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Hi all:

I should be posting my practice time more frequently, but I don't really put that much time into reading this (or any other site) as maybe I "should". With limited time to practice, I tend to spend my doing that rather than posting about it. If my time frees up a bit, I will definitely spend a bit more time here.

As for motivation, I still think that if a person struggles with getting him or herslef to sit down and practice (assuming s/he has the time to do so in the first place), then maybe this isn't the pursuit that captures your heart and interest, and it may be time to re-evaluate what you are doing and why. It is one thing to be interested in playing piano, and another to REALLY want to. I have seen this when teaching guitar. Maybe the teaching style of the teacher or self-study materials is not really suitable to your style. Maybe you are not learning the style that got you fired up about the piano in the first place. Or, maybe the piano is not the priority that you hoped it would be, now that you have had the chance to give it a shot.

This stuff is not always the most comfortable to look into. but, as George Leonard talks about in his book "Mastery", "the mat (piano) is where you come face to face with your REAL motivations".

Tony

Even the most motivated pianists have their off seasons. I don't think an occasional reluctance to practice should cause one to question one's vocation. Even Liszt once quit for two years. As for logging one's practice time - I think the perhaps 30 seconds it takes me to put it in each day is time exceedingly well spent.

Frycek:

I think that interpreting what I said as being addressed to "an occasional reluctance to practice" is a bit exrtreme, and not at all what I was addressing.

So, I apologize for any misunderstanding I may have created here. Hopefully this post clears it up.

Tony

--deleted in the interest of harmony on the forum - -

I tried to register to add my (paltry) practice time to the cause (and really to track it more than anything else). But the server tells me my name is not on the list, is there some sort of waiting period (sort of like for handgun purchases) or something? Or have I done something terribly, terribly wrong in registering?

I don't know if I could stand the pressure of documenting practice, but I've been going like 6 hours a day, on top of a 21 credit hour uni load, haha.

I played a bunch when I was younger, but it really felt forced. Now, though, for whatever reason, I see piano as the ultimate technical and expressive challenge. For me, it's like the ultimate test of skill, knowledge, willpower, and endurance. I get lost playing, though. I'll just start, and keep playing for hours. I also try to get 30 minutes between classes when I can, but it's tough.

Did you check the box "I wish to add name to the list"?

Yes, Still no joy.

i'm sorry girls, I may have to pull out as I really can't be going on the computer every single day to update this list, I should really be concentrating on my practise and theory.

sorry

You don't have to update every day, right? I update my practice time every few days.
Yesterday I barely made it to the piano at 11:40pm coming from late meeting with client... If not for MOYD, I'd have gone straight to bed, but went to the piano instead... Great stimulus

I don't update it everyday, I usually go in the next day and do it.

don't drop out amelia, just write down your times and when you can enter them do so. Pweeety pwease?

alright then. I'll only key in practise times when i'm free then.

thanks, it's nice to know that i'm wanted

Amelialw, you are an inspiration. Please log when you can. The ladies need you!!

While it's a lot of fun watching hopinmad, ameliaw and Frycek battle it out up top, I also want the three of you to please be careful and try to not hurt yourselves. This is meant to be fun and motivational, not suicidal and self-destructive.

Go XY people!

Ted (languishing in eighth place)

haha, don't worry, I won't hurt myself.

if you check my practise log, some days I really cool it down *grins*

Ted, I thought your post truly well-meaning ... Until I read that cheer for your fellow YX folk. Did you think we wouldn't notice?

Amelia, the link to your Web site doesn't work. (Edit the stuff after ".com" and your home page comes up fine.) And feel free to update your log whenever you can/want ... as long as it's before midnight at the end of the month!

Go, XXers!

Hi all:

I update my practice log on the weekend. The problem for me is that even though, as one person pointed out, it only takes about 30 seconds to update one entry daily, I tend to get sidetracked into reading the forums. I need to spend that time in the evenings playing piano, so I read forums during some time on the weekends and from work when waiting for a compile to complete.

Anyway, I seem to get in an hour a day in half hour sessions, but am working to expand that during weekdays. I am usually able to put in half hour in the morning before work, and want to get at least another hour at night. I realize everybody is different in how "natural" they are in learning piano, and for me it takes closer to two hours a day for me to be making progress, rather than simply "treading water". Maybe others here can make real progress in less daily time than that.

For me, I am working hard to master the physical aspects of the instrument (i.e. being able to "stride" my left hand naturally while playing other stuff in the right, and being able to switch between left hand styles within a song, and that sort of thing). I am confident it will come in time, just as I did get to the point where I could play what I want on the guitar, but like the guitar, it takes me a sustained focused effort to get there.

Tony

ok, the link works now

Create a shortcut to the practice log on your desk top and you won't even have to even go near the temptations of the forum.