Does anyone have any good piano repoirtire for a former piano student??

[heyyyitsrayy]

Hi! I already posted this but I think I did it wrong so I'm reposting! anyways,
I was a former piano student from ages 6-13, I am 16 now and I want to get back into playing some classical repertoire but don't have good knowledge on it!
I believe my level according to abrsm was about a 6, that's what my last couple performance songs before I quit were rated (Schubert impromptu op 90 no2, Mozart sonata no 6). Since quitting I have developed good confidence (old teacher destroyed it)  in myself and continue to play the flute so my fingers have stayed trained.
If anyone has any suggestions on some nice repertoire that is somewhat challenging but not impossible that would truly be so appreciated!

[ivorycherry]

Hello,
I myself am not a professional and probably am somewhere around your level so my judgement may not be the best. What level do think you are at right now? Since you haven’t played a lot for 3 years, I am assuming that you kind of forgot some things and it might be good to try an easy piece first just to warm you up and refresh your memory. I would probably play a couple easy Bach pieces like some of the easier inventions and then move up. I would try the first movement of Beethoven’s op 2 no 1 sonata and if it’s to easy, try the fourth movement, and if it’s too hard, do the op 49 no 1 sonata first movement. It’s hard for me to suggest repertoire for you becases I don’t know your current level. A Chopin waltz like the b minor one would be nice and if it’s too easy there’s the minute waltz or the C sharp minor which is the second one following the minute waltz in the opus. Maybe Clair de lune by Debussy? Some of the easier Bach Prelude and fugues from WTC 1 and 2.

I also saw you asked about Rachmaninoff in another thread and that you played the C sharp minor one... there’s the moments musical no 3 which is fairly easy, and maybe you could try one of his preludes if you think you are ready for them because IMO the C sharp minor one is one of the easiest. Maybe the d major, B major, or g sharp minor one, but after you refresh your memory and play a couple other pieces.

Again, these pieces might be way too easy or way too hard for you but I just don’t know your current level and I am just recommending pieces around the pieces you played last like the each prelude in C sharp minor, Schubert impromptu op 90 no 2, and the Mozart sonata no 6. It would be very helpful if you could tell me an estimate of where your current level is so I could give you a more accurate response. Plus, I’m not very experienced myself and probably barely above your level.

Hope this helps,
Alex

[heyyyitsrayy]

Thanks so much for replying! I'll take a look at some of the suggested songs tonight and try them out:)
As far as my current skill goes, I'm not exactly sure, after I quit I still enjoyed playing around but played more pop culture stuff or just improvisation but last night I did try to play around with the songs I mentioned I played before from muscle memory, I play much more confidently and musically however my technique is not what it used to be, which is to be expected. It's a little hard to tell since I still do get trained in music, just different instruments. I remember the areas I used to struggle with most were never really my piano playing but were the rhythms, expressions, and music theory in general I continued to train after. If I had to compare my current self to my former self I'd say I don't feel too different, however my technique may have brought me down a level. not sure if this is relevant but I remember I was never a practicer, maybe my fingers don't feel that different because it never got much training to begin with lol. I'll take ur suggestions and try to start off with easier songs you mentioned, and try to move up based on how difficult or easy I feel learning it.
Thank you so so much for responding Alex!

[lostinidlewonder]

It can be one of the more problematic aspects of studying piano, finding the appropriate repertoire to learn with. It can really be a hit and miss affair when you are learning on your own. It may not be difficult to find pieces you are interested in but whether or not you can learn them efficiently is another question.

For classical paths I always suggest selecting etudes from Heller, Cramer and Burlow for those who can play a bit of piano but want to strengthen their technical capabilities, Heller especially has some very musical pieces. But don't limit yourself simply to the old keyboard repetoire, why not explore websites which contain much more modern music genres, places such as ichigos.com, you might find alternative repetoire there which is pleasing and an appropriate challenge. With the internet we have access to so much more music, that can make things more confusing but I suggest taking advantage of it and just listen to a whole lot of music with the sheets and you may discover some projects you didn't know are worth your time.

