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I already posted here a few weeks ago about my situation. I'm in an exchange program in France, where I have a very old clavinova to work on ( wich isn't much). I've played piano since i'm 3 years old, studying 3 hours everyday, and this is the first time of my life that I don't have piano classes, or even a real instrument to work on. Some said that I should keep studying on the clavinova, wich I tried, but due to other problems I can't study with it very often. Yesterday, I sat on the old basement where the clavinova rests, to study. I decided to start playful, and chose a Bach invention to have some fun. I literally cried. The amount of frustration I felt was immeasurable... To descend from the level I was, to playing this... that felt horrible. I realised i won't be able to study a lot, and i'm certainly going to lose my technique, so...


TL;DR Do you think that when you lose your technique, it's lost forever? What is the maximum amount of time you can spend without studying without losing technique? Do you think that, after years of not playing, one can "recover" it's technique more easily?

Your worry is sweet but not warranted; it's fine to miss out for a while...I mean, there'll be plenty here who've returned to piano after years of abstinence and picked it up to an appreciable level...um...obviously saying "don't worry" doesn't help you to stop worrying, but really, don't worry! You won't suddenly lose everything you had...just...practice as much as you can (obviously) with what you have and when you get back to the piano perhaps have a little more time to practice than normal; you'll be back to normal in no time at all (not that I don't sympathise with your situation). Um....just...be as happy as you can with what you have; I'm sure many of the greats were interrupted from the piano by sickness and wars if nothing else; you'll survive this
I hope you find a way to be okay with your predicament.
Xxx

I was without a piano and with only occasional access to one for over thirty years. I had taken lessons, participated in competitions and piano examinations up to pre-diploma in my youth but had to abandon the piano when I moved away from home and had neither the space nor the money for a piano. (There were no digitals in those days!).

After retirement, and with a good piano in my home, I started lessons again six years ago. While I am not competition material nor will ever be a concert pianist, I certainly am confident enough to play relatively advanced works in public on a regular basis as a result of diligent regular practice under the guidance of a good teacher.

Surely your frustrations are understandable but you should not have concerns about not eventually being able to regain whatever technique you had; you may even surpass it. The biggest hurdle at the moment is to find and nurture patience until you can resume studying and practicing on a satisfactory instrument.

Regards,

I had no regular access to a piano for decades after I finished university, until I eventually bought a good digital (as an acoustic would not be feasible where I live) in 2010.

Since then I´ve not only caught up with where I left off all those years ago (which took me just a couple of weeks of regular practice), I´ve improved my playing to the extent of learning pieces that I never thought I´d be able to play, like Ravel´s Gaspard de la nuit.

There have been many famous pianists, like György Cziffra, who didn´t touch a piano or any sort of keyboard for years, and then returned to play with all their former virtuosity. Many well-known pianists have also taken sabbaticals away from the piano for months, before returning to it with renewed enthusiasm.

Keyboard skills are like swimming or cycling - you can get rusty with disuse, but you never lose them, and it doesn´t take long to regain the level you left off.

Is this a student exchange program for a year in high school?

Are there no pianos at your school or churches in the area? No students in the school who might have a piano you could practice on? Neighbors who might let you use their piano in return for giving one of their children piano lessons? What about renting a piano for nine months?

Dear Francisco
I would like to join Pianoloverus asking you: How many years have you already practised? How long is this situation going to last? I promise you that you won't lose your ability to play the piano. But when you'll be back to your own piano, it might be smart to be a little careful with practising during the first days in order to get used to 'real' playing again and not hurting your hands...
Why don't you try to find a place with a real piano, e.g. at school, or at a community center, or renting, or...

But I would like to give you some ideas from my own experience as well: I'm in my forties, have practised many hours in my life, but with all my teaching, I often don't find as much time for practising as I would like. Also, on concert trips abroad, practising time is often very limited. So, I found some tricks to train my fingers. Why don't you invent finger studies for which you don't need a keyboard? Also, you can practise on a table for a change. Of course, it's not the same, but I can tell you: I've done my best practising when I only had access to terrible pianos for a whole year. It helps to build up our immagination of our playing and the inner ear.
When playing on the clavinova, you could turn off the sound, which I like to do in addition to my Steinway ...
Also, mental practising is very helpful.
Good luck! :-)

I practiced piano for 13 years. I'm staying here untill february.


