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Topic: Revisiting an old piece (Read 1494 times)

pianist21

Newbie
Posts: 14

Revisiting an old piece

on: November 12, 2016, 04:36:53 AM

Hello!

I was just curious if anyone had any advice on revisiting an old piece. I played Chopin Fantasy Op. 49 in f minor last year, and I am beginning to prepare it for a performance. I am currently overwhelmed, and I am so regretful that I have not really touched this piece since the beginning of the year. Does anyone have any advice on the most efficient way to get this piece back into my fingers? Is slow practice the best method? It is not completely gone, but there are definitely a lot of rough parts. Thanks in advance!

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vaniii

Full Member
Posts: 246

Re: Revisiting an old piece

Reply #1 on: November 12, 2016, 08:26:08 AM

Absence is vital to reinforce learning, especially when re-learning takes place.

Approach it with the aim of reconnecting; providning you gave it a once over the first time simply playing it through a few times should be enough to spark the connection in your mind to the previous learning.

Most importantly stay calm; if you approach it with a state of mental doubt and anxiety, that is what you are rehearsing for performance.

Good luck.

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adodd81802

PS Silver Member
Sr. Member
Posts: 1114

Re: Revisiting an old piece

Reply #2 on: November 12, 2016, 10:41:30 AM

I have done this before, and what I find really strange is

1 - How my fingers remember random sections that my brain consciously doesn't.
2 - How some areas I knew so well were completely lost by both my fingers and brain almost like I am learning it new for the first time again.

I find running through the piece multiple times and establishing the parts I don't remember, not only sometimes prompt me to remember other bits, but also give me areas to focus on so I'm not really completely learning the whole piece again.

Maybe that will help, but I am a memory learner rather than referring from the score much at all, so I don't know if that' makes a difference

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"England is a country of pianos, they are everywhere."

vaniii

Full Member
Posts: 246

Re: Revisiting an old piece

Reply #3 on: November 12, 2016, 12:38:10 PM

Quote from: adodd81802 on November 12, 2016, 10:41:30 AM

I have done this before, and what I find really strange is

1 - How my fingers remember random sections that my brain consciously doesn't.
2 - How some areas I knew so well were completely lost by both my fingers and brain almost like I am learning it new for the first time again.

I find running through the piece multiple times and establishing the parts I don't remember, not only sometimes prompt me to remember other bits, but also give me areas to focus on so I'm not really completely learning the whole piece again.

Maybe that will help, but I am a memory learner rather than referring from the score much at all, so I don't know if that' makes a difference

Connections!

Its similar to the smell of a particular food can spark a memory of "that one time when Uncle Dan came over and we had mama's potato pie"!

Memory learning takes many forms, what your saying is you focus on:

Kinesthetic : the feel of the keys
Auditory: the sound of the notes

but you do not pay any mind to:

Visual: the cues from the score (or rather, less so).

There isn't anything wrong with that providing you are aiming to get it right.

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