What is the next step to improvement for me?

[johnnytheelephant]

Hi guys,

I'd say I am an advanced amateur player. In my childhood I had lessons with a professor in Vienna and I think I was quite talented. Then my interests switched and right now I am pursuing a financial career. However a year ago I picked up playing the piano again and I could vastly live off my skills I obtained as a child and teen. I don't have so much time for practice, as my studies and later my job will take up most of my time. So I am starting this topic to ask, which would be an efficient way to improve to the next level for me right now.

Pieces I play/played:

• My current project is playing the complete opus 90 of Schubert (4 Impromptus) and I think this is quite managable.
• I picked up Liebestraum nr. 3 as my first Liszt piece and it also was okay. I think I can play it in a very decent way, the second cadenza is something I worked on a bit but it's very fluent by now.
• Yesterday I printed out the Chopin Butterfly Etude (op. 25/9), this looks very easy, I could sightread the whole right hand and the main work will be playing both hands together, shouldn't take more than two weeks though until I play it decently.
• Chopin Black Keys Etude (op. 10/5) is something I attempted and I feel is doable to play at high speed but definetely most challenging

There are some pieces however I could never even attempt right now. For example Chopin op. 10/4 Torrent is something I find quite nice, I could however never play it right now.
Rachmaninoff Preludes are also way too hard for me I feel.
Some pieces like the Schubert A major Sonata D595 are monumental pieces I want to play but my level is not sufficient yet.

Can you estimate my level and give advice which pieces would be suitable from a technical challenging perspective, to help me lift up to the next level?

Thanks so much,
johnnytheelephant

[lostinidlewonder]

So I am starting this topic to ask, which would be an efficient way to improve to the next level for me right now.

This question requires that someone understands how you function as a pianist and learn/play your music. No one here can understand that here by reading your post and thus any suggestions to you will be very general and unspecific to your needs.

Can you estimate my level and give advice which pieces would be suitable from a technical challenging perspective, to help me lift up to the next level?

There really isn't any accurate measurement of "level" in piano as a rating number(like ELO or something), I guess you can measure someone by the exam grades they are able to pass but that doesn't take into account the rate of their learning. It doesn't really matter what level you are you should study works which you can effectively manage and focus on that rather than some generalized ideology of your level. Many who want to gain access to Chopin/Liszt etudes will study etudes from Cramer,Burlow and Heller.

[quantum]

People develop musical skills at different rates, so levels are only a broad generalization of skill.  For example someone at RCM level 8 may find level 10 not that much more difficult, while another person may be at level 10 may do fine for most things at that level but really struggle with a concept regarded as level 9. 

Unless you are interested in doing exams, I would not pay much attention to levels.  Focus on skill building and improvement. 

We don't know how you play so you will get mostly general responses.  Maybe if you upload a recording of yourself playing, and ask specific questions you might get suggestions of what pieces to study next. 

[antune]

Hi johnnytheelephant,

I think, if you felt comfortable with the pieces you mentioned, and you are still interested in playing a Rachmaninoff Prelude, op.3 no.2 could be an option, in my opinion.
Most of Rachmaninoff preludes could be considered very challenging for now, but I recommend giving a try to op.3 no.2 if you feel like. Probably the middle part is most challenging, but if you are comfortable with Chopin op.10 no.5, it should be okay. Besides, there is so much to discover with the cords.
This is my tutorial on how to play it;

Perhaps op.32 no.5 also could be an option!
Good luck

[debussychopin]

Hi guys,

I'd say I am an advanced amateur player. In my childhood I had lessons with a professor in Vienna and I think I was quite talented. Then my interests switched and right now I am pursuing a financial career. However a year ago I picked up playing the piano again and I could vastly live off my skills I obtained as a child and teen. I don't have so much time for practice, as my studies and later my job will take up most of my time. So I am starting this topic to ask, which would be an efficient way to improve to the next level for me right now.

Pieces I play/played:

• My current project is playing the complete opus 90 of Schubert (4 Impromptus) and I think this is quite managable.
• I picked up Liebestraum nr. 3 as my first Liszt piece and it also was okay. I think I can play it in a very decent way, the second cadenza is something I worked on a bit but it's very fluent by now.
• Yesterday I printed out the Chopin Butterfly Etude (op. 25/9), this looks very easy, I could sightread the whole right hand and the main work will be playing both hands together, shouldn't take more than two weeks though until I play it decently.
• Chopin Black Keys Etude (op. 10/5) is something I attempted and I feel is doable to play at high speed but definetely most challenging

There are some pieces however I could never even attempt right now. For example Chopin op. 10/4 Torrent is something I find quite nice, I could however never play it right now.
Rachmaninoff Preludes are also way too hard for me I feel.
Some pieces like the Schubert A major Sonata D595 are monumental pieces I want to play but my level is not sufficient yet.

Can you estimate my level and give advice which pieces would be suitable from a technical challenging perspective, to help me lift up to the next level?

Thanks so much,
johnnytheelephant

Without any video of yourself actually playing these pieces, words and phrases that people use here, like "easy" or "I can play.." are sort of meaningless. The definition by you can be different from what someone else defines easy or difficult or what they deem they can play or 'master'.
I find the butterfly etude highly challenging and is one of the few etudes that really develop actual advanced technique if practiced correctly. To phrase each butterfly motif correctly is very hard to develop.