Advice for the serious hobby pianist

[piano6888]

I know I've recently made lots of topics lately and as of today, but this will be my last one for a bit.  I apologize if I've created too many topics in a short span of time.  Anyways, so here is my current background and where I am now:  (Warning this will be a long read, just please bear with me.)

Background:
I am graduate student currently pursuing a degree in Software Engineering and I play the piano as a hobby. I do however, take the hobby to seriously and do spend a fair amount of time and energy on them. I have played the piano for over 15 years and took lessons for 9 years.

Prior to graduate school, I auditioned for piano and was accepted to a music conservatory as a piano major (high school student) for 2 years (from my Junior year through my Senior year), then graduated and went to a different university where I studied Computer Science. I did this not because of losing interest in music (I had and still have the same amount of passion and interest for music- it's just that I'm busier nowadays with my studies as well as real life), but because of the job market and wanting to lead a comfortable life.

Back to current day:
I am currently not taking lessons due to time constraints (graduate school in the engineering and sciences are quite time consuming plus my other pursuits and a very small social life, etc.) as well as the cost of lessons (assuming that each lesson is 1 hour/week and costs about $25-30, I simply cannot afford that on a regular basis, let alone the limited time I have to practice).

Plans, hopes, and expectation for hobby:
So my plans, expectations are that I plan to graduate with a Software Engineering degree, be able to find a decent paying, secure job, and live comfortably while pursuing my hobby.  I know that I won't be able to compare to musicians that majored and studied music in college or do it as their livelihood (because I'm in a different field and they also have more time + focus on it), however, I plan to compare to the other ones that are non-music majors and also play as a hobby.  

So with that said, my goal is that I plan to play semi-virtuosic pieces similar to these, maybe not necessarily as good as they but similar to their level.  I also consider that if I take a full time job in a field other than music/piano, then my practice time would be limited.  
Here is an example of where I'd like to be in the coming years or later in life:

I don't know if I am able to reach that level given my circumstances? I will continue and keep working on getting better and better every day, both musically and technically.  

Finally, a few other concerns that I have are that if I did get a job somewhere where an acoustic piano or weighted-keyboard is not viable such as the middle of no-where, not a big city.  Living in an apartment where there are close neighbors and thin walls, etc.? That is another concern that I have, and while I know that I am not a music major or relying on music to make a living, I still would love to reach the high level of playing someday.  I also need to figure out that if there is not a recording studio or concert hall where I can record my playing, then that would be a problem. Money is not a problem if I have a decent paying job- software engineering and software development are good fields for money. Aside from money, it seems that availability, logistics, and time are my issues.  Time is a big issue, and of course I am not going to cut sleep or other life responsibilities in order to do so.  The most time I can muster per week is about 8-12 hours of practice time on piano, and that is assuming that I don't have kids or a significant other.

I guess my other question here would be, how does the girl in that video manage to do it, or any other professional? (I will assume that she is a recording artist, she is playing on a grand piano - Steinway, and that people who are professionals not only have much more time as well as focus on it since that is what they do with the instrument.)

So to wrap everything up, I will say that even though piano is mainly a hobby, I still want to try to get to (or close to) that level of proficiency in my piano playing, but knowing the constraints in life (time and availability), I do not expect to play as well as someone who is a full-fledged piano major nor a concert pianist.  So while being as realistic as I can, I seek to know how far I can go and whether or not my goals are realistic.

Given my background and situation, does anyone with any sound advice for my situation? Also, are my goals, desires, expectations, and concerns realistic, reasonable, and sound? (This is of course comparing a non-music major/ex-music major to other people of the same boat.)

[brogers70]

Music is wonderful. Any time and effort you can spend on music is wonderful. You get to spend hours in the presence of wonderful, genius composers, thinking about their music deeply. Even if you have to do it on an electronic piano with headphones, it's still great. You've got absolutely nothing to lose. In my working life I was an infectious disease researcher; now I'm retired and get to spend as much time as I want on the piano. It i a great hobby. Enjoy it.

[iansinclair]

You can go just as far as you want!  The only restriction is that you may take longer to get there, and you may not have as wide a repertoire.  That's about it!