Well, I actually asked the family about renting and they said I could, but I would have a time limit to study... Like 1 hour per day or something like that, wich is a bit too little. I wouldn't rent a piano just for 1 hour a day...
And sure, I have a piano in the school! I can study there once a week, 1 hour. It's already something, but I mean, it's so frustrating to make an effort to lose less techinque[i]. I don't know how to explain it very well, sorry. English is not my native language.
But thanks a million for the replys. I reaaally enjoyed the feedback, I really felt better with the Cziffra story lol

If you have studied piano for 13 years and you are going to be without a piano until February, I think that your best course of action is to not worry about not being able to practice and enjoy, as much as you can, the new surroundings and new situations in which you find yourself.

After thirteen years of study you won't lose anything with a four-month hiatus. Think of this as a well-deserved vacation from piano study. Yes, it may take you a few weeks to get back "into shape," but in the meantime you should make the most of what is new, different, exciting and challenging about your current situation. You'll be sorry if you don't.

Regards,

It is true that once you learn something it takes about 6 months to get back to what you were 5, 10, or 20 years later whether you were typing, playing an instrument, learning a language, for example.

I remember that a woman at school returned to learn shorthand (machine shorthand) and got to 160 words a minute. She either got married or had a child or something that interrupted her studies. Sure enough after 6 months she was back to 160 words a minute and then 6 months later she reached 250 words a minutes. In other words in 6 months she was back to what she was 10 years earlier and then went ahead and then improve and reached a greater speed than she ever had.

At the time she was in her late teens and when she returned to school she was in her mid 30s.

Also in the late 1980s I saw an ad in a newspaper saying people at any level will be welcome to play in the band. So I showed up and said that I read some music and what instrument should I play, like maybe a trumpet? What did I know? No, no, the conductor said, how about a triangle or maybe a drum. Well, somebody, a musician, whispered go rent a sax, it is pretty easy as instruments go - so I went down to a music store and rented an alto saxophone and I jointed the band. I learned in about 10 minutes that learning a C scale on the piano is not reading music. All the musicians were from late teens to 50s and 60s who had played in high school and college - I was in my 40s and was in trouble! So I sat in the saxophone section and the guys/women would point where we were and for a long while I only could play the opening and closing notes of any music because I would get lost very soon and fast. I got a teacher to help me with 20 plus pieces of music way, way, over my head and ability but I played what I could when I could. The rest of them would ask each other how to make certain notes on the french horn or the saxophone etc. because they hadn't play in many years. So yes, you can return to music and continue on.

I have a clavinova I bought in 1988. It was and is a fine clavinova but I just didn't take the time to practice
and so I could not play the piano, of course.

Six months ago I had some health problems and the result was I couldn't sit up. I could walk and lay on a couch but I could only sit up for 15 or 20 minutes and needed to lay down or rest. So I thought - looked - at my dusty clavinova - if I sat at the clavinova for a few minutes and play book 1 on how to play the piano, it might distract me and maybe I could sit up and day by day I might increase my siting-up time and get stronger day by day.

Well, you will never guess what happend. I fell in love with the piano - I fell in love playing the piano/clavinova.


Now I play everyday. I am only just starting book 2 but I love playing the piano. I am a slow learner so it is not easy but the joy is awesome when I play 10 measure of music. I caught pneumonia a few times and was very, very weak for about 2 months. I could play for 10 minutes in a week, if that. When I got back to playing after for only 2 months of being not able to play much, it was a slow recovery of missing notes and wrong notes. I started at the beginning of book 1 and played every piece everyday and now after about a month or 2 I am back playing where I was.

I should have told you above that when I fell in love with playing the piano - Clavinova - I decided to look for a acoustic piano. I was extremely lucky to find a nice acoustic piano. The difference is that when I played the Clavinova it was easy to play pianissimo than on an acoustic piano. It has taken me many months to get my fingers to play pianissimo on the acoustic piano. That is about the only difference for me between the clavinova and the acoustic. Although the weighted keys of the clavinova is just fine, the acoustic piano takes a lot more energy to play. I love the clavinova but I really love the sound of an acoustic - even if they are wrong notes!

