How long should it take to learn the Moonlight Sonata 1st Movement?

[searchingfordistance]

Ludwig van Beethoven: Piano Sonata no.14 in C# Minor-Moonlight- Mvt.1 Op.27 no.2

Just started learning this piece and I am as always struggling. My sight reading is holding me back but when I have learnt how to play it my memory will kick in and I will then have easier to memorize it.

My question is How long should it take to be able to play this piece, not to memorize it and how long did it take for you to learn it?

[searchingfordistance]

So went through this piece today and I played it 4 times slower to get it right. So I have totally spent 20 minutes on this piece to have been able to play it at a slower speed.

My goal is to enter a university for Classical Piano Music in Sweden next year so that's why I joined this site to get some tips to help my performace.

[jugular]

My teacher gave me this piece of advice when I was studying with her and it's stuck with me ever since:  it takes the time it takes to learn a piece. It's simple, yet holds a deeper complexity that you can only understand by going through life experiences.

In a nutshell, don't worry about how long it takes for you to learn the piece. What if I said you should be able to sightread the piece and have it memorized at performance standard within a day? You would feel pressured to meet those claims because you've set a limit in your mind. This causes problems as you wouldn't properly learn the piece because you'd be striving for learning the piece as quickly as possible instead of as effeciently as possibly.

Just keep practicing the piece and most importantly listen to some recordings of professional pianists playing it. This will help you grasp some of the finer details of the piece and can subconsciously improve your performance.

Good luck in your future endeavours, and please post a recording of your interpretation of the piece if you can!

[searchingfordistance]

My teacher gave me this piece of advice when I was studying with her and it's stuck with me ever since:  it takes the time it takes to learn a piece. It's simple, yet holds a deeper complexity that you can only understand by going through life experiences.

In a nutshell, don't worry about how long it takes for you to learn the piece. What if I said you should be able to sightread the piece and have it memorized at performance standard within a day? You would feel pressured to meet those claims because you've set a limit in your mind. This causes problems as you wouldn't properly learn the piece because you'd be striving for learning the piece as quickly as possible instead of as effeciently as possibly.

Just keep practicing the piece and most importantly listen to some recordings of professional pianists playing it. This will help you grasp some of the finer details of the piece and can subconsciously improve your performance.

Good luck in your future endeavours, and please post a recording of your interpretation of the piece if you can!

Thank you and I will post a video later on. Here is a video of me trying to play page one for my first time.
This is a sample of my first try at Page [1 out of 6]

This is my favorite piano piece and I always listen to this on Youtube
Here is a pic from where I practice.
 

[j_menz]

I believe that there are two aspects to learning any piece. 1) learning to play the notes (in order,at speed and in time) and 2) learning what they mean; what you want to say with them.

The two should go together, and you appear to be doing that. Indeed, knowing what they mean helps enormously in learning to play the notes.

You still have a way to go on both counts, but are heading in the right direction. How long? That really depends on element 2 and can be as simple as a dozen times through or as long as a lifetime.

[searchingfordistance]

I believe that there are two aspects to learning any piece. 1) learning to play the notes (in order,at speed and in time) and 2) learning what they mean; what you want to say with them.

The two should go together, and you appear to be doing that. Indeed, knowing what they mean helps enormously in learning to play the notes.

You still have a way to go on both counts, but are heading in the right direction. How long? That really depends on element 2 and can be as simple as a dozen times through or as long as a lifetime.

My teacher helped me much during my practice with the aspect (1) to play in speed and in time. I always played in my own way so the aspect (2) melody or the feeling of the piece was always how I thought it should be, but I have listened to every piece I know and I know how it should sound like but it can be hard still.
I always learn the pieces  (No sheets required) and he was very glad at my progress. I have also gotten good responses from the audiences when I play and that is one of the reasons why I want to get better in every way I can.

[silverowl]

It took me 6 weeks to memorize the piece note for note. However, five months later, i am still trying to perfect it, and play it the way that is invisioned in my own head. I play it at least once a day, and one day I hope to play it the way it deserves to be performed.

[ancientsolar]

Ironic thing,

1st movement would get you into A level college,
2nd movement would get you into Standard university,
3rd movement would hopefully get you into a Music university.

Based on the UK grading system anyway, ~ not exclusive to this piece, but played at performance standard.

Keep up the good work, ~ as well I dont know if your using the pedal or not, but there is an incredible amount of sustain after the notes are played.

2ndly 6 pages stuck to your piano 0,0 ~~ surely you can get it down to 3 pages