The only suggestions I might make are:

To make sure what practice time you have is really useful -- and, perhaps heretically, I would suggest that more of it be on the pieces you want to learn and play, and as little as possible spent on technical stuff

To make sure that you are playing, to the extent possible, on a really good, responsive instrument.  At your stage in you career, this may be a little more difficult, but it's worth it.  You don't want to be wrestling with a second class instrument.  If you can't have an acoustic grand, so be it -- but if so, get as good a digital as you can afford.

If and when you do acquire a significant other or kids, they are not a hindrance at all.  Just make sure that they appreciate what you are doing and trying to do, and are at least occasionally involved.  In fact, I regard them as a positive (I have both, although the kids have flown the nest) and they have always helped; practicing and performing can be a little lonely.

[dcstudio]

 then graduated and went to a different university where I studied Computer Science. I did this not because of losing interest in music but because of the job market and wanting to lead a comfortable life.

wow..... I started out as Comp Sci and went to another university where I studied music... I did this because I sucked at programming computers...    lol.

[piano6888]

@brogers
That's awesome that you are able to enjoy music even after retirement! I hope that someday when I reach that age I too will be able to enjoy it.  I also hope that I will be able to do what I am capable of doing when I reach that age as well. (technical and musical)

@Ian
Thanks for your advice on how to manage practice time and make the most out of it!

I wanted to ask you whether or not my expectations are realistic with my capabilities? I do not expect to be able to play as well as Lisitsa, Lang Lang or the greats, or anyone that is a piano music major and/or does music professionally since I do not have as much time as they do, and my career path is on software developing and software engineering?


Another thing I wanted to mention, but didn't in my original post was that I had a friend that was a psychology-history double major and he is currently in law school, he once told me that as one ages, the neurons die even more and he told me that if I reached a certain age, that no matter what I do or how hard I push, I just won't be able to reach anywhere near where I expect to be simply because of the brain's aging, neurons dying, and of course, weathering of the body due to age.  

I would agree with him, but there has been counter examples where some great pianists (in their late 70's or older, are still able to play very well.  Now as far as the physical body, I think aging does impede technique somehow but I could be wrong? (As one gets older, ones body starts to decline, like not being as mobile, agile as one was when one was younger.)

@DC
I was tempted to go and major in music, but knowing that the job market isn't as good and wanting to live an easier life (financially and physically speaking), I just stuck with Computer Science through undergraduate and still currently going on this path for graduate school.

[ted]

I say stop worrying about what other players do, what "experts" say, and who has achieved what. All that nonsense is irrelevant. What matters is enjoying your music and your time at the instrument. No comparisons, "shoulds" or "ought tos" are necessary. "Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law."

[piano6888]

@ted

Well then, how would one be able to gauge where one is? One is merely using other's progress as a baseline or reference to determine where they are themselves. 

Of course, I'm not really comparing to a specific person, but rather to a group of people, personally I believe there are different levels of the musician, starting from a beginner, intermediate, experienced, early advanced, advanced, and master (the exact levels are of course vague and subjective to say, but nevertheless there are different levels, hence that is why there are grades of music from 1-8, then after that professional).  Then there are two different worlds between the non-professional and professional musicians.  An non-professional musician would be one that does music on one's own terms and not making a living based on it, while a professional musician does music for a living.  In both worlds, there are different hierarchies and echelons, and usually a professional would be on the advanced level or higher. 

[brogers70]

I'd say, give up comparisons and hierarchies. The state representative looks at the freshman congressman and thinks, if only I could get that far. The junior congressman worries about what subcommittees he gets to be on. The committee member looks around at all the committee chairs and thinks he hasn't made it yet. The senior representative thinks, "Look at those senators, they've really succeeded." The senior senators worry about who has the most influence and think, if only I could be president, and the president worries about how he stacks up next to other presidents. Figuring out where you fit in the hierarchy of politics or music or anything else is a never ending worry, if you worry about it; if you don't, you can just get on doing what you like to do.

[ted]

@piano6888

I see. In that case I have a fundamentally different view of art and music to the one you embrace, and my advice is not right for you. No harm done though, and I wish you future joy in your music.

