So many piano study books: method, etude, exercises...which to use, how, when??

[czernyragtimepianoplayer]

Hello!  I'm 'czernyragtimepianoplayer', friends call me Erasmus, I'm a 56 y/o middle-aged male, self-teaching only, piano student/player.  I live in China, so I don't have a "Piano Teacher"....  Now, I have one very big main problem as far as I can see - I can't seem to "stick to" just one piano method book(s), or one etude study book(s), or one exercises piano book(s).  I make my selections and I feel just terrific about the books I like for my daily piano study, then only a few days later I get this all to frequent kinda 'confusion', and I go right ahead and CHANGE to some other DIFFERANT piano study books.  I don't know "why?", but I often about every few days or so keep 'changing' my piano study books around & around - this really is starting to trouble me.  I just wish someone could advise me as to any ways and/or means in which I could just learn to control this changing my piano study books around, is there any way to 'control' this?!  I have so many many piano books to study piano with, I've got all of Carl Czerny's Opus, at least 50 of his "Etude" Studies Books, and I've got all 5 of John Thompson's Modern Course for piano, I've got over 200 Late Elementary - Intermediate Level Repertorie 'Piano Pieces' books, and I've got all of John Schaum's books, many differant Hanon Studies, I've got Aloys Schmitt Op.16 studies, and I can always order any more books that I might need or want through SheetMusicPlus.com, they have lots of great books, they have EVERYTHING!  But, back to my problem here in that I just can't seem to "STICK WITH" one set of piano study books that I at first seem super happy with, but then after a few days maybe a week or so, I 'change' my mind and get happy with a different 'set' of books -- what to do??  How can I STOP THIS BAD HABIT???  As it's really slowed down my piano learning progress very much over the past 15 years, why do I 'change' my study books all around, and I don't think that it is because I have too many books and that I just can't decide on which books to use - NO!  I really wish I had a piano teacher to actually "TELL ME!" the books to use, even if this seems 'childish', but I'm still at the Late Elementary - Early Intermediate piano skill level, terrible I think since I've been working hard at many different books for 15 years, it's all very frustrating, but at least I can play 'all' the 24 Major/minor scales over 4 octaves, many good 3-4-5 finger chords, and I can play all of Ferdinand Beyer's Op. 101 Method Book - all done with that, and now I enjoy Carl Czerny's Opus 599 and 823, but still only 1/4 the way through Carl Czerny's Method Books, and I do John Thompson's Books 1 & 2 of his Modern Course, there are 5 books in this 'set', and I use Dr. Louis Kohler's Op. 300 Books 1 & 2, still only 1/4 the way through Dr. Kohler's Book 1, and I also study Hanon along with my 4 octave scales everyday, except on Sundays I don't practice because it's "The Day of Rest"....  I need to 'rest' my fingers, hands, wrists, forarms, shoulders, basically my entire mind and body -I work very hard at learning the piano because I feel I should, as I didn't get the nice opportunity to learn piano as a youth!  So, I trying to make-up for 'lost-time' so to speak, but I have this trouble of "STICKING TO" the very books that I really like to learn piano with -- I just don't know what to do!  Would anyone, somebody with knowlege as to this type of 'problem' that I have, would you please offer me some "HELP!", some good information, or at least some good advice, as to what I should do to remedy this terrible problem I have, please!  Thank you all in advance, and for taking the time to read this:)  I wish you ALL a wonderful day....  Your's Sincerely, Erasmus

[1piano4joe]

Hi czernyragtimepia,

I used to do this very same thing. I no longer consider it a bad habit though. I have come to realize that I am all that much more equipped/prepared as a result of my efforts.

I have it under control now. At least for the time being anyway. I discovered the RCM repertoire, etudes and technical requirements for piano. I focus primarily on these. There is an online free piano syllabus so you can pick and choose your repertoire. Also, there are many student/teacher videos on YouTube of these pieces. They also have a set of CD's available as well.

I recently relapsed by Studying Berens Op. 70. So what. I went through it rather quickly and was just good reading material.

Also, I just bought Alfred's Adult piano course books 1,2 and 3. I have OCD so just had to have all three books don't you know. Was this really so terrible? No, of course not. It was fantastic to get another approach, to review and I even enjoyed some of the book 1 pieces.

I have found that as I have gotten better, it's become very easy to go off on tangents and lose my focus. This I suspect is a natural occurrence as so many more pieces are now accessible to me.

