how to stop obsessing over certain parts of a piece

[leemond2008]

I keep getting myself into a rut where I will find it almost impossible to move on in a song until I have completely nailed a certain section, it might only be 12 notes that I am trying to string together but I will find I just keep going back and playing over and over again, sometimes for weeks until I feel I have got it and then I'll move onto the next 12 notes and do the same thing.

I know that I learn faster when I just truck on playing large sections slowly, hitting wrong notes, playing them out of time etc etc but being aware of my mistakes and slowly ironing them out, I just get into a mindset where I cant physically move on until I get that one part perfected, when I do play it perfectly I think to myself 'right then try it one more time just to prove it wasn't a fluke' then I will no doubt mess up and I'm back to square one.

I am sure that learning the piano is bringing out some underlying OCD that I wasn't even aware of, someone at work actually asked me if I had it the other day, and it sounds stupid but it only started when I started getting serious about learning, anyway that's a completely different issue I suppose.

[dcstudio]

I am sure that learning the piano is bringing out some underlying OCD that I wasn't even aware of, .

lol... piano and crazy live right next door to each other.   the OCD is a good sign as really you can't do this unless you obsess over it... at least that's what has kept me in this, maybe others can leisurely move along but I never could.  You will find that the sections you obsess over will become increasingly larger and more complex as you improve.

[pianocat3]

Well I have to say I had a good laugh. Someone ought to do a piano comedy skit with all the problems a person can have!!  Seriously though, maybe it's just a phase. I put in a 10 minute chunk of time on a difficult bar or two, and do that multiple days so I can keep sleeping on it. I do believe sleeping on it is super important. I also have a strategy whereby I  whine to my teacher and sometimes she has an idea.

[mjames]

Yeah I think every serious pianist does that. The other day I spent like 50mins practicing left hand trills for chopins op. 44. Take note, it's just one bar of music were talking about lol.

[dcstudio]

Yeah I think every serious pianist does that. lol.

no doubt

[reiyza]

Yeah I think every serious pianist does that. The other day I spent like 50mins practicing left hand trills for chopins op. 44. Take note, it's just one bar of music were talking about lol.

Man, that's amazing, I couldn't even do LH trills except with fingers 2-3 and it's pretty sloppy!!!

Yep, it happens to me too, although, I get distracted after 20 mins after working on maybe first 1 or 2 bars then I rest for a bit, then start with another 2 new sets of bars and while playing the 2 new bars, my mind starts playing a perfect rendition of the first 1-2 bars that I was trying to learn first! Then, consciously I go back to that first 1-2 bars and try to imitate what played in my head! Couldn't even move on! It sucks.!

[mjames]

In the beginning my 1-2 trills (with left hand) and 4-5 trills (right hand) were very sloppy and slow, but with diligent practice I was able to improve it ten-fold. Not there yet, but the improvements are there. Op. 44 is a joy to learn.

[reiyza]

In the beginning my 1-2 trills (with left hand) and 4-5 trills (right hand) were very sloppy and slow, but with diligent practice I was able to improve it ten-fold. Not there yet, but the improvements are there. Op. 44 is a joy to learn.

Sent you a PM, don't want to hijack this thread.

Sorry.

[mdecks]

It's all about technique level. Until you don't have enough technique to play a passage with ease, you will get stuck on that passage.

But remember a composer can write passages that are almost impossible to play and require some technical level that only few have, or hand extensions that only those with huge hands can play.
Just try playing any Art Tatum and I promise you'll get stuck on every measure 

I guess the solution is to practice the technique require to play whatever you are playing. Sometimes it means waiting a few years until your way of playing has changed.

[bernadette60614]

I always start each practice session with "exercises", and those exercises are those sections of pieces with which I struggle the most.  And, I've found that in this way, I 1) make the most progress and 2) get the really tough parts of my practice done when I'm fresh.

I don't think obsession is a bad thing.  To me, it turns into obsession when I don't have a strategy for improving, then I'm just reinforcing the same mistakes over and over. When I start with these tough parts and have a strategy for improving them, I think that is just passion!

[dcstudio]

I don't think obsession is a bad thing. 

spoken like a true pianist.  

[leemond2008]

Cheers for the replies peeps

I've been making a serious effort to not get hung up on one section of music, I've thrown a new piece into the mix (I'm now learning 4 pieces) and I think that is helping, I'm more concsious of the fact that I have to try and cram more into my practices now, before I could quite easily spend 2 hours going over the same section over and over again.

When I say I'm learning 4 pieces its more like I'm learning 2 seriously and pottering about on the other 2, I'm forcing myself to concentrate on larger sections and its making a hell of a difference for me

[dcstudio]

Just try playing any Art Tatum and I promise you'll get stuck on every measure 

ahh you have those transcriptions, don't you?   kinda defeats the purpose of jazz--but I confess I have peeked at them too.   Brutal stuff.