[piano6888]

@brogers
I suppose if I overthink it or spend too much energy dwelling or worrying about it then it could be counterproductive, but using it as a baseline or way of tracking my own progress could be helpful and at least give a sense of accomplishment. (e.g. I learned X piece and now I am refining said piece in blah aspect, working on the rhythm, phrasing, evenness, etc.) Also knowing where I stand can help me determine how far I am and where I want to end up.

@Ted
Thanks, same to you as well.  I just wanted to say that part of my enjoyment also lies in improving, maintaining current skill, and of course being able to play technically virtuosic, flashy pieces on the piano. That is the thrill of piano playing for me, and the mental adrenaline rush of fast passages and leaps, chords.  

[lostinidlewonder]

I really suggest getting a teacher, perhaps not every week if you cannot afford it but monthly perhaps? You need someone to give you a plan based on your limited time, goals, skill level and potential. You would definitely use a teacher to offer a more structured approach to your predominant self learning and also someone to correct errors you didn't know you had or reveal improvements you didn't know could be worked on. This all will save you time in the long run which is so valuable.

The reason why I think it is important not to compare yourself to others is that it makes your wish to improve less noble. There are much better motivations to improve that should extenuated from yourself only, eg: your excitement for music, your enjoyment to play for yourself and see improvement on your own terms, developing life skills such as discipline through music to help the rest of your life etc etc.

Some people simply want to play their favorite pieces, they are not really fussed with improving at the piano in any other way so long they achieve this. I think this is a trap in a way because I come across many self learners who choose repertoire too difficult for them to study effectively or neglect pieces which would be very instructive because it is not in line with their musical taste.

With limited time I would focus on sight reading skills and etch away and improving this for a number of years. With your limited time you will benefit greatly from being able to read well, you can explore many easier works and play them well which is both enjoyable and helpful to train your playing/learning skills. You will be able to memorise and master more difficult works you dream of playing well. Strong sight reading abilty is quite venerable in music circles and much admired, it really needs to be a part of every excellent pianist as it is the main platform which defines their learning efficiency and overall mastery of the piano.

[piano6888]

Thanks for your advice Lostinidlewonder. I will see what I can find in my local area, plus since I'm a full time student and currently don't have a job, it will still be hard to come up with enough money even for a monthly lesson let alone enough time for practice to make the lessons worth it. 

I will look into getting a teacher whenever I land a career in my field and have settled down for sure since by that time I would have had the money to do so. Of course, depending on where my prospective job is located... it could mean getting a good teacher (locally) or having to travel across cities, I would presume that if my job is in a big city, then there is a good chance of finding quite a few piano teachers. 

[perprocrastinate]

I used to worry about my career taking up so much time and energy that I wouldn't be able to learn the piano to my fullest potential--and it will do exactly that, but I don't think I care anymore. Sometimes life happens and you just have to do your best to accomplish the things you want, whether or not you'll be able to.

I really wanted to take piano seriously, even as an amateur, but right now, it has its place as something I can enjoy and study at a leisurely pace in my free time. You expressed that it was important to gauge your progress using other people, and I agree, but I believe that with your current mindset, you are already able to surpass most amateur pianists, and you will be satisfied with the skill level you achieve late in life.

Like you, I too want to be able to enjoy being able to perform virtuosic, large-scale pieces well. However, I don't think I could handle the stress of constantly wondering whether or not I can. I'm just going to take things as they come and appreciate the journey.

Whatever way you choose to approach this is, of course, completely up to you. Best of luck.

Also, did you just happen to stumble upon that video, or are you a fan of Touhou music? Some doujin musicians are very talented!

[piano6888]

I am a fan of Touhou, and funny thing is, a few years ago near Christmas, I was looking at video game music in general and someone used some music in one of their gaming videos and then curiosity led to me to find out about Touhou.  Ever since then, it has become a large part of my current repertoire hehe. 

Thanks for your insight about it and yes, there are days where I try to enjoy the journey and let the chips fall where they may, though there are times where I look back and said, wow I wished I could have done more or be more productive and efficient.  When will the day come where I reach the same level as that pianist (Bakeneko, part of a doujin circle named "Assaultdoor", she is very talented just like her other half of the doujin circle, Alioth.) well, I don't know (2 years, 5 years, 10 years... decades) but I hope that I will get there before I know it!

