Why do things fall apart?

[gkatele]

Why do things fall apart?

I am a returning intermediate student, and I've been playing again for about 8 months. I find that some pieces that I thought I had "mastered" will give me fits of fumbling and confusion.

For example: WTC (I) fugue in c-minor. Started learning it about two months after starting lessons again. I feel like I have it in my fingers, and in my head, but, more often than not, it falls apart - never in the same spot. I find that I have to go and redo that part over and over again until it works - that day.

The next day, I'll play again, and something else causes me to fumble. Different spot that I had learned weeks ago now causes me to break down.

I find that I need to play it 3-4 times to be able to get though without a mistake that causes me to stop.

Other music also does this, but not as badly - for example the allemande from the Handel E-major keyboard suite.

I tend to keep my nose buried in the score (afraid of forgetting something, or do I need a crutch?). Perhaps if I spent more time looking at my hands things would go smoother. Is it just that I don't have the music in my head yet?

Thanks in advance for suggestions.

George

[pizno]

Welcome back to piano and its many problems!  This happens to me more than not, until I have something so completely over learned.  Many things happen.  Having something partly memorized can make you lose your place in the music, not having your fingerings absolutely constant, practicing too fast, etc....  I would slow it way down for practice to iron out the random rough spots and then gradually increase the tempo.