Do you think it's possible to practice this?

[outin]

I can not play my pieces unless I am in a completely focused state and there's no interference, either from myself (doing something wrong or some interesting idea pops into my mind) or outside. I thought it would become easier with practice and learning them more thoroughly, but it seems it won't.

I can memorize things reasonably well. The problem comes from the way my mind works (or doesn't). Ever since I was a child I have been unable to remember what I was doing if there's an interference. At work if I promise to do something and have to walk to my office to do it, if anyone speaks to me or my phone rings on the way, I never remember the thing I was supposed to do. In general if I don't write things down I won't remember them after doing something else in between. When playing the piano any interruption causes me to completely forget what I was doing and where I was in the piece.

Since obviously my brain functions haven't become more effective at all by studying the piano (which I initially thought they might), I wonder if there's any other way to practice it? Does anyone else have this problem or are people like me usually just smart enough to stay away from memory demanding complex things like playing the piano?

I assume people who can effectively alternate between things are able to use some kind of a combination or working memory and longer term memory, since from what I know the working memory cannot store enough data to be able to "go back" after being occupied with something else.

[chopin2015]

I think if your problem is with forgetting, yes. You should write down things. Write down where you started and where you stopped that day, and write a memo about it. Make time to do this. Make sure the memo is clear to a reader. You can write down things like oh, this is in c sharp major but the arpeggio in the right hand is a natural augmented/inversion, and it starts on a2(octave) and start with finger 2...then practice that away from the piano. Also, try to sing your parts you learned, and keep tempo. tap out both hands and hands separate. If it is not singable, try to play out the parts in your head in your free time. I do this kind of stuff while I eat or shower or whatever.

[outin]

I think if your problem is with forgetting, yes. You should write down things. Write down where you started and where you stopped that day, and write a memo about it. Make time to do this. Make sure the memo is clear to a reader. You can write down things like oh, this is in c sharp major but the arpeggio in the right hand is a natural augmented/inversion, and it starts on a2(octave) and start with finger 2...then practice that away from the piano. Also, try to sing your parts you learned, and keep tempo. tap out both hands and hands separate. If it is not singable, try to play out the parts in your head in your free time. I do this kind of stuff while I eat or shower or whatever.

Thanks for the suggestions.

It seems that when I am away from the piano my mind is pretty well occupied with other things (mostly work). I think in general my brain may actually be overloaded at the moment and it makes the problem worse. Maybe it is a self preserving mechanism to wipe out everything often enough.

Interesting suggestion about writing things down...seems like a lot of work though, and since I write memos and stuff all day for work it doesn't sound very appealing...

I always sing my pieces in the shower though

[chopin2015]

Thanks for the suggestions.

It seems that when I am away from the piano my mind is pretty well occupied with other things (mostly work). I think in general my brain may actually be overloaded at the moment and it makes the problem worse. Maybe it is a self preserving mechanism to wipe out everything often enough.

Interesting suggestion about writing things down...seems like a lot of work though, and since I write memos and stuff all day for work it doesn't sound very appealing...

I always sing my pieces in the shower though

I understand not doing practice while working. I meant write stuff down during your practice. Make it a part of your practice.

[outin]

I understand not doing practice while working. I meant write stuff down during your practice. Make it a part of your practice.

You are so cruel...I hate to stop practicing to write something down and my handwriting is almost incomprehensible really

[timothy42b]

I have a bit of the same problem.

I'm not sure it can be fixed.

Here's a wacko thought:  First get yourself into the proper attentive mindset.  (one way is to get an empty soda bottle, a cup of water, and then slowly pour the water into the bottle from a height.  This forces concentration.)  Then turn the radio on with the volume all the way down.

Start practicing.   After a good runthrough, turn the radio volume up one notch.  Continue until it's too distracting.  Stop and pour some more water.  Try again. 

[outin]

I have a bit of the same problem.

I'm not sure it can be fixed.

Yeah, and to be honest it is not only a bad thing (being able to just jump to a new thing fast and never look back). I think it's the reason I am innovative and fast at work and some other things. I can even manage the occasional routines because they don't really require 100% concentration as the piano does. With the piano it would better if I was into improvisation... but I just want to play these ancient worn out pieces well

Here's a wacko thought:  First get yourself into the proper attentive mindset.  (one way is to get an empty soda bottle, a cup of water, and then slowly pour the water into the bottle from a height.  This forces concentration.)  Then turn the radio on with the volume all the way down.

Start practicing.   After a good runthrough, turn the radio volume up one notch.  Continue until it's too distracting.  Stop and pour some more water.  Try again. 

Now that's an interesting idea...I think I must try that, it's weird enough

[hfmadopter]

Thanks for the suggestions.

It seems that when I am away from the piano my mind is pretty well occupied with other things (mostly work). I think in general my brain may actually be overloaded at the moment and it makes the problem worse. Maybe it is a self preserving mechanism to wipe out everything often enough.

Interesting suggestion about writing things down...seems like a lot of work though, and since I write memos and stuff all day for work it doesn't sound very appealing...

I always sing my pieces in the shower though

It seems as though you should be able to practice your way out of this. Not practice the piano but practice how to stop at the end of your session and make mental check points for when you sit back down again.

On another note, if you are singing your pieces in the shower, then you haven't totally lost ground when you leave the piano. I know about busy work though, that can inundate your mind. So back to my other idea, start making those check points before you get up from the piano. I've had to do that recently myself ( work has been ridiculous lately with new "stuff" going on).