[outin]

I really wanted to take piano seriously, even as an amateur, but right now, it has its place as something I can enjoy and study at a leisurely pace in my free time. You expressed that it was important to gauge your progress using other people, and I agree, but I believe that with your current mindset, you are already able to surpass most amateur pianists, and you will be satisfied with the skill level you achieve late in life.

I take the piano very seriously (too seriously) but I have had to accept that my day job will put limits on what I can do. But it also enables me to finance lessons, music and instruments without worrying about how to support myself. Regular lessons are a source of stress, yet I don't want to give them up. I practice everyday, but sometimes can do only very little and see no progress. My brain always worked better at night and that's when I would like to practice, but I cannot manage my job if I don't sleep enough. I start too many pieces and get burned out every now and then. But the most important thing is not to quit even when it seems impossible to reach any of the goals. They can always be postponed and modified to better fit the circumstances. I tell myself that if life allows, one day I will be retired and have nothing else to do than play the piano. So I just need to reach and maintain a level of playing, that will then allow me to learn all those pieces I want to, no matter how many hours it will take...

[piano6888]

Well outin, for one of the few times I actually agree with you, especially with having to postpone and modify some of the goals, then being able to achieve them later in life.

I too am in a similar boat and while I still have a long life ahead of me, I am currently still in school and when I enter the workforce after graduation, I will need to make use of the available hours I have outside of work and other responsibilities in life for the piano. I will find ways to make time, just how much time I don't know yet.

Since you brought up a new point, I will say I do have a fear about losing my current progress (wherever I am now). There was a time where I went from doing really well to doing poorly simply because I practiced much less during that time period due to school and life (sophomore year of undergrad college), and then it took some time (about a year or so) to get back to where I was and even then I didn't get back to the same level during conservatory years (probably unlikely because when I was at conservatory piano was the main focus and I pretty much practiced on average 3-4 hours per day 6 out of 7 days in a week). Anyways, nowadays I just hope that when I reach your age outin, that I would have at least my current present day skill level, and gradually improve to reach the same level of what music major students are at.  If I cannot reach it, then at the bare minimum, I should be able to maintain.

[bronnestam]

You can go just as far as you want!  The only restriction is that you may take longer to get there, and you may not have as wide a repertoire.  That's about it!

The only suggestions I might make are:

To make sure what practice time you have is really useful -- and, perhaps heretically, I would suggest that more of it be on the pieces you want to learn and play, and as little as possible spent on technical stuff

...

Oh, this very well put; I agree with every word written here.

For the OP, I can only say that I have made exactly the same journey as you, although I never tried to qualify for any conservatory. I took a Master of Science degree in applied physics and electrical engineering, plus another degree in technical writing. Now I'm 50 and work as a technical translator AND since a few years, piano is my major hobby.

I am also dead serious about this. Why? Because it is fun, therefore. I am too old to ask people what I should do and not do, I do this for me. I also find it is good for me; good for my development as a person, simply developing my wisdom and life experience.

At first I thought that "nah, I will never learn this and that" but that did not stop me from practicing anyway. And soon I realized that I can learn practically anything, it just takes a lot of time compared to the professional pianists.
And don't bother about that rubbish about dying neurons or whatever. It is not true. I reached a certain level as a teenager. Then literally nothing happened for 25 years or something. Then I started again, played like a beginner at first, but now I have since long surpassed my earlier level. I study things like the Appassionata now, pieces I could not imagine in my wildest dreams that I would ever play. So, I will probably not reach concert pianist level on such pieces, but so what. If I want to listen to master performances, I go and listen to master pianists. I have also got lessons by master pianists and that is incredibly fun. They have taught me so much - so what if I never become the next Martha Argerich.

I have also been to piano summer schools, that is awfully fun. And you know what, the adult amateurs are much more fanatic there than the young conservatory students. Why? Because we who are older, know that this is the only time we get, so we squeeze out every minute of this precious week ... Then we go home to our everyday lives where piano playing often comes in second hand. So, amateurs are just as serious and devoted as professional pianists - just not full-time ... 

[louispodesta]

I know I've recently made lots of topics lately and as of today, but this will be my last one for a bit.  I apologize if I've created too many topics in a short span of time.  Anyways, so here is my current background and where I am now:  (Warning this will be a long read, just please bear with me.)

