Pieces declining

[samwitdangol]

Hello,

I have a problem. After I learn a new piece, I can play it well for a few weeks, and then it starts to get worse technically and musically. The only way I can get it back up to a proficient level is if I give the piece a break for a few weeks or months and then relearn it.
Is there any way I can overcome this?

Thank you!

[brogers70]

Sounds like you are losing interest in the piece, and being away from it for a bit helps. You can also keep trying to find new thinks to listen for and think about in the piece, inner voices, different ways of phrasing, different tempi. Anything you can do to force yourself to pay attention to what you are doing rather than just running through it may help.

[samwitdangol]

Sounds like you are losing interest in the piece, and being away from it for a bit helps. You can also keep trying to find new thinks to listen for and think about in the piece, inner voices, different ways of phrasing, different tempi. Anything you can do to force yourself to pay attention to what you are doing rather than just running through it may help.

Thank you for your advice. I will keep that in mind.

[dorihunt]

So I am curious, do you have a teacher or someone else to evaluate if your pieces are truly declining?  How long does it take for you to sense a piece is worsening— just a few weeks like you said or actually longer?  Are these pieces memorized?  I have experienced what you describe, but only after playing memorized pieces for many months.  In my case, only I have felt they have worsened.  My teacher has not ever said to me I am repeatedly playing a piece worse than previously.  Sorry for all the questions

[samwitdangol]

So I am curious, do you have a teacher or someone else to evaluate if your pieces are truly declining?  How long does it take for you to sense a piece is worsening— just a few weeks like you said or actually longer?  Are these pieces memorized?  I have experienced what you describe, but only after playing memorized pieces for many months.  In my case, only I have felt they have worsened.  My teacher has not ever said to me I am repeatedly playing a piece worse than previously.  Sorry for all the questions

Yes, I do have a teacher to evaluate if my pieces are declining, but she does not notice it because after we get a piece to a proficient level, we stop working on it together; my pieces start getting worse right after I reach a proficient level with it, usually after it is memorized.

[dorihunt]

I think it is normal for pieces to slightly decline if you are not playing them for someone/teacher every week. Plus, you have your new material to work on. I have always had the goal to keep all memorized pieces memorized.  Now, I only have 4,  Reverie by Debussy,  Chopin Nocturne in Bflat minor,  Fantasia in D minor by Mozart and First Arabesque by Debussy.  Thus, it may be impossible to keep it up, but I don’t know if it is realistic to keep all of these pieces in tip top performance shape.  Unless, you are a professional pianist, I think this is pretty normal.  I sure would like to hear other’s opinions

[stringoverstrung]

From time to time play it slowly (like half speed) and focus on the control and the sound. The next day it is better again. works for me.