I am now playing pieces that I only dreamed about playing. They were an incredible amount of work and not always worth the effort required. So, those easy pieces are a nice welcome diversion and help keep me motivated/focused on practicing.

Playing is Not practicing and practicing is Not playing. If you haven't improved then you haven't practiced! Focused practicing can be a real drag. Bar by bar. Phrase by Phrase. One hand than the other. That is practicing and not playing.

Did I even mention, the preparation and analysis, that goes into a piece, away from the piano?

So, yes, sometimes I actually "PLAY" the piano for pleasure and enjoyment regardless of grade or level. Otherwise, could someone explain to me what all that hard work, analysis and practicing is for?

I hope I have been helpful, Joe.

[czernyragtimepianoplayer]

Hey Joe!   Your info here is just the insight, inspiration, and directional answer that I was waiting so long for -- thanks "TONS!", my good neighbor here online, thank you so very much for your 'perfect' reply to my post of: So many piano study books: method, etude, exercises...which to use, how, when??  I gotta tell you, I really truly learned alot from your post, like -- that I'm not lossing or completely lost my mind when I step back & around with the many & different piano books that I have, and I know I'm OCD (Obsessive Compusive...AND some other "Psych Lables" on me:), too; but, there's a lot of 'good' in this, too   Yes, I must have over 200 various Etude piano books, over 200 different very nice reperotorie musical type piano books, and many more 'piano study/exercise' type books, I can't play ALL of them yet, I "FOCUS" that is 'practice' on the ones that I ENJOY THE MOST OF ALL, and I 'play, relax, & enjoy' some of my 'easier' piano books no matter what kind they are....  Now, I will tell you this much is for sure that I find, as most people probably do, that IF i play and/or practice out of my favorite most liked and "ENJOYABLE BOOKS", then I find it soooooooooooo very much easier to remain "FOCUSED" on just those special FAVORITE books of mine, yes, I have my most loved books, most are Carl Czerny's Opus Etudes (These do sound as lovely as Chopin to me), yes indeed I just love to play Czerny's Opus 777, 823, 599, 139, 849, that's as far as I'm skilled yet to play now, AND I really enjoy John Schaum's "Finger Power" Study/Exercise book series 1-6, AND i just love John Schaum's & John Thompson's specially edited Hanon books, also enjoy and love practice/playing David Hershberg's Books 1-5 Special Etudes Books - I think it's called "TECHNIC IS FUN" series, his "SCALES, CHORDS, & ARPAGIOS IN ALL KEYS ARE FUN", Books 1(Major Keys) & Book 2(Minor Keys) are great.  But, same as you Joe, I also enjoy and play the Berens Op. 70 good old standard(s), too.  Alfred's Pub. has GREAT books, like the 1-3 book series you mentioned, but this series has song repertoire type pieces that seem to sound to "non-classical", sound way too much like "Elevator Music", do you know what I mean?  I don't like that Alfred series, so I didn't buy it, not yet at least.  What I do like and own is Alfred's "Masterwork Series Books 1-10", by Jane McGrath, she does a great job of editing these so very beautiful, classic type 'more popluar' pieces in most folks eyes & ears, they progress very slowly, and just fit under the fingers so nice, one of my most favorite reperortorie 'song' type series.  BUT, MY MOST BELOVED "SONG REPERORTORY" TYPE PIANO BOOK SERIES IS "THE FESTIVAL COLLECTION", by Helen Marlais -- she has done a most SUPER JOB in putting together a set of so many GREATEST books, look these up at www.sheetmusicplus.com, use their search engine and just type in Helen Marlais...these books could be used 'all alone by themselves', but she also put together 4 "Technical/Study" books too, and sub-sets for the study/play/practice of the Baroque era, Classical Era, Romantic Era, Ragtime Era, & Modern Era.  I study her books, and I find I just can't put any of them down, they really help me to FOCUS and keep on track with my practice/study/play for greatest enjoyment, with Helen's series I never get that "feeling" of "I need to switch to a different set or type of piano books", yes "THE FESTIVAL COLLECTION" is the answer to my very REAL & "biggest problem" in my life, with my not being able to stay the course, but with Helen's series I can finally stay on track, I can now "stay the course", and Joe I gotta tell you that YOU helped me discover this revelation of an answer - thanks again, it's just the way she has put her books in an order of such very great pedological greatness, very easy/smooth, yet professional advancement series books, all the pieces fit under the fingers & hands so very nicely, easier to sight read with this series, so the very  fastest progress is made with "THE FESIVAL COLLECTION", there are 10 books or more, 1-10 , starting at Elementary Level(Book 1) - Advanced Level(Book 10).  You really MUST check out Helen Marlais' series of books, she's even got some for the very young kid's, too.  Now, I will tell you Joe, one of the nicest things I truly love about "THE FESTIVAL COLLECTION", is not only the nice pedological/accidemic pieces in these books, but that at each point where one has to play an 'musical ornament', such as a 'trill', 'turn', 'mordent', 'inverted mordent', 'schneller', or any other kind of 'ornament', then in "THE FESTIVAL COLLECTION" all of these 'ornaments', every single 'ornament' is printed very nicely right above the 'spot' where it's needed to be played, in very nice dark beautiful printed 'deep' engraving, including proper 'starting' finger(s), and another BIG PLUS is that ALL of Helen Marlais' "THE FESTIVAL COLLECTION"'s books, each and every one of the books in the series comes with it's very own "Performance CD", all of the pieces in each book of the series is "Performed" really very nicely at a good tempo, by some very special gifted piano artists - just designed for the only sole purpose of helping one "Listen & Learn" each piece in the entire series....  So, I'm going to continue to keep-on keeping on with "THE FESTIVAL COLLECTION", i'll never stop-n'-start on this very nice series, Helen and her associates all say that by the time one gets to Level 10 (Book 10, Advanced), by that point in time, one will be able to accually truly be 'able' to "Play" the greatest works known, such as: Scott Joplin's Works, J.S. Bach's Well Tempered Clavier Book's I & II, Bach's English & French Suites, his 'Partitas', his 'Toccatas', and of course "The Notebook of Anna Magdalina", and most of Chopin's Works, and many more greatest piano works, yes indeed!  I think this is so, or at least one will have a very solid & strong foundation for these works, and will be able to really truly know all of the proper notes and be able to 'sight-read' through these more difficult works much more skillfully, yes indeed I truly believe this so!!!  Well, thanks again so very much Joe, for "enlightening", and giving me that extra needed "vision" that I was seeking, to help me help myself sort of, so I could "FOCUS!", with no more "Changing books all around in my piano study" and to help me to "Keep-on-Track", "Stay-The-Course", never "waver" ever again I hope & pray..with my piano experiences....  Wishing you a great day, Joe   Happy piano playing, Erasmus