Background:
I am graduate student currently pursuing a degree in Software Engineering and I play the piano as a hobby. I do however, take the hobby to seriously and do spend a fair amount of time and energy on them. I have played the piano for over 15 years and took lessons for 9 years.

Prior to graduate school, I auditioned for piano and was accepted to a music conservatory as a piano major (high school student) for 2 years (from my Junior year through my Senior year), then graduated and went to a different university where I studied Computer Science. I did this not because of losing interest in music (I had and still have the same amount of passion and interest for music- it's just that I'm busier nowadays with my studies as well as real life), but because of the job market and wanting to lead a comfortable life.

Back to current day:
I am currently not taking lessons due to time constraints (graduate school in the engineering and sciences are quite time consuming plus my other pursuits and a very small social life, etc.) as well as the cost of lessons (assuming that each lesson is 1 hour/week and costs about $25-30, I simply cannot afford that on a regular basis, let alone the limited time I have to practice).

Plans, hopes, and expectation for hobby:
So my plans, expectations are that I plan to graduate with a Software Engineering degree, be able to find a decent paying, secure job, and live comfortably while pursuing my hobby.  I know that I won't be able to compare to musicians that majored and studied music in college or do it as their livelihood (because I'm in a different field and they also have more time + focus on it), however, I plan to compare to the other ones that are non-music majors and also play as a hobby.  

So with that said, my goal is that I plan to play semi-virtuosic pieces similar to these, maybe not necessarily as good as they but similar to their level.  I also consider that if I take a full time job in a field other than music/piano, then my practice time would be limited.  
Here is an example of where I'd like to be in the coming years or later in life:

I don't know if I am able to reach that level given my circumstances? I will continue and keep working on getting better and better every day, both musically and technically.  

Finally, a few other concerns that I have are that if I did get a job somewhere where an acoustic piano or weighted-keyboard is not viable such as the middle of no-where, not a big city.  Living in an apartment where there are close neighbors and thin walls, etc.? That is another concern that I have, and while I know that I am not a music major or relying on music to make a living, I still would love to reach the high level of playing someday.  I also need to figure out that if there is not a recording studio or concert hall where I can record my playing, then that would be a problem. Money is not a problem if I have a decent paying job- software engineering and software development are good fields for money. Aside from money, it seems that availability, logistics, and time are my issues.  Time is a big issue, and of course I am not going to cut sleep or other life responsibilities in order to do so.  The most time I can muster per week is about 8-12 hours of practice time on piano, and that is assuming that I don't have kids or a significant other.

I guess my other question here would be, how does the girl in that video manage to do it, or any other professional? (I will assume that she is a recording artist, she is playing on a grand piano - Steinway, and that people who are professionals not only have much more time as well as focus on it since that is what they do with the instrument.)

So to wrap everything up, I will say that even though piano is mainly a hobby, I still want to try to get to (or close to) that level of proficiency in my piano playing, but knowing the constraints in life (time and availability), I do not expect to play as well as someone who is a full-fledged piano major nor a concert pianist.  So while being as realistic as I can, I seek to know how far I can go and whether or not my goals are realistic.

Given my background and situation, does anyone with any sound advice for my situation? Also, are my goals, desires, expectations, and concerns realistic, reasonable, and sound? (This is of course comparing a non-music major/ex-music major to other people of the same boat.)

Many of the comments made here are excellent, however, at the age of 64 (having lived what you are going to experience), it is better that I advise you by PM.  Suffice it to say, your goals, wishes and wants are nowhere near as unattainable as you may think.

[piano6888]

@bron
That is an interesting story. For the neurons statement, that was not me, but my friend who majored in psychology and history. Thanks for your inspiration and I also question my friend's statement somewhat because I know that the greats (who lived into their late 50's, 60's or even 70+ and are still much better than most conservatory students/music majors/professionals out there) managed to accomplish quite a feat and even though not at their 100% at that age, their 60-70% is still much more than the younger adults, professionals, and students.

