Determining the appropriate level of difficulty to practice...

[larapool]

I'm starting lessons with a professor here in a week or so, and he's already familiar with my skill level.  However, I've been practicing sight reading a lot lately (with First Lessons in Bach, Schumann's Album for the Young, and a lot of intermediate-level sonatinas).  I can generally sight read those without much of a problem, but sitting down and actually learning them is a lot easier because I can learn the pieces much faster than I could, say, a piece by Chopin.

So, I can sight read sonatinas fairly easily.  I also learned Chopin's Op. 9 No. 2 nocturne in E flat major within a week - as in, I had the piece memorized, and was able to practice the finer things, such as dynamics, ornamentations, rubato, etc.  I'm guessing that is a normal amount of time to learn one piece, therefore that nocturne is about the level of playing I'm at?  And yet, the Well-Tempered Clavier books -- pieces with three voices, like fugues -- give me such a headache.  I can't tell you how long it took me to finally be able to play Bach's three-part invention in B minor...

I apologize if this is hard to understand - I'm trying to phrase it as best as I can.

[megadodd]

Did I understand you correctly, if your'e asking of what level of pieces you should practice?
It's not really how well you can sightread pieces imo o.O If you can't play a piece straight through avista dosn't mean you're not on that level of playing.
And time isn't a factor either I think. If when you have gotten down to knowing the notes, and the hardest passage in the piece is "easy" or feels just natural for you. You know you are over/on this level. When the hardest passage in a piece after countless days still is hard to pull off, I guess the piece is a little too hard.

[larapool]

Well, I mentioned sightreading because when I practice sight-reading, the music I practice is much, much easier than the other music I have learned.  So I've spent more time playing the sight-reading material because it's easier to learn, I can finish the pieces faster (sometimes multiple pieces in a day) and I feel like I have accomplished more than I would by learning, say, 4 bars of a harder piece in one day.  But I'm not sure if that's the way to do things.  I feel like I should be learning a *smaller* amount of a *harder* piece, rather than learning several easier pieces in the same amount of time.

The hardest pieces I have learned are:

Chopin, Op. 28 No. 15 ('Raindrop' prelude)
Chopin, Op. 9 No. 2 nocturne in E flat major
Mozart, K545 sonata in C Major, first movement
Beethoven, Op. 49 No. 2
Beethoven, Op. 49 No. 1 (this one poses much more problems than No. 2 due to the soft touch it requires, and the ending is so tricky to play legato)
Bach, three-part invention No. 15 in B minor

I am trying to learn Op. 37 No. 2 by Chopin, the nocturne in G minor, but it is very frustrating because of the giant leaps in the left hand -- moreso than Op. 9 No. 2.

See, when I first started lessons with my professor, he first had me play Minuet in G by Bach.  Then we stepped it up and went to Invention No. 1 in C major by Bach.  After that, Op 49. No. 2 by Beethoven, then back to the sinfonia in B minor by Bach.  So I've very quickly reached a point where I can play these pieces, but I have also skipped many others such as anything in the WTC, so I've had to gauge quite a number of pieces myself and determine whether or not I can handle them.

To answer your question, I suppose I am asking what level of pieces I should be practicing!  I'm confused myself, because like I said, I can play these harder pieces, but it takes much longer to learn them than something I can sight read, and sometimes I get discouraged because hard passages become frustrating - and so I give up on them, because I think they're just too hard, when maybe all I have to do is push myself harder...

[megadodd]

IMO if there's a piece you really want to play, figure out if it's too hard or just hard for you to play, by looking through the sheets, maybe give it a playthrough (even if it takes alot of time).
If it's something that's doable for you and won't take like 6 months to get throught the notes only, I would give it a go, if you get stuck you can always put it aside for later.

But don't get frustrated, it's just the way it is. If you want to get past this wall you have built for yourself telling you can't get passed it since it will take alot of time to climb you have to stick with it and don't give up.
I would also look for pieces which has got technique you are unfamiliar with, it will give you even more satisfaction when you get through it.
Like the Consolation no 3 was for me some time ago, with the polyrythm. Easy piece technically when you get it down, but I struggled alot with it, afterwards I could play Fantasy Impromptu etc, so basically what I'm saying is, pieces that open doors for other pieces, moving you up the pyramid is great to practice.

The raindrop prelude has 3 voices, it's great prep for Bach 3 part inventions and the other way around. Playing Bach and Chopin goes well hand in hand in general. Just notice what your harder pieces grants you, and perhaps you will be more encuraged to play them, even though they take some time.

The level of pieces can differ from person to person, I wouldn't get to hung up on any grades or so. Obviously some are just plain hard, and perhaps should be avoided for some time, I'm guessing your not dumb and realise what is out of reach for the time being.

[larapool]

Thank you for the post!  Yes...  I get extremely discouraged when I look at a fugue or 3-part invention by Bach.  They look so incredibly difficult.  And yet, I'm playing Raindrop Prelude and Op. 49 by Beethoven and those are about grade 5-6...

I think the problem is that when I began lessons, we raced up to level 5-6 so quickly that I skipped so many hundreds of pieces in the lower grades and now I'm encountering so many new things all the time, and I never had time to prepare myself for something like a fugue, which makes my head spin.    But I won't give up...  I'll keep trying!