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Topic: Is practice all it takes..? (Read 2584 times)

lucasejp

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People often ask me (because they know I'm, if I do say so myself, quite good at piano), whether there comes a point where a pianist's technique is sufficient enough for them to be able to practice a piece (like La Campanella say) and as long as they just practice, practice, practice, they'll be able to play it. For example, someone came up to me with a technique sufficient enough to play Rachmaninoff's prelude in G minor and Moment Musical No.4 and asked whether they would be able to learn La Campanella if they just practiced long enough. I told them it was not going to be the best idea to do this but theoretically, yes, they were at a level were if they just persisted (perhaps for more than a year or 2) they would be able to play it. I think I am right in saying this but what do other people (who maybe have some experience endlessly practicing a piece far, far greater in difficulty than anything they had every played before) think?

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transitional

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Re: Is practice all it takes..?

Reply #1 on: August 04, 2023, 07:40:00 PM

For what it's worth, I thought it was something like Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 was essentially impossible 2 years ago when I was learning Fur Elise and K 545 movement 1. Now I can play it reasonably (but not very well)

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last 3 schubert sonatas and piano trios are something else

xdanielyj

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Re: Is practice all it takes..?

Reply #2 on: August 04, 2023, 08:21:48 PM

The right answer is probably yes, you can learn pieces much harder than pieces you've ever touched if you practice it enough. The realistic answer for many students would probably be no. When I was a year into learning piano (a year before, I was completely new to piano... didn't know what note each key was, had no idea what notes were what in treble clef, etc.) my teacher gave me a piece that was so above my level and that piece was Chopin Etude No. 4 Op. 10. I learned it for maybe half to three quarters of a year. Did I play it without any stops? Yeah, but it was still a bit under tempo and there were many mistakes. If I learn it again (haven't gotten around to it yet) I probably can play it, but back then, unless I spent another 2 years on the same piece, it would've probably been impossible.

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lelle

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Re: Is practice all it takes..?

Reply #3 on: August 06, 2023, 05:32:23 PM

I don't think so. There are certain pieces that simply stay unplayable in tempo if you have faulty technique. You can practice them for 10 years and never nail it, unless that practicing involves deliberately improving the weaknesses in your technique. While practicing over many years is likely to bring some improvement by default, it will not automatically turn a faulty technique into a spotless one.

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ranjit

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Re: Is practice all it takes..?

Reply #4 on: August 06, 2023, 05:47:02 PM

Oh how I wish this were true, but I don't think this is true. At least for playing a difficult piece at a high quality.

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https://www.youtube.com/@blizzardpiano

ronde_des_sylphes

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Re: Is practice all it takes..?

Reply #5 on: August 06, 2023, 06:06:32 PM

You've got to be practising the piece in the correct way, and additionally, most people eventually find something which is simply beyond them, no matter how much they practice.

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piabanoch

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Re: Is practice all it takes..?

Reply #6 on: November 10, 2023, 02:54:46 PM

i think the answer is no. For example many people with a not good tecnique even if this practice 8 hours a day still not do it es(trascendental etude n 2 played at correct tempo)

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I can't control Music, but Music controls me

stringoverstrung

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Re: Is practice all it takes..?

Reply #7 on: December 09, 2023, 05:17:15 PM

Quote from: ronde_des_sylphes on August 06, 2023, 06:06:32 PM

You've got to be practising the piece in the correct way, and additionally, most people eventually find something which is simply beyond them, no matter how much they practice.

Correct. iI there is no limitation in the end time catches up with you except if you are a genius maybe but to this I have no clue.

Regards,
G

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stringoverstrung

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Posts: 293

Re: Is practice all it takes..?

Reply #8 on: December 09, 2023, 05:22:56 PM

Quote from: ronde_des_sylphes on August 06, 2023, 06:06:32 PM

You've got to be practising the piece in the correct way, and additionally, most people eventually find something which is simply beyond them, no matter how much they practice.

Correct. iI there is no limitation in the end time catches up with you except if you are a genius maybe but to this I have no clue.

Regards,
G

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