Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Adult Beginners Forum I lost it-the feeling for piano, how can i gain it back?

Bonjour everyone. I'm a new member here!

I hope I can get some advice from here. I'm not so sure is this the right place. I hope it is.

I don't know when it happen, but somehow I lost my feeling for piano. I try to play all my favourite piece, but none came out well. My family keep on saying I'm banging the piano, not playing it, even with soft pieces like " In The Name of Life- Spirited Away". I'm kinda lost at what to do.

I try to give myself a break. 3-days break from the piano. But when I touch back my piano, I still get complains from my family that I'm still hitting the piano.

I'm facing my exam this year, and I always feel dreadful playing the piano. i don't know why.

Can anyone give a solution or an explanation to this?

Thank you very much in advance.

( p.s I love my piano, but the feeling wasn't there)

May i ask you if you recently had a longer break from piano? (Not playing it for a month for example...)


Do you have a teacher? What does she/he think?

Maybe take a break.... it doesn't have to completely out of piano but out of playing. How about taking a break for a week not playing piano, but go to the library and check outs those DVD from great players.... those that you like, music style that you like. They don't have to be technical or the hardest, just those that you like/love.

Then listen to them until they really move you. Then perhaps you will find the joy and motivation to get back. You can feel inside you something like "I love that. I want to do it. I can do it... or maybe not right now but I know I will be able to."

We sometimes need that emotional boost too. I know I do.

Yes, I have a teacher. She doesn't like my playing too much now. She used to enjoy it so much. But now she keeps on asking me to soften up.

I seldom leave the piano for more than a week. Never been not playing piano for a month though.

Thanks a lot. I'll keep that in mind.

This is the great advantage of digital pianos.
With headphones or by turning the volume
down you can play anything any time in
any manner and you won't hear any complaints
from anyone, because they can't hear you.
In any case, don't ever listen to anyone's
criticism of your playing. When they
complain about your "banging," tell
them to shut up.

...

On a purely visceral level I agree with that, but if your family is sincerely concerned that your playing has degraded, I think you need to make some recordings and listen for yourself. Maybe just hearing the "banging" will help you correct it. If possible, I would also suggest listening to recordings of professional pianists playing the same pieces.

I would suggest making a recording of your playing and listening to that to see if you are in fact banging on the keys. Sometimes when we're playing we hear what we want to hear as opposed to what is really coming out of the piano, so recording and listening to yourself can help get you back to reality, if that is the case. You can also upload your recording here and let us have a listen if you're looking for a second opinion, to see if it's all in your family's head or if it's true.

The final possibility is that your piano might just be in bad shape and needs maintenance or replaced. My piano falls into that category right now, and I'm looking to replace it sometime this year with a digital piano. If the piano itself is the problem I would recommend playing with the mute / soft pedal held down at all times until you can find a solution to the problem, that's what I do on my piano. It's the pedal to the far left, and all it does is soften and quiet the sound of the piano a bit by either positioning the hammers closer to the strings (upright) or shifting the action to the side, to hit less strings at a time (grand).

I hope that this was of some help to you. In any case, good luck!

Maybe you're thinking too much. You might need to clear your mind, relax and just let it play it and feel it.

Before you play maybe you should sit for a minute and try to think about something that will create the feeling that you want to come through in the song.

Best of luck!

hahahaha....I would have agree with you up to a certain level, but they are my family members. They won't lie to me if i am no good. I value their opinion. But thanks for your advise.

Bluekeys -> I used to listen to Mozart's and Chopin's song everyday. Alternating between Chopin and Mozart. I have some of their collection. Maybe is a good idea I start to listen back.

AnotherSchmoe --> Thanks for your idea. I'll try recording my playing and see what is wrong with me. But I agree with you regarding the condition of the piano. My piano is even older than me. I sent it for maintenance last year. It was pretty good. Maybe I need to do another maintenance. Or change another piano.

Currently I do the same thing as you suggested. I'll press on the soft pedal whenever I'm playing. I mostly play at night now. Night time is always my time to practice since I can hear my playing more better with a quite surrounding. At night I feel more calm and relax after full day at school.

Thanks for your great advices. It does give me more idea now.

Kymber --> Now I'm starting to hum the whole song before I play. I finding it a great thing to do. After I hum, I can spot my own mistake easily. But that doesn't apply to fugue though. But I found my best time to practice is at night. I like the quiet feeling somehow.

Thanks Kymber.

Perhaps you need to switch to a percussion instrument . . .

Or maybe a harpsichord where the volume level is the same no matter how hard you "bang" . . .

Or possibly take up boxing as a hobby so you can take your pent up anger or anxiety out on your opponent instead of the piano . . .

Or all of the above.

Regards, JF

1. Has your hearing been tested recently?

2. Has anything changed about the piano?
Regulated etc? Has it's action deteriorated?

3. Are you taking any new medication that might
be effecting your senses or coordination?

4. Are you playing when you are tired, or
frustrated, or angry? Or tense?

5. Are you having any sort of discomfort when
you play?

To stay motivated, it is a good idea to go to a concert and watch a virtuoso perform.

One of the pianists that truely motivated me to continue to play the piano is William Joseph. He is a piano virtuoso pianist delighting and inspiring audiences whereever he performs. If you are in the Los Angeles area please don't miss him. He is playing at the LARGO on Feb 12 at 8 PM. If you haven't seen him before click on the links below to see him. He is amazing!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ed6BCh6HJvo&feature=channel_page

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9X4yM-MKQAE&feature=channel