Something funny! As you know, you can play the clavinova by adjusting the volumne but also if you play harder it is louder like an acoustic piano. Well, nobody lives near me so I can play anytime of the day or night but I don't want people to hear a piano walking by my place at at 2:00 a.m. or 4:00 a.m., so I always play pianisso either on the Clavinova or the acoustic. What happens if they knock on my door? Don't want to answer the door as it is a busy street - so don't want to go there.

So, please, continue to play the klavinova day or night on with or without earphones. Even if I am tired, I play for 10 or 15 minutes, several times a day or night. Every bit helps.

It is liked driving a old car with a bad engine, it gets you there. And when the time and money are right you will maybe be be able to play a baby - grand. Nothing is ever right. Just when and how you can do it. All those famous composers - they had problems with money, women, family, kids, finding the right sponsors - that is not the right word - and disease, deaf, poor health and did awsome things in spite of a imperfect world. In fact, I think some of the pianos were not so good as they are now. So keep going. Remember how old I must be and ......

I meant to post this to you but it got posted elsewhere

It is true that once you learn something it takes about 6 months to get back to what you were 5, 10, or 20 years later whether you were typing, playing an instrument, learning a language, for example.

I remember that a woman at school returned to learn shorthand (machine shorthand) and got to 160 words a minute. She either got married or had a child or something that interrupted her studies. Sure enough after 6 months she was back to 160 words a minute and then 6 months later she reached 250 words a minutes. In other words in 6 months she was back to what she was 10 years earlier and then went ahead and then improve and reached a greater speed than she ever had.

At the time she was in her late teens and when she returned to school she was in her mid 30s.

Also in the late 1980s I saw an ad in a newspaper saying people at any level will be welcome to play in the band. So I showed up and said that I read some music and what instrument should I play, like maybe a trumpet? What did I know? No, no, the conductor said, how about a triangle or maybe a drum. Well, somebody, a musician, whispered go rent a sax, it is pretty easy as instruments go - so I went down to a music store and rented an alto saxophone and I jointed the band. I learned in about 10 minutes that learning a C scale on the piano is not reading music. All the musicians were from late teens to 50s and 60s who had played in high school and college - I was in my 40s and was in trouble! So I sat in the saxophone section and the guys/women would point where we were and for a long while I only could play the opening and closing notes of any music because I would get lost very soon and fast. I got a teacher to help me with 20 plus pieces of music way, way, over my head and ability but I played what I could when I could. The rest of them would ask each other how to make certain notes on the french horn or the saxophone etc. because they hadn't play in many years. So yes, you can return to music and continue on.

I have a clavinova I bought in 1988. It was and is a fine clavinova but I just didn't take the time to practice
and so I could not play the piano, of course.

Six months ago I had some health problems and the result was I couldn't sit up. I could walk and lay on a couch but I could only sit up for 15 or 20 minutes and needed to lay down or rest. So I thought - looked - at my dusty clavinova - if I sat at the clavinova for a few minutes and play book 1 on how to play the piano, it might distract me and maybe I could sit up and day by day I might increase my siting-up time and get stronger day by day.

Well, you will never guess what happend. I fell in love with the piano - I fell in love playing the piano/clavinova.


Now I play everyday. I am only just starting book 2 but I love playing the piano. I am a slow learner so it is not easy but the joy is awesome when I play 10 measure of music. I caught pneumonia a few times and was very, very weak for about 2 months. I could play for 10 minutes in a week, if that. When I got back to playing after for only 2 months of being not able to play much, it was a slow recovery of missing notes and wrong notes. I started at the beginning of book 1 and played every piece everyday and now after about a month or 2 I am back playing where I was.

I should have told you above that when I fell in love with playing the piano - Clavinova - I decided to look for a acoustic piano. I was extremely lucky to find a nice acoustic piano. The difference is that when I played the Clavinova it was easy to play pianissimo than on an acoustic piano. It has taken me many months to get my fingers to play pianissimo on the acoustic piano. That is about the only difference for me between the clavinova and the acoustic. Although the weighted keys of the clavinova is just fine, the acoustic piano takes a lot more energy to play. I love the clavinova but I really love the sound of an acoustic - even if they are wrong notes!

