Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Adult Beginners Forum Repetition!

So, I was made fun of by my niece today for playing "the same song over and over again"..lol. She went as far to say that she now hates my piece. You see, my childhood piano is at my sister's house so I was trying to "play through" my.... **gulp**... ABF recital piece. I also like to "test my skills" on a different piano to see how well it repeats.

Anyway, don't you guys think that repetition (correct repetition of course) is part of practice? I tell ya...these "non-players" just don't get it... lol.

Luckily my immediate family at home is a lot more understanding.

I can certainly understand how hearing the same thing over and over and over again can cause someone to lose enjoyment. This is one area where a digital piano may be superior to the real thing. I don't think my wife could handle hearing the same section a couple hundred times so my headphones go on, and she is able to still appreciate the piece when I've "fixed" the problem area.

Hm, I wonder if it is possible to get more understanding by showing why we practise? For example select a short snippet from a piece that sounds really nice and that the complainer might like. Show them by route how to play it. Very likely they will not be able to play it very smoothly or make it sound great the first times they try. So give them a challenge: aks them to practice the snippet 100 times and then se if they can get it so sound great. (Maybe a nice coda with some fast chords that are fun to play?) You of course need to discuss a lot with them about what the differences are between their attempt to play it and yours, and help them to learn how to listen to what they play. Let them try to play the snippet in different ways and play around with it. Hopefully after they tried the snippet 100 times, they notice that wondeful feeling when you have control and the fingers just fly. Maybe they even want to learn more of the piece! At least, hopefully they will see by themselves that things do happen when you repeat a section. Additionally they might even understand that it is not as boring to do as it looks like, and that it can be exiting to improve a section of music.

Am I too optimistic?

If the complainer is not interested in trying this, maybe you could teach them some really easy chords, and how to accompany a song where you play the melody part. Make sure the chord changes are repetitive and easy enough so that they quickly can get steady pulse. This might not get them in better mood about your practising, but it might get them to have some fun at the piano. Everything to get people hooked on playing!

While it can become a bad habit in other areas of endevour I personally think that repetition during one's practice sessions is essential for artistic and technical developement in one's piano studies. While it can become a bad habit in other areas of endevour I personally think that repetition during one's practice sessions is essential for artistic and technical developement in one's piano studies. While it can become a bad habit in other areas of endevour...

JF

JF

Funny, John!!! It really took the third repetition for me to get it. I am slow today.
I had a similar experience with my young son. He has his lesson right before mine and sits in the room for the duration of my lesson. He begged my teacher not to have me play Bach's Minuet for another week because "Everyone at home was pulling their hair out having to hear it so frequently." Fortunately, for all involved, I nailed it today, so I can put it away for a bit. When my teacher suggested I play it once or twice a week to keep it in my repertoire, we could both hear a gigantic sigh from the back of the room. After my lesson, I promised my son I would only play it when he was outside playing or asleep.

Nieces are so funny

Cathy

Lol, I love this thread because it's so true. I think this is one of the main reasons many pianists work on two to three pieces at the same time so after working on a section of one piece for about 15 minutes, then rotate. Sorta helps on the nerves of those who are stuck in hearing distance of the practice session.

And eventually when you have several repertoire pieces under the belt, then it helps to further distance the rotation of the practice pieces by playing the pieces you already have polished in between. Anyway, just my two cents!