As far as the adult amateur pianists, I never said that they weren't serious, I know that there are people who are serious and more than the young conservatory students, in fact, I may very well be an adult amateur pianist someday. I also agree with you that the adult amateur pianists making the most their time because that is their only time outside of their everyday life activities to focus heavily on the piano hobby.  

@louis
Yes, feel free to PM me. I know I've stated things like I would never be a professional pianist nor a concert pianist because I know for sure (from experience) that I just don't have the time or the facility for it (even those who have better musical backgrounds don't get there, very very few do).

[indianajo]

I can play a few things better than Lang Lang. I heard him make 2 mistakes on Sousa at the 4th of July concert on TV.  
I cannot learn as fast as he does, and it takes me a LOT of practice to reach the serious level on the few pieces I do concentrate on.  He has a much bigger repretoire at his command than I do.
But, in my ears, I sound good.  I do things in MY style, which is definitely not his.  
I had 7 years of private lessons, then dropped piano to pursue bassoon in high school to the All-State Band level.  Then to pay to put myself through college and cope with my low draft number, I gave up performing music entirely.  I bought a hifi stereo player.  
Age 32 and suitably employed, I bought a detached house, and a year later, a new acoustic piano.  Practice space is important, and those plastic toys didn't impress me then and don't now.  Distance from the neighbors is worth spending money on, and I've always been 40' away with detached walls.  I can practice at 3 AM if I feel like it.  I've room for a band in here, just I won't supply the booze or recreational substances required to have that kind of friends.   
Don't worry about aging, I'm 66 and starting on Rhapsody in Blue.  The 2 piano original version, not the cut down Warner Bros version.  Not Listz or Rachmanoff at their worst, but I like Gershwin better anyway. I wish I was more flexible, but I've got all the strength back I ever had. Lets see, other pieces that you might relate to, all three movements of Moonlight, Pictures at an Exhibition,  several pages of JSB Passacaglia & Fugue in C min (Hammond theatre organ) ongoing. 
I don't see grand pianos as important.  They certainly require a huge house and professional movers that I never could afford.  I've recently got access to one by directing a church Christmas cantata, but playing it is not that big a thrill.  My 1982 Sohmer 39 console sounds as good or better to me. The Sohmer is certainly fast enough.  Only the middle pedal function a grand has is missing.  
I saw a $40 beat up Baldwin Acrosonic 40 console at Salvation Army in December.  Those things have beautiful bright tone, and are as fast as my Sohmer. Stable tuning pin block and as more dampers than  my 1941 Steinway 40 console.   Probably went in the dumpster already, everybody is looking for a plastic toy with silent option, or a shiny piece of furniture to put in their cathedral ceiling main room. I see these as just the thing for a struggling student or apartment dweller that moves a lot,  I can move a console by myself now using U-haul, since I invented a method using 2'x4'x1/8" UHMW sheets.  Takes board ramps on transoms, ropes and straps fulcrums and a portapull on stairs.  no sweat, just a lot of time.  Consoles will fit in the back of some cars and SUV's. 
So, get to your hobby when you can, and don't worry.  In your 30's you can get the strength back with exercises.  I used Scott Joplin rags instead of exercises the second time around.  Put your efforts into paying off debt, real estate investment and ***** the grand piano until much later.  Find a profession where you don't have to pay XX% taxes, $$$ per month in car insurance,  in some fancy famous trophy city.  Medicine looks good, I wish I had an immune system capable of coping with sick people.  You probably do, if you're European, African, or Asian ancestry.  
Have fun.  

[piano6888]

Thanks for the inspiration Indiana. I don't plan on owning an acoustic grand anytime soon, simply because I cannot afford one, the logistics of transporting (unless I have a permanent home, not renting apartments), and because I am not going down the concert pianist route (my career path is computers and technology). Of course, if opportunity presents itself someday, then I may decide to do that, but for now, I'm just looking to get settled down with life (after getting a Master's degree and a stable job), then go from there.

