Focusing too much on dynamics

[dontcheeseme]

Is this a bad idea? I tend to slow down and sacrifice everything else (while still trying to make no mistakes) and experiment a lot with dynamics and phrasing in even those pieces that dont require such.

[dontcheeseme]

This also causes me to focus too much on one piece, hence possibly slowing the learning process

[quantum]

Just like building a house, work on framing first, then put up walls, then hang stuff on walls.  Don't get too caught up on the stuff you want to put on walls before you even have walls, it's okay to think about it but don't let that slow you down.  It might be easier to see where you want to hang your picture frames when everything else is in place. 

Likewise in music work on the foundations: getting through the piece, consistent rhythm, line.  Playing without mistakes is an ideal, but we don't need an ideal to achieve effective practice.  It is more important to be working in the right direction than to be perfect all the time. 

[dogperson]

Just like building a house, work on framing first, then put up walls, then hang stuff on walls.  Don't get too caught up on the stuff you want to put on walls before you even have walls, it's okay to think about it but don't let that slow you down.  It might be easier to see where you want to hang your picture frames when everything else is in place. 

Likewise in music work on the foundations: getting through the piece, consistent rhythm, line.  Playing without mistakes is an ideal, but we don't need an ideal to achieve effective practice.  It is more important to be working in the right direction than to be perfect all the time. 

1+

[toughbo]

Thanks, I guess I needed to hear this as well. I get compliments for my tone but I think my playing lacks in most other aspects that constitutes playing a piece.
The reason for this is simply because I focus too much on the sound and can't let go and see the whole picture

[bjenkins24]

Just like building a house, work on framing first, then put up walls, then hang stuff on walls.  Don't get too caught up on the stuff you want to put on walls before you even have walls, it's okay to think about it but don't let that slow you down.  It might be easier to see where you want to hang your picture frames when everything else is in place. 

Likewise in music work on the foundations: getting through the piece, consistent rhythm, line.  Playing without mistakes is an ideal, but we don't need an ideal to achieve effective practice.  It is more important to be working in the right direction than to be perfect all the time. 

I'm going to take an opposite approach here. I think spending a lot of time on small parts is a good way to practice. You could go learn the entire piece with just the notes and rhythms and then come back to the dynamics, articulations, etc. but then you are basically learning the piece twice. Not to mention you have already ingrained the unmusical habits into your playing.

Instead spend a lot of time from the beginning practicing everything correctly, just like you're doing. It may take longer to get through the whole piece this way, but when you do get through it, it will be learned correctly and there won't be a need to go back and relearn it with dynamics etc.

I really think it's the best way to practice, so much so that last week I wrote a pretty length post about it. If you're interested, check it out here:
https://yourmusiclessons.com/blog/not-just-notes-practice-correctly/

[dogperson]

@bjenkins:
Normally I would agree with you to work on dynamics at the same time... but the OP is a beginning student who, according to other posts, is having difficulties playing hands together.  Don't you think that skill should first be mastered before proceeding to adding other elements?

[quantum]

I'm going to take an opposite approach here. I think spending a lot of time on small parts is a good way to practice. You could go learn the entire piece with just the notes and rhythms and then come back to the dynamics, articulations, etc. but then you are basically learning the piece twice. Not to mention you have already ingrained the unmusical habits into your playing.

Instead spend a lot of time from the beginning practicing everything correctly, just like you're doing. It may take longer to get through the whole piece this way, but when you do get through it, it will be learned correctly and there won't be a need to go back and relearn it with dynamics etc.

This type of approach tends to lean on forming the music before assembling the parts.  It is not as favorable for flexible and adaptive music making as the performer would tend to bake in the details into the parts, as opposed to enforcing the structure to which parts can be adjusted and adapted as needed.  I'm not saying details are not important, rather the contrary, but one needs to take perspective of how they fit in, which ones receive more emphasis, and where and when can they be changed.

For those just beginning their piano journey, it also alleviates information overload.

[...] but then you are basically learning the piece twice. Not to mention you have already ingrained the unmusical habits into your playing.

IMO, by learning in layers one is learning how to be flexible in performance, by enforcing the structure and identifying areas of variability in the piece early on in the learning workflow.  The approach I have suggested encourages music making to be observant, adaptive, and creative-in-the-moment, and not habitual or routine.  One doesn't need to learn the piece twice, rather one never stops learning, even in performance.  

[109natsu]

I agree with quantum here.
There are two parts to learning music:
1) Be a mechanic.
Make sure that the airplane (that's what my teacher uses) is completely secure, even in the least paid attention of parts. Of course, no one will get that overnight.
2) Be a painter
At the same time, make sure that the music actually makes sense. Make sure that your "painting" is painted as how you want it. If the flower is black, then you are doing something wrong, and you need to change it. Playing through it just notes now, and when you get the notes, everything else will be easier, is a MYTH. It won't happen.
That's why you have to be a mechanic and an painter at the same time.

Talking about dynamics... It will go in to the painter section of practicing. However, dynamics aren't something independent. It is tone. Dynamic is qualitative, not quantitative. Therefore, worrying to play it "loud" won't help you get anywhere. You need to exercise musicality in your practice. I see that the OP is "not experienced" or whatever. Everyone plays at a different level, and should practice at different levels. However, the major components, I believe, don't change no matter what level you are at. I hope you find this helpful.

Natsu