem like many people have difficulty concentrating when playing the piano.

You don't have to be to hard on yourself. Concentrating on one thing for more than 1 hour is a pretty tough feat. It can be even harder after a day of work/studies.

Try really concentrating on just one bar at a time. I found that to really really cut down the time I needed to learn a piece. That way even if you have just 10-15 minutes, you know you can get 1-2 bars done.

Your brain learns by repetition, so by doing just one bar, you get to repeat many more times than if you tried to do a whole page at once!

Try it out and let us know if it works for you!

I second this. The human brain is not designed to concentrate on a single thing for hours at a time; you have to give it room to wander. The easiest way to do this, as yjieim says, and a very productive way at that, is to work on very small sections at a time. It doesn't need to be specifically one bar, just a section small enough that will not take long at all to master. (sometimes this could even mean less than a bar at a time!) The faster you can finish one section and move on to the next, the easier it will be to keep your brain interested. And this has the added bonus that, in general, the smaller the sections you work on at a time, the more comfortable you will be with the piece in the end (as long as you leave overlap between the small sections you work on)