[heyyyitsrayy]

lolll it sure is, I've been having a difficult time finding pieces appropriate for me (
I'll definitely be checking out that website you mentioned, being classically trained I never really got to branch out to modern pieces growing up so I had no idea where to begin especially since the internet has literally everything loll. I had been used to my teachers picking out everything for me and now am kind of stuck with little knowledge and with so many options that I've never noticed, but Im glad I got the resources to dig and find something I'll rly enjoy bahaha ty for the help!:)))

[lostinidlewonder]

... being classically trained I never really got to branch out to modern pieces growing up so I had no idea where to begin especially since the internet has literally everything loll. I had been used to my teachers picking out everything for me and now am kind of stuck with little knowledge and with so many options that I've never noticed, but Im glad I got the resources to dig and find something I'll rly enjoy bahaha ty for the help!:)))

Unless your past repertoire as very interesting for you, I think it might be a better experience for you when you are learning on your own to go explore the wilderness. I find it quite important to allow my students to be aware of repetoire that is out there and how to access it. When I have students who shrug their shoulders when asked what music interest them I make it a high priority to help them discover what music excites them and how to look for other music like that. I find this so important that I have noticed that students who don't really have a taste for music rarely stick with studying an instrument for long.

There are no dangers selecting pieces which are predominantly easy for you to manage and if that is all you do for many years you will naturally see your capabilities grow. In fact if you focus on sight reading training you will find you need to study a lot of very easy works and from that you will see your repetoire expands logarithmically as your reading skills improves.

[anacrusis]

Can you name some more pieces you have played and liked except the Schubert impromptu and the Mozart sonata? I can try to help you out with some suggestions!

[heyyyitsrayy]

Can you name some more pieces you have played and liked except the Schubert impromptu and the Mozart sonata? I can try to help you out with some suggestions!

yeah! I have a really bad memory but my teacher used to make me play the masterwork classics book series, I played a good amount of like the "classics" I really liked songs like Clair de lune, pathique sonata, etccc I really don't know much about classical music loll but I really enjoy Beethoven and Chopin's style over Mozart and Bach if that helps

[heyyyitsrayy]

Unless your past repertoire as very interesting for you, I think it might be a better experience for you when you are learning on your own to go explore the wilderness. I find it quite important to allow my students to be aware of repetoire that is out there and how to access it. When I have students who shrug their shoulders when asked what music interest them I make it a high priority to help them discover what music excites them and how to look for other music like that. I find this so important that I have noticed that students who don't really have a taste for music rarely stick with studying an instrument for long.

There are no dangers selecting pieces which are predominantly easy for you to manage and if that is all you do for many years you will naturally see your capabilities grow. In fact if you focus on sight reading training you will find you need to study a lot of very easy works and from that you will see your repetoire expands logarithmically as your reading skills improves.

Yeah I've been having a hard time finding music that I truly enjoy because I just never really thought about it, I've been trying the last couple of days and am starting to find the styles I really like! honestly the whole process of teaching myself is difficult since it's hard for me to stay motivated and be patient but I'll keep trying

[anacrusis]

yeah! I have a really bad memory but my teacher used to make me play the masterwork classics book series, I played a good amount of like the "classics" I really liked songs like Clair de lune, pathique sonata, etccc I really don't know much about classical music loll but I really enjoy Beethoven and Chopin's style over Mozart and Bach if that helps

Here are some popular suggestions based on what you wrote. Do you like any of these?

Did you play the whole pathetique sonata or the slow movement?

[heyyyitsrayy]

ahh thank you so so much!!! I'll definitely be trying out the nocturnes and Debussy first I love them I think they're super pretty 😍 seriously thank u sm!!

[heyyyitsrayy]

Did you play the whole pathetique sonata or the slow movement?

just first movement!

[anacrusis]

Glad to hear you like them