[rustleofspring]

Very interesting strand you opened up here.
I've had an on-off love affair with piano playing my whole life. I started late (too late to consider playing professionally, and in any case I wasn't suited to a musician's life). From age 20-40 I had part-time jobs playing in restaurants, bars and hotels, to supplement my income and because it was fun. I've always been a keen concert-goer, and every couple of years have accompanied in concerts or just for pleasure. Now, at the age of 57, I don't have much paid work (and can just about survive without it) and I have rediscovered classical piano big-time.
It took two or three months to get back to the standard I'd been before, which I would describe as 'sub-professional'. Then I started to get frustrated by the same old problems (every piece seemed to have a section or phrase I couldn't play, a sort of road-crash waiting to happen) and with a lot of difficulty (I live in a small, not particularly musical city in the UK) found a teacher, or two to be precise. One is a very distinguished pianist, highly intelligent, but he's usually abroad touring. The other, by some miracle, is a young Russian woman who only lives a few streets away. I have a lesson from one or the other about every month or six weeks.
So much for background... what I really wanted to share with you is the one thing that has really made a difference to my playing, and taken me to a level I never dreamt I'd achieve. It's an e-book by a well-known British piano teacher, Graham Fitch, called 'Practising the Piano'. It is not a course so much as an encyclopaedia of technique for the intermediate/advanced pianist. Just some of the things that I have mastered thanks to it are - achieving a singing tone; legato; jumps and leaps; trills; arpeggios. My practice time is so much more effective now - it was possible the best money I spent in my life.
Since last July, two milestones have been learning Chopin's Polonaise in A flat ('Heroic') and Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue. As well as these 'big' pieces I've learnt over half a dozen smaller, shorter pieces (e.g. two Schubert impromptus, a Nazareth tango, Stephen Hough's arrangement of Kashmiri Love Song, Faure Romance sans Paroles in A flat).
I'd always thought it would be impossible to reach a stage where one was to some extent 'satisfied' with one's playing, but I have.
Two final tips I'll share with you. The first you won't want to hear, because it is dreadfully time-consuming and probably not useful at your life-stage: memorising. Excruciating as it is while you're doing it, there is no comparison between a piece that you know by heart (that is a telling phrase) and one that you are reading.
The other is that (thanks to Practising the Piano) I learnt that popping a beta-blocker is a legitimate way to handle nerves, so I got some 'Propanolol' from my doctor. I don't play in front of people very often, because it's not what I want to do, but if I do, it simply 'returns things to normal', meaning the piece comes out roughly as it does when you are playing on your own, at home.
I hope this is some use to you, perhaps as a glimpse into your future? Being able to play is the most extraordinary gift (albeit one you pay for dearly over the years, in terms of practice and dedication) and one that you can return to when opportunity arises.
By the way - you mention the neighbour problem. I managed to get hold of a Virgil practice clavier (1898) in a piano auction, so I do the painful technical work in silence. It is a sprung keyboard and has really developed my strength and agility. I can then choose my time to practise on the acoustic piano I have downstairs. I've had Bluthners and Steinways, but I can honestly say my modest Schimmel upright gives me more pleasure than any piano I've had before, because I am playing up to my best standard.
Best wishes for your career, and may the piano give you pleasure for many years to come.

[bronnestam]

Oh, Graham Fitch is excellent. And totally lacking the tiresome attitude of "THIS is for graduate students/professionals and THIS is for crappy old hobbyists". His advice are useful to both professionals and amateurs. I have learned lots and lots from his books, really tried the advice. They work.
After all, an amateur should practice just like a professional does, even though not that intensely, as I have already written.

[rustleofspring]

Bronnestam, I'm glad you agree.
Fitch did a kind of 'Christmas present' to those who have bought his e-book in the form of an annotated edition of a Schubert Impromptu (the one in E flat, Op 90 No 2). He said it was inspired by the Cortot Study Editions of Chopin (which I think are largely high-flown nonsense, with the occasional useful practising idea thrown in) so I tried it out.
Needless to say, it was just like his virtual teaching - intelligent, practical, detailed, student-focused. It's illustrated with lots of embedded videos so you can see what he means by a practice method, or a piece of forearm rotation. A million times more useful than anything Cortot ever wrote.I sound like I'm Graham Fitch's advertising agent (I'm not) but he has taken me up to a level I never thought I'd achieve.
He suggested the Impromptu is a prototype for a series, in which case I'll put away my other repertoire and learn the pieces he covers!
By the way, don't know about you, but I've never found any other online (e.g. Youtube) tutorial videos much use. I think the trick with the Fitch material is that you read it, you try it out, then you look at the video to see if you're doing it right. A different process.