[ted]

I have the opposite tendency. I become so absorbed and concentrated on something, particularly music, that I become oblivious to possibly important external stimuli. Far from forgetting, I seem to remember heaps of trivial tripe of no use at all.

There are many tried and true ways of increasing the habit of concentration. Try Timothy's method, and perhaps meditation might help. Playing certain types of video games, the ones demanding extreme speed and subconscious reflex, could also help.

I think we all make discoveries while playing and practising. At the time we think they are so revelatory we shall never forget them, but interpolate a few domestic events and they are gone. They can be written down, provided the way we express ourselves can be understood when we come to read it three days later. I went through a stage of this but found the whole procedure tiresome and destructive of spontaneity at the instrument. What I do now, when a discovery is made, is repeat it enough that I shan't forget it. Most forgetting takes place immediately after the event. I find that if I repeat something a few times it becomes more reliably lodged in my subconscious. But if writing out works for you then use it.

[outin]

Thanks all...Video games and meditation is probably not happening, since that would have to come from my already too little time to devote to piano practice. And I have never been able to meditate, don't know how to stop the flood of things going on in my head. But I may end up with a wet floor 

Since I have no need to perform I can live with this problem, but it does have an effect on my lessons. Any time I would like my teacher to comment on my playing the piece (the whole package) instead of just concentrating on technical details I end up starting over several times and stopping all the time. She always says there were moments when I sounded good, but these moments are usually short. My blackouts are not just forgetting a note or a fingering kind, but they are complete  blackouts like "where am I and what am I doing? Oh, I am playing the piano, which piece am I playing again?" kind.  Pretty hard to get back on track playing musically after finally figuring out where I was.

[hfmadopter]

Since I have no need to perform I can live with this problem, but it does have an effect on my lessons. Any time I would like my teacher to comment on my playing the piece (the whole package) instead of just concentrating on technical details I end up starting over several times and stopping all the time. She always says there were moments when I sounded good, but these moments are usually short. My blackouts are not just forgetting a note or a fingering kind, but they are complete  blackouts like "where am I and what am I doing? Oh, I am playing the piano, which piece am I playing again?" kind.  Pretty hard to get back on track playing musically after finally figuring out where I was.

That's really losing your place ! My oldest daughter is similar, just in her case I think it's mostly self induced. She takes on far too too much in life, she doesn't know when to say no. Then she finds herself flooded with too much information at night and can't sleep. Acupuncture has helped her some with the sleep issue but really she needs to rethink her life's schedule.

In your case you have told us many times that work is burdensome plus this condition. Same result ( flooded mind) different cause perhaps. All I can suggest is to find a way to compartmentalize your days activities, so you can shut off a segment or two. Through most of my life I have been able to shut off work related things when I leave work. In my mind when I lock the building as I leave, my thoughts of work are left inside there till I open up the next morning. My mind moves on to what I will do next. At one point in my life ( when I had some help on the job), I could actually forget what I had to do on Monday, it was so left out of my mind over the weekend.  So you maybe need to reverse rolls here, instead of forgetting your piano parts, forget the work stuff. Work will be there when you get back in the next day or after the weekend.

On a personal note, I do know this. I'm counting my time till retirement now, 22 months and 3 weeks, I will be 65 then and can get 100% of my retirement. In my mind it looks good for me at that point if they don't buy me out before then. At 65 I can access social security health care and buy into a small supplemental plan. If I go now at 80% of my retirement the whole health care nut is on me till then anyway. So bad result to go now. These things are on my mind more now than the job itself is, as when I go so does that department, they will then farm out 100%. I'm the last holdout in 17 locations and the one remaining person out of about 30, well myself and the corporate level manager.. He will stay on to coordinate the farming out process.

[outin]

In your case you have told us many times that work is burdensome plus this condition. Same result ( flooded mind) different cause perhaps. All I can suggest is to find a way to compartmentalize your days activities, so you can shut off a segment or two. Through most of my life I have been able to shut off work related things when I leave work. In my mind when I lock the building as I leave, my thoughts of work are left inside there till I open up the next morning. My mind moves on to what I will do next. At one point in my life ( when I had some help on the job), I could actually forget what I had to do on Monday, it was so left out of my mind over the weekend.  So you maybe need to reverse rolls here, instead of forgetting your piano parts, forget the work stuff. Work will be there when you get back in the next day or after the weekend.

I do not think about work either after I leave my office. I never remember what will happen on Monday or the next week. Presently I cannot handle the workload during office hours so I stay late rather than bring anything home.

My days tend to be pretty hectic with no actual breaks. E-mails and phone messages keep piling up if I take a proper lunch break... So with whatever adhd kind of a brain I have it seems to drain them completely to be forced to concentrate and take care of several things at the same time all day.

On weekends my head works a bit better but I guess then I stress myself because I need to learn something before the Monday piano lesson

I'll have to see if the summer break from lessons and a 3 week holiday from work makes any difference. I plan to really polish some of the pieces we have worked with during the summer break. It's a bit annoying that after 2 years of hard work I only have one piece that I can sit down and play from memory reasonably well and even that still needs to get better...

[chopin2015]

 Takes a while with stuff sometimes, for me (with adhd). I wish my arms didn't feel stressed.I haven't done much this weekend. Just same stuff...I'm gonna be lazy today and not practice this evening. I'll listen to some music, maybe?