Learning a piece.

[1piano4joe]

Is there a "BEST" way to do this?

I'm sure it varies quite a bit from person to person but could a few members share their process?

I will share some of my thoughts. These are things I often think about to do but do not always do depending on the piece.

Where should one start?

Is it sight reading? Or is it listening to as many different performer's interpretations as possible? Should I get more than one edition? Or is it analyzing the piece first away from the piano and then at the piano writing in fingerings?

What exactly is the "LIFE" of a piece? It seems like it can have a "BIRTH" and then a "LIFETIME" and then a "DEATH".

The "BIRTH" is your decision to learn the piece. The "LIFETIME" is the in between and the "DEATH" would be not maintaining it. Does anyone agree with that?

This is sort of like the continuum of "Sight reading" followed by "Familiarizing" which can lead to "Memorization".

I probably spend the most amount of time "Familiarizing" myself with a piece. This is probably not the norm but after I spend many hours learning a piece I tend to move on to another piece and begin again. So, I sort of let it die in a sense. Is it Cooke who addresses this in his book? A piece that I have completely memorized will be forgotten after maybe a month of not playing it.

And now my process.

I like to listen to other performers and follow the score simultaneously and if possible watch their hand movements and observe fingerings. I like to have more than one edition as very often different editors can vary quite a bit and sometimes the notes are different too.

I like to analyze one hand at a time deciding on the most efficient fingering for a passage which I can only figure out by trying to play at or even above tempo. Sometimes I make a bad choice and have to relearn a different fingering. Then I write them in for consistency.

I then make a mental note and/or circle problem spots. This is still the familiarizing stage and I'm working up the tempo with the metronome gradually. This helps me identify the problem spots.

Things that look easy often surprise me that they're not and I am very happy when something looks impossible or difficult and it turns out to be relatively easy.

Only after getting things well above tempo, hands separate (Thank You Chang), do I put hands together. Slowly, dialing up the metronome again and again. I don't mind as I can pay much better attention to articulations and coordination issues that often require a refingering since sometimes what worked for one hand alone fails miserably when the other hand comes into play. I can also pay better attention to dynamics. I notice this helps improve my control, timing and touch since I find articulations and dynamics are quite different at a slow tempo (staccato comes to mind).

As the speed increases I start to notice places where I can play without looking down and places where I have to definitely look down and other places where I can look ahead. Yes, I am still "familiarizing" myself with the piece. There is so much more than what's written on the page.

"THERE IS SO MUCH MORE THAN WHAT'S WRITTEN ON THE PAGE".

I felt like typing that again. It really is a discovery of sorts. Consider the voicing and shading of the sound that I control to my liking (like seasoning on food) and not to anybody else's idea of how it's supposed to sound. I play depending on my mood, fast or slow, loud or soft, sometimes I find myself doing the opposite of the composers dynamics. After all, I am the artist. Am I not? I play for me in my living room. Don't the large majority of us?

Places where I have to definitely look down I usually have to memorize or spot practice like crazy till either I don't have to look down or have my gaze sufficiently trained to look wherever it needs to and then back to the score. I have heard this described as "Eye Training".

Hopefully, I eventually can play the piece at tempo but this is not always the case. I think sometimes I am playing something above my current ability and/or I have never tried to play something for months on end. I am only an intermediate so what do I know.

Depending on the number of repetitions required to bring the piece up to tempo (which has been becoming less and less) as well as the particular piece it may now be (or not be) completely memorized. I may or may not play it daily for a time. Very few pieces get added to my "performing regular repertoire". These are pieces I have played for years and am not likely to forget. However, I am getting on in years (I turn 52 in November) and find I am forgetting pieces that I thought I never would. These I can bring back incredibly fast and the memorization as well.

I may choose to memorize it if it isn't already but usually I must really, really love a piece for that to happen. Maybe "choose" is the wrong word. If I really love a piece I have to play it. I just have to. I have no choice. It just becomes memorized whether I like it or not, want to or not. These are the "rare pieces" that I feel I truly play best.

These are the ones I try to  perform in front of an audience with my badly shaking fingers.  

Well, that's it for now. I look forward to hearing from you, Joe.
          
 

  

  

[ruvidoetostinato]

This is the typical process I take (with alterations of course).

1) Read and play through music.
2) Listen to a couple recordings while following with the score (circling possible problem areas).

* I try to memorize whatever I'm practicing on that same day, especially if I fail to play it well enough more than once. Memorizing it helps me divert more focus onto whats happening physically in my arms/fingers as opposed to looking at the music.

3) Practice the first few phrases/bars/systems.
4) Practice the most technically challenging part of the piece (if I absolutely can't play this section of the music, I most likely will save the piece for later.)

* Whatever I feel secure with, I practice a day or two later and instead work on a new section the next day. If it isn't secure, I would practice it the next session in order to solidify it. One way to help with this is to place my hands in a way that each finger feels solidly placed on the key they're supposed to play. I do this along with fast hand movements when necessary (especially leaps).

* At the end of each practice, I try to (sometimes forget) play through what I practiced in a slower tempo than what I feel secure with.

5) I tackle the music in sections and practice the connections between those sections so as to make it more fluid.

* If I make similar consecutive mistakes in a passage, I stop playing and think of the possibilities in why I'm making these mistakes. A majority of the time, it tends to be a technical issue.