[piano6888]

Thanks for the advice rustleofspring.  While time may be a problem for me, at least I know that there are ways to make sure that I am still able to achieve a somewhat decent level of playing.  Most of my repertoire will focus around video game music, since it's the genre that I'm most enthralled with (that isn't to say that I'm dropping classical/standard repertoire). 

One of my goals is to be able to play around this level of proficiency, technically and musically speaking.

Note: This is not me playing, someone else, and I'm hoping to be able to achieve her level of proficiency later on in life.

For now, I'll just continue practicing effectively and efficiently while slowly building up repertoire.  So far, I've made pretty good progress on more recent piano pieces.  I hope that my niche interest in other genres such as video game music does not come off as offensive to others.  I know that most of you on this community are more concentrated on classical and standard repertoire (Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin, Rachmaninoff, Schubert, Schumann, etc.), and again, I'm not saying that I don't enjoy it, it's just that since I have limited time in doing my hobby, therefore I am pursuing the music that I enjoy the most out of the other genres.

[rustleofspring]

I wouldn't dream of sitting in judgement on anyone for what they choose to play. If we all chose to play the same pieces, it would be a very dull world indeed, so if video game music is your thing, go for it.
I am glad we all like listening to different things, too. So with that proviso, I'd just like to comment that the youtube performance to which you aspire doesn't really do it for me. Although technically proficient, bold and confident, the pianist sounds mechanical, and fails to engage me. (As for the piece, isn't it the same 'tune' played four times, each time slightly differently arranged?) I appreciate Rachmaninov may not be your thing, but to me, this has what I am looking for in music - poetry, heart, passion, call it what you will:

&index=3

But I am not setting my taste up against yours, merely suggesting that being a good pianist is not always a question of playing lots of notes quickly. (As you can guess, Lang Lang makes me squirm.)

Good luck with your studies and may you achieve your dreams.

[bernadette60614]

I have a Roland electronic piano. We live in a townhouse and share a wall so unless I wanted complaints, I had to get a piano which I could play with headphones on.  I did about 2 years of research (not continually, of course!) on which of the electronic pianos was closest to a full acoustic.  I read that Rolands are the ones used by professional studio musicians, which drove my choice.  This may be an option for you.

As for life/music balance.  Life is long.  There are 168 available hours in a week.  I know that I spend a number of those hours ...I don't invest them in my passions and what I value.  I did a "time audit", and in my average day I spend 2 hours on screen time (I include here!), 1 hour on housework, 8 hours sleeping, 8 hours working, 1 hour commuting.  Each day I have about 4 to 5 hours unaccounted for.

What I've begun doing is doing my practice first thing in the morning after coffee, an hour before the family starts to stir.  I then do another hour in the evening instead of Netflix.

Might I suggest something similar?  You sound very focused and strategic, so perhaps this would be an appealing approach going forward as your life has more responsbility.

[dcstudio]

I have a Roland electronic piano. We live in a townhouse and share a wall so unless I wanted complaints, I had to get a piano which I could play with headphones on.  I did about 2 years of research (not continually, of course!) on which of the electronic pianos was closest to a full acoustic.  I read that Rolands are the ones used by professional studio musicians, which drove my choice.  This may be an option for you.

As for life/music balance.  Life is long.  There are 168 available hours in a week.  I know that I spend a number of those hours ...I don't invest them in my passions and what I value.  I did a "time audit", and in my average day I spend 2 hours on screen time (I include here!), 1 hour on housework, 8 hours sleeping, 8 hours working, 1 hour commuting.  Each day I have about 4 to 5 hours unaccounted for.

What I've begun doing is doing my practice first thing in the morning after coffee, an hour before the family starts to stir.  I then do another hour in the evening instead of Netflix.

Might I suggest something similar?  You sound very focused and strategic, so perhaps this would be an appealing approach going forward as your life has more responsbility.

geez but you are organized.   Sometimes I think my experience gives me all the answers but it clearly does not.  I am motivated to audit my time as well.   

Roland is a great brand.  It is very reliable and well-built and the sounds amplify well in large systems.   It is made for pros... good choice.