[1piano4joe]

Hi czernyragtimepianoplayer,

Your welcome. I read your response and just wanted to say that there is absolutely nothing wrong with building a piano library! Also, just like a regular library where we don't read all the books, so it is with our piano libraries. We don't learn or ever play ALL of them. That is okay.

A DVD player does absolutely nothing without a DVD. Think of the piano this way. What good is it without scores, for a classically trained reader, without having a piano library. So buy all the books you want and NEVER feel bad about it. Chopin preludes, nocturnes, Beethoven sonatas, Bach, whatever floats your boat. Heller etudes, Mendelssohn, Grieg, Gurlitt, Debussy all wonderful composers, so spend away.

I think you might be my clone. I have so many Czerny books too. Some of his pieces are just incredible. I have the Thompson, Hirschberg and some of the Festival Collection as well. I bought the whole set of Christopher Norton books. I have the McGrath reference book, "Pianist's Guide to Standard Teaching and Performance Literature".

I have the Burgmullers, and many Albums for the Young. I'd recommend the Duvernoy Op. 176 but I'm sure you already have that one too!

Again, thanks for the kind words, Joe.

[czernyragtimepianoplayer]

Hey Joe!  Your welcome, too:)  Yes, I think that we just might be "Clones"   I think that we'll be meeting online at this site again -- from time-to-time, and it's nice to 'chat' with you, too.
If it's OK, here's an email you can drop me a line sometimes, whenever your not do your piano stuff, or whatever else, same for me too, I'm very busy with piano "practice" most of the time each day.  Yeah, if you'd like you can email to me at: ragtimepianoplayer@yahoo.com   Yes, at any time....  Take best care for now, and I'll take your good advice and just keep on building my piano library and my piano skills right along with it, too So, catch-you-later Joe, have a good one.  Happy Spring Time, Erasmus