I've begun learning Liszt Sonata in B minor.

[brendan765]

I love listening to this piece so I've decided I'm going to learn it. Is it good to play section by section hands apart? Memorize it then put together?

[birba]

You know what I do when I learn a new piece?  sort of dumb, but it works for me.  I take the bingo numbers (in italy, from 1 - 90)-  I divide the piece into small 3 or 4 measure "phrases".  It depends on the piece, but a musical phrase usually covers 3 or 4 measures.  In a piece like the liszt sonata, I would first divide it into 4 main groups, then subdivide it.  Stick to one group which is more or less like a movement from a sonata.  Subdivide it.  It might come to about 40 subgroups.  Then I put the numbers in a bag and take one at random.  I learn that little group, by memory.  But it includes everything-musical AND technical things.  And I learn it by memory hands separately, as well.  If I know the piece - "know" in the sense that I've heard it lots - I might be able to do 3 or 4 groups a day. 
I do this little game because my concentration powers are not all that great.  If I start a piece from the beginning, in a normal start to finish procedure, I sort of get lost and don't really finish a small 3 or 4 measure group.  I also find that if I don't commit it to memory immediately, it takes longer to learn it.  Because I'm not really "trying" if I use the music.
But these are MY quirks!

[brogers70]

Birba, thank you, what an excellent idea. I'll try it right away.

[danhuyle]

This piece is not hard to memorize. Far easier to memorize than a Bach Prelude and Fugue by leaps and bounds.

I memorized the Exposition and Recapitulation (where it modulates to Bb minor), before memorizing the material in the Andante section.

I would suggest memorizing the parts that give YOU the hardest time.

That's how I did it.

[brendan765]

This piece is not hard to memorize. Far easier to memorize than a Bach Prelude and Fugue by leaps and bounds.

I memorized the Exposition and Recapitulation (where it modulates to Bb minor), before memorizing the material in the Andante section.

I would suggest memorizing the parts that give YOU the hardest time.

That's how I did it.

Memorizing is easy for all music under 2 conditions.
This is what I've learned, is this right?

1) you have the technique to play the piece
2) you practice it in small sections; overlapping the practicing pattern of sections so that you always have practiced through the piece and don't create a metal break in a phrase.

[rachmaninoff_forever]

Memorizing is easy for all music under 2 conditions.
This is what I've learned, is this right?

1) you have the technique to play the piece
2) you practice it in small sections; overlapping the practicing pattern of sections so that you always have practiced through the piece and don't create a metal break in a phrase.

1 is wrong.

[chopin2015]

Birba, thank you, what an excellent idea. I'll try it right away.

Put gummy bears on each section. When you learn it, you get to eat the gummy bears.

[rachmaninoff_forever]

Put gummy bears on each section. When you learn it, you get to eat the gummy bears.

Im totally doing that!!!

[chopin2015]

Im totally doing that!!!

I eat chocolate when I practice in stress mode(hardcore practice). It elevates my mood if I start getting frustrated.

But you could do the gummy bear thing with Bach!
Then tell me all about it!

[brendan765]

1 is wrong.

Well don't you think you should at least be capable of playing the piece. I've found out that I can play pretty much anything, pretty much perfectly if I set my mind to it...but I've never set my mind to it lol. I tend to practice vigorously for say a few weeks (like 8hours a day-practicing correctly) and then my bad habits start setting in and I get frustrated and practice less, but I can always  practice well in the mornings.

[outin]

Well don't you think you should at least be capable of playing the piece. I've found out that I can play pretty much anything, pretty much perfectly if I set my mind to it...but I've never set my mind to it lol.

That's a bit like saying I can but I cannot...Because I don't think you can separate the mental work from technique, they are part of the same learning process. It's also often beneficial to understand that one should work on the weaknesses instead of trying to prove that one can

[pianoman53]

Come on, man!

Recently you posted a few videos of you struggling through a Chopin prelude and a nocturne. Then you posted "your own piece", where you barely could play a proper arpeggio. You also said that your technique isn't at all that great, and you really struggle with it.

It's just not fun anymore...

[redbaron]

Troll, troll, troll. Still, if people will encourage him...

[blazekenny]

Liszt is my favorite composer, but his compositions should be only played when you could pull the technique out of your sleeve easily.
So as you are tackling this sonata, you are probably an accomplished pianist, and you know how to memorize properly now.

(by the way, the Liszt sonata isnt nearly as difficult as the Chopin b minor sonata In Liszt, everything is written in the notes, the Chopin is more of an intelectual problem. B flat minor sonata by Chopin is even harder)