Something funny! As you know, you can play the clavinova by adjusting the volumne but also if you play harder it is louder like an acoustic piano. Well, nobody lives near me so I can play anytime of the day or night but I don't want people to hear a piano walking by my place at at 2:00 a.m. or 4:00 a.m., so I always play pianisso either on the Clavinova or the acoustic. What happens if they knock on my door? Don't want to answer the door as it is a busy street - so don't want to go there.

So, please, continue to play the klavinova day or night on with or without earphones. Even if I am tired, I play for 10 or 15 minutes, several times a day or night. Every bit helps.

It is liked driving a old car with a bad engine, it gets you there. And when the time and money are right you will maybe be be able to play a baby - grand. Nothing is ever right. Just when and how you can do it. All those famous composers - they had problems with money, women, family, kids, finding the right sponsors - that is not the right word - and disease, deaf, poor health and did awsome things in spite of a imperfect world. In fact, I think some of the pianos were not so good as they are now. So keep going. Remember how old I must be and ......

You can practice even without a piano. Read the score and play in your imagination. Or if you have a piece memorized, close your eyes and play. Play slowly, vividly picturing the keyboard and "feeling" the imaginary motions of your hands and arms.

When we speak of losing technique, what is it that is lost? Muscle tone in the hands? I don't think it would be enough to matter. The neural pathways that control the motions can deteriorate if they are not frequently refreshed. I have read that the refreshing can be accomplished in the mind as well as through actual physical movement (provided the motions have already been learned well.)

In any event, four months away from the piano will not mean a serious setback. As BruceD said, enjoy your time during the exchange program. Don't spend any energy worrying. It's natural to feel a pang of longing for a piano. But there is no reason for anxiety.

Thanks a million to all the replies. I agree now that maybe 6 months is not that long... I'll just have to deal with the absence of music...

FS :

Where, in France, are you until February?

Regards,

Remember you're only dealing with physically playing music less than you're used to. You can still listen to, read about, and analyze music. And you may have some time available to do this that you did not have before. There's a lot more to music than the physical part.

Oui, où êtes-vous, exactement ?

je suis à Vannes, en Bretagne!


I'm at the city of Vannes, situated at the region of Bretagne!

Kenavo! Quelle chance! J'espère que vous vous plaisez en Bretagne, moi je suis jaloux, le bruit de la mer me manque. Et l'odeur de kouing amann.

Bon, de toute façon, si ce que vous voulez est un piano, vous devrez pouvoir en trouver un sans trop de difficulté. Il suffit d'aller au conservatoire et demander. Demandez à parler au directeur, expliquez-lui votre situation, que vous êtes lycéen (c'est bien ça?) à tel lycée, que vous êtes de tel pays (je devine que vous êtes argentin ??), que si vous ne chatouillez pas les ivoires d'un piano que vous aller tout simplement morir, etc ... Si vous êtes charmant et courtois et si vous sembler sérieux et pas farfelu ça doit marcher. Il est peut être possible même de suivre des cours avec un prof, si cela vous intéresse, ou de trouver d'autres instrumentistes pour jouer avec.

Et voilà un mot de vocabulaire, farfelu.

Sinon, c'est peut être l'opportunité de faire quelque chose de nouveau. Par exemple, apprendre la flute à bec, vous pouvez acheter une excellente flute à bec Yamaha pour 12 ou 13 euros, ou pour 50 centimes à une vide grenier ce dimanche.

Ou achetez-vous une mélodica, ce sera une exercise musicale du premier ordre jouer des Inventions à une main sur un clavier, il faut vraiment savoir extraire l'essentiel, comme ce type sur l'harmonica. Ce ne sera pas de temps perdu.

Alors, vous n'aurez peut-être pas beaucoup d'occasion à assister à des concerts de musique classique pendant que vous serez là-bas. Il n'y a qu'un opéra de Rossini (Le Comte Ory), un violoncelliste avec orchestre