Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Adult Beginners Forum Woe is me.

Golly, I had to be away from the piano a full week, and really lost a lot. Sat down to practice as I have a lesson tomorrow afternoon, and to my total dismay, found that all I did was make errors.

What is so awful, is that these were pieces that I played totally error free a week ago. The more I worked on the piece the worse became my playing. Error compounded on error. A total mess.

I set aside my assignment and tried some other pieces that I usually just ripple off. Horrors. They were awful.

What could have happened in just one week away from the piano???? Guess I better just play things slowly, hands separate, and hope that everything will fall into place again.

Have any of you had this problem, and if so what did you do about it. Gaby Tu

Do you usually play from memory or do you sight read?

I wonder if you're panicing because you have a lesson tomorrow? Can you postpone your lesson (I believe in your neck of the woods it's called taking a rain check? ?

I don't think you can forget how to play in just a week, sounds like nerves to me but I'm afraid I have no great advice about quashing nerves, just try not to worry and play as well as you can.

Playing hands seperate and slowly should help things gel...

I personally don't think it's the fact that you were away from the piano for a week as you probably just had an off day. We've all had them - days where no matter what you do, things just don't sound right and you make tons of mistakes. Don't stress over it.

I think you have diagnosed the problem. Nerves because I have a lesson tomorrow. Fortunately I have a very kind and sympathetic teacher, and I am sure that he will understand.

I sight read, and have the notes before me, so it is not memory lapses. It must be nerves.

I did have a hectic week and am still probably running on adrenaline. It was a good week, but probably too much stimulation all at one time, and my system is rebelling and telling me to take it easy. Gaby Tu

gabytu,

I used to do a lot of business travel and would be away from the piano for days/weeks and it was always the case when I came back that I literally couldn't stand to play more than 15-20 minutes. There's nothing worse than a remembered skill! I would remember how well I played before I left and would just get totally frustrated at how bad I was playing. It happened so regularly that I just accepted that that was the way it was going to be.

I never did really get over it. At first, I had a hard time even sitting down to play upon my return because I knew it would be bad but I'd make myself do it and after a day or two things would be back to normal.

I'm going to be away from the piano for 10 days starting this Friday and I am not looking forward to my first practice session when I return!

I'm with l-p. I think it is definitely stress related. It's amazing how just a subtle amount of stress (that you may not be conscious of feeling) can affect your playing. I play disastrously the day before, and on the morning of, my lesson. Making mistake upon mistake until the piece (that I played perfectly OK during the week) becomes unrecognisable.

Don't worry ... after your lesson, when the pressure is off, you'll play just fine again.

Thanks all of you. I feel better now that I know that this is something normal. It is, as you say a case of nerves and stress related.

I am going to pour a glass of wine, sit back and relax, and do the best I can tomorrow. Thanks again. Gaby Tu

and try just to enjoy your lesson - see it as a kind of relaxing exercise, too ... just have fun ... things will work out fine.

Here's wishing that everything falls into place for you pronto!!

thanks for this post though, we're going to Puerto Rico for a week in 2 weeks so now I know what to expect when I get back. I'm going to take my lesson books in case someone has a piano stashed somewhere

I had the same problem in January when I returned from a two-week vacation. I knew I'd be a bit rusty, but I was actually shocked by how badly I played! Fortunately, it was only a day or two before I was back up to speed on all my pieces. You'll be fine, I'm sure.

All's well now. I had my lesson. Played awful, but the sky did not fall, and the earth did not tremble. My teacher was very understanding. And he said that it happens whenever one is away from the piano for a while. So, back to the keyboard for me with renewed energy.

Gaby Tu