* Most of the time, I find myself practicing passages in blocks of hand positions or groups. I play these groups either blocked or in fast and light playing. These little groups are also played so that they overlap with the following group. Works in the same sense as connecting the dots or gluing stuff together.

* For polishing, I don't move forward unless I feel absolutely secure with what I'm playing. This means that, even though it sounds well, I won't move along if there's even a hint of doubt in my mind.

[ignaceii]

I'm having a similar debate under the topic considered "learned". Perhaps you can take a look.
It is subjective and so difficult objectify. I'm 51 to, so we could talk about this later.
I recognize many of the issues in your story.

[gleeok]

I usually read it first "away" from the piano, then I play it for the first time very slowly, first the right hand then left hand, then when I'm good enough with both I start the "familiarization" process, until perfection is reached. During the end of this, minor adjustments are made. I guess the worst thing is giving up. When I'm feeling tired I try playing something else I already know just to refresh, or take a break and do something else, then try again later. Today I got the wonderful feeling of finally playing an specific piece t'ill the end without sounding choppy .

I guess everyone has a way of  doing it. I listen to some versions or if possible the version I'm learning a few times, just to get the "sound" of it a bit. The fingerings I usually try doing it the best way I can, if there is some part I'm having too many difficulties at, I'll usually take the suggestion fingering or write it on top of the note if there is none, then try again.

One thing I do is almost always start all over again if I make a mistake anywhere, I don't know, I guess it sounds better to start all over than starting from where I made the mistake...

But..yeah, don't give up. Be persistent, after learning this one, the next one will be considerably easier in every aspect and the next one easier, and easier! Now if you give up, you won't earn this "bonus" for learning a piece, thats how I think.

[1piano4joe]

Hi ignaceii. It was, in fact, your posting that prompted me to write mine.
 
You asked about being learned or done. I view these as two entirely different things.

I may be done with a piece well before it's learned.

I am very often just taking a break from it. A sort of extended "post practice improvement". I may have discovered something more exciting that I want to learn and/or play. I may decide that I'm not ready for it. This was the case with the "Fantasy Impromptu" by Chopin. I may just not like it anymore or am just plain bored with it.

"Success is the journey and not the destination". My post is about the "Journey".

"Where" and "What" as in "Where do I start"? "What do I do next"? What techniques enhance the learning of a piece and what are some possible steps"? Which steps are more important than others? Which of mine are unnecessary or could be skipped? What should I incorporate that I am not currently doing? Is there any serious omission on my part?

So please everyone, do tell. How do you approach learning a piece? Thank you, Joe.

[danhuyle]

The short answer

1. Read through the music and break it down into manageable sections
2. Listen to recordings/performances with the sheet music
3. Play it slowly
4. Leave it and come back

I'll write a blog post on this detailing my personal approach and what works for me personally.

[ignaceii]

I'm pleased that my post activates some interesting reactions.
Interesting what you tell about the "journey".
In fact, due to health problems, I struggle with my piano, and yet, I feel as I play better than before. There are paradoxes all the way through the journey.
I began playing with a vertical oriented type of score called klavarskribo. So, for those who can't read scores. Then I took private lessons for six years, and I learn quite fast, so I can read pretty good quite complicated scores. So, that is a part of the journey.

Now, health goes down. And doubts come in the way.
To try to learn on theory, I looked at the Berkely Music theory lessons.
So, I'm still searching.

It's a huge paradox. I struggle with a young Schubert sonata. Schubert is tough you know. He doesn't know where to go, I feel deep inside a harmony with him.

Then, I said, get your left hand back in shape.
And I took Brahms Handel variations and Paganini variations. I played some little parts before.
I felt better, I played them better to. Not at full speed of course.

I am largely autodidact, and I feel free this way. I do not want any teacher. The teacher is inside myself.

I wrote to the pianist (the magazine from UK) to try include scores, with harmonic analyses printed upon it, to explain the harmonies.
That department is something that intrests me.

But, as I have to look it day by day, I don't, can't put any pressure upon myself to force the learning process.

We are humans with deficiencies, I learn while enjoying myself.
Playing 1 Handel variation pretty good, gives me a good feeling. As I am not acaemically taught, I feel more lucky,I did it on my own, even if I don't reach 3,4,... on my scale.

Some people on this forum of course have different ambitious opinions.

But, that's it for me. Try to do something every day... and enjoy the journey inside.

ps:
Anyone who have the seem affection for Schubert, please let me know.

[rachmaninoff_forever]

This is what I do:

1.  Find a recording on YouTube
2.  Struggle through the notes
3.  Once I get the gist of it, I work on musicality and technique

[ignaceii]

Let me slightly correct:
1. Find a recording, whatever medium but better you are not put off by a computer screen. What is wrong with a plain cd these days and headphones, or plainly stereoamplified, and eyes closed.

2. I suppose you mean on score.

3. First technique, then understanding what you are playing, and then the most difficult part, musicality.

No offense, just trying to put it somewhat clearer from my perspective.

[j_menz]

My approach:

1) Sightread through the score until I get the gist of it.

2) Isolate those areas of technical weakness and solve them (either by sorting out fingering, clarifying notes, practicing passages etc.)

3) Repeat 1 and 2 until the piece is technically sound.

4) Continue playing the piece, on and off, working on exploring it's musical depths.

I don't always use recordings, but often I have heard the piece, or look for potentially good interpretations. Doesn't really matter to me when I do this.