Criteria for accepting a piece

[kghayesh]

Hi,
I am a student and i wanted to ask teachers on the teaching board about what you expect from a performance of a piece learnt by one of your students in order to make sure it is finally accepted (ready for performance).
My teacher just doesn't seem to accept anything from me, even if i played some piece crystal clear, she tells me i have some problem at some part (dynamics, tempo..etc.)
I feel it is like an endless circle. Everytime i go to the lesson, she tells me you have to do bla bla in this piece and bla bla in that piece. I have never learnt new pieces since about 2 or 3 months.

[lagin]

For me, it depends on the student.  If I think they will get discouraged from playing if they stay with a piece too long, I'll pass it, and work on the same technical difficulty using some new material.  Mind you, all my students are still in grade 0, having not even played a year yet.  And they are quite young, too, so I focus more on fun, than perfection.  My teacher on the other hand is a different story.  I will probably spend a few months on a piece that I'm learning for fun, but EXAM pieces, well, let's just say, nine months and counting, but only two more weeks to go!

[happyface94]

My teacher gives me my pieces before the year start in order to practice fully for the Exam. She believes I'm ready for performance when I can play whats written on the partition without having to look at it (That is, with dynamics etc), but not necessarly at the real speed.

[quantum]

There is always room for improvement on any said piece. 

But haveing said that there is also a limit to what one can accomplish in a given period of time.  After a siginificant time of studying a piece, one may tire of constantly trying to change and improve it.  Taking a break from the piece will be benificial in giving you something else to concentrate on.  When you decide to take on the piece again at a later date, it may be much more refreshing to listen to and work on.  Not all practice is done at the piano, during you break of not playing the piece, it will continue to develop in your brain along with the rest of your musical maturity. 

You must also alow time to enjoy your performance of the piece.   

[bachs_homegurl]

OMG!!!!!!!! I know exactly what you mean and how frustrating this is. My teacher is the same exact way but I know that  it is only because she wants me to be as accurate as possible when I perform. And, reluctantly it works! Although it is hell in the meantime, I think it does payoff. The question is: Is it worth it? I think that you should let your teacher know that it does bother you and let her know that you need some form of encouragement. Otherwise you will go nuts!!!!!!!! and I mean nuts!! She was crazy, she would change fingerings on me like at least 3 times and gave me very little time to learn the music. My advice would be to definitley let her know that you are trying your best with the piece that she has given you and that you need to feel like you have accomplished something within the lessons. Good luck!

[milkcarton08]

I think bachs_homegurl may have exaggerated a little bit. Our teacher does sound similair to yours though, which is good because we have a VERY good teacher. It's natural to feel frustrated, but don't be. Instead turn your frustration in inspiration to work even harder to please your teacher, if only just to shut her up. She is only trying to help you, and by shuting down, and deciding that your teacher is just toooo picky, you are limiting yourself.

Our teacher has really two types of students, bachs_homegurl, the kind who find fault in the teacher, and reasons why she is expecting to much, and why they should be frustrated, or the student like me, who accepts that the teacher only wants to help, and I can only do my best, but I never stop trying.

- michael

[yamaha]

For me, it depends on the student.  If I think they will get discouraged from playing if they stay with a piece too long, I'll pass it, and work on the same technical difficulty using some new material.  Mind you, all my students are still in grade 0, having not even played a year yet.  And they are quite young, too, so I focus more on fun, than perfection.  My teacher on the other hand is a different story.  I will probably spend a few months on a piece that I'm learning for fun, but EXAM pieces, well, let's just say, nine months and counting, but only two more weeks to go!

Good luck with the exam, what exam is it?

[lagin]

Thanks.  It's my grade nine RCM exam.  That's like early grade eight ARBSM stuff.

[whynot]

My teacher does a weird thing (this isn't helpful to the original question, by the way! I just wanted to share it).  Normally, he gives tactful, very helpful comments about whatever I'm working on.  But once in a while, if something was a disaster in my lesson, he just smiles and says, "Perfect!  I wouldn't change a thing."  Then I flip out and start listing all the problems I want to fix, and he shrugs and says, "Okay, you can change those if you want, but I think it's fine."  I rush home from the lesson and work like crazy until I've fixed everything I can...  which he knows I will do!   Anyway, thought that might amuse someone.

[galonia]

Do not be discouraged - it took me a while to figure out, a teacher can't work with you unless you've done the work already set, so if your teacher is telling you more things to improve, it means you've mastered the things they asked you to work on last time.  That's a good thing!

I dread the lessons where I play and my teacher nods and says, 'more practice', and asks for the next piece... it means she doesn't think I've mastered my work adequately for her to do any further work with me on that piece.     

[Bulgarian]

Hi,
I am a student and i wanted to ask teachers on the teaching board about what you expect from a performance of a piece learnt by one of your students in order to make sure it is finally accepted (ready for performance).
My teacher just doesn't seem to accept anything from me, even if i played some piece crystal clear, she tells me i have some problem at some part (dynamics, tempo..etc.)
I feel it is like an endless circle. Everytime i go to the lesson, she tells me you have to do bla bla in this piece and bla bla in that piece. I have never learnt new pieces since about 2 or 3 months.

Hello,
I agree with most of the other forum people. Your teacher indeed should have given you much more encouragement. Now, let me say something that many people will not like:
I believe that the teacher should encourage the student to play on stage even if the student is not ready. The reason is, that in real life we do not have time to be ready. I have been several times accompanist in residence for several festivals and I came to the conclusion that it is simply not realistic to expect that you can prepare the accompaniments as much as you want. Very often you have to learn a new piece within a day (or a night) and I mean very often a serious accompaniment. Also, if you want to perform on stage you very often expect to be "on call" and prepare a concert programme or a concerto within a few days. My point is: A student needs to learn to play on stage unprepared and to do his/her best for those circumstances. For me, it is great to prepare a piece months and months, but this luxury is rarely given to us later in life.

[bachs_homegurl]

For me, it is great to prepare a piece months and months, but this luxury is rarely given to us later in life.

good point

[nanabush]

Ya I just found out I'm playing Grieg Sonata mvt 1 and 2 in 3 days for a short recital, thank god it's nothing serious.  It's just a few of my teacher's students playing, so I'm gonna have to kinda pick it up for the next few days, I haven't played in a while, I was too busy discovering new pieces ...Ya if it's a non-competition, not that it's a good thing, but if you make a mistake, chances are no one will notice...