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Topic: Advices..? How to improve (when you’re bad at the piano... ;-;)  (Read 1465 times)

Offline clmz.k

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Advices..? How to improve (when you’re bad at the piano... ;-;)
on: May 27, 2020, 08:46:24 PM
Hello,

It may sound quite « childish » and dumb (?) but I am actually trying to play the Turkish March and this is maybe my 6th or 7th year playing the piano...
I am 14 this year and I am actually really regretting a lot of things...😭
 Since I am very lazy (like really really lazy) I didn’t practice a lot (at all) : sometimes I would assist to a lesson without practicing for like maybe 2 weeks in a row....
 I never had any music theory classes so I don’t really know anything about it... my sight reading is trash; during my lessons, my teacher would always tell me the notes to play. I asked her, and she said that it was normal (to not have any music theory lessons since I am learning with a teacher that is affiliated to a school (does it make sens ?)). I don’t really know any chords nor scales. I can do a basic C major scale on maybe two scales (without struggling..?), my arpeggios kinda sucks (?)...😕
 My teacher generally doesn’t ask me to pay attention to the informations that the sheet gives us (like the dynamics, articulations marks (more than the dynamics tho)) I have a lot of trouble playing a hole partition without making mistakes, even if I practice again and again... I even have (a little bit tho) trouble with the notes (like « how much time it is »); like I just play with the feeling (?) and I never used a metronome (don’t know how it works... ;-;) I even think that my fingers are a little weak...😣
I’m really trying to be better at the piano but it’s difficult even if those things are learned in the beginning....😖
I even thought about restarting the piano, like just redo lessons for total beginners to have those solid bases and just those knowledge; learn in a « real » school, with music theory classes... But I think if I do that, how should I ask my parents ? And it would mean that I would waste (well it is already wasted so-)all the money that my parents spend for all my lessons...
I don’t really know how to ask my teacher about those topics (i had so much trouble asking her about the music theory classes that I think I wouldn’t be Able to ask her about all the thing that I mentioned earlier...)😖

I surely seem very childish and maybe dumb but if someone can give me some help I would be really grateful and thankful... 😔🥺

If you read that, thank you so much for taking the time to read this and I apologize for the very possible mistakes that I did (I don’t really speak English) :-[ :'(

Thank you really much, from the bottom of my heart.🥺

_Clmz.K
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Offline pianoannieq

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Re: Advices..? How to improve (when you’re bad at the piano... ;-;)
Reply #1 on: May 27, 2020, 09:20:23 PM
Hi Clmz.k,

I think there are a couple of ways to help you improve.

First, it doesn't sound like you're motivated to practice. If the Turkish March is something that you would like to play, be sure to actually practice it. Approach the piece in small sections, so it doesn't seem too overwhelming at first. That'll help you reduce the mistakes in each section if you start each slowly and then up the tempo using a metronome. Also make sure to pay attention to all of the dynamics, phrasing, articulation, etc. It'll make it sound more musical! I know repetition doesn't seem exciting, but it will probably be the most effective way for you to progress.

Another thing you would want to do is to improve your technique. There are a lot of printable pdfs on the internet that have scale and arpeggio notes and fingerings, try to do hands separate at first, maybe one key a week. I would also recommend Hanon exercises, it increases strength, speed, mobility, and dexterity in the fingers. Again, the pdfs are online and they are all easy to sightread, but practice hands separate first.

I think there may be an issue with your teacher as well. If they ask you to disregard musical aspects (dynamics and articulation like you said), are they really the best teacher to help you progress? I think it would be best to tell your parents about the situation and find another teacher who would help improve your technique, sightreading, and musicality. 

I don't think it's necessary to take a music theory course, per se. It would be very beneficially to learn a bit (it will help sightreading too), but I wouldn't invest too much into it. There could be some websites that teach you the basics for free. Again, I think finding another teacher would probably be the best option to accomplish this.

Sorry for the long response, but I hope this helped! Keep practicing. Remember, you are what you put into it. Without hard work, you can't be successful, and you are worthy of success! :)
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Offline clmz.k

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Re: Advices..? How to improve (when you’re bad at the piano... ;-;)
Reply #2 on: May 28, 2020, 05:32:52 PM
Hello,
Thank you so much for reading and commenting my post !
You really help me !

I think I didn’t really explain myself well, but I didn’t mean to say that may teacher tells me to disregard musical aspects... She does sometimes ask me but doesn’t tell me that it is not important... it’s more like she doesn’t necessarily tell me to respect them (since I don’t think I would be able to respect them...) I don’t know if this is clear, and I’m not sure to have really understood this part (since my English ins’t really good...) but I am really thankful and grateful to you for taking time answering me.

_Clmz.K

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Offline keypeg

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Re: Advices..? How to improve (when you’re bad at the piano... ;-;)
Reply #3 on: May 29, 2020, 01:04:21 PM
Clmz.K - your story is not that uncommon, unfortunately.  One can go through years of lessons, where the focus is only on getting through pieces one after the other, but never really get the tools.  At some point, some students wake up to the fact.  It will be a vague feeling since when you don't know what's involved - since it was not taught - you also can't know what's missing.  This is where to start.  (It's where I started a decade ago, after my own version of your story).  When you have an idea of what's missing, you will also start to have an idea of what to go after, and then how to go after it.  Then it's a matter of one day at a time, and trusting the process.

Some of the underlying skills are:
- being able to read music, meaning that if you see a note on the page, your hand can instantly zip to that key on the piano.  And then more from there
- know how to approach new music: how to divide it up into sections; how to organize your practise time within a practise session, and within the week.  This was a BIGGY which I had not known at all.
- some understanding of how music works, so that you can divide it up, and plan your practise in the first place
- technical skills: the physical playing so as to produce the sounds on this instrument that you want to produce, with the greatest degree of ease.  How to build up those skills over time.  How many of those skills you can presently put into your music, etc.
- where you're hung up, why, and what to do about it, probably going to any of the above spheres.

This can make a big difference.  It's not always pleasant, since it's when you discover what you didn't know, and what you can't do - before you know it and can do it - and requires patience.  But in my experience, over time you'll get to music you struggled with before, and suddenly you know what to do, and it's so much easier.
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Offline clmz.k

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Re: Advices..? How to improve (when you’re bad at the piano... ;-;)
Reply #4 on: May 29, 2020, 03:30:09 PM
Hello,
Thank you for helping me, I’m not sure to understand everything (since my English isn’t really good) but you really helped me, so i am very grateful.

I will try to do my best, and apply your advices.

Thank you so much !  ;D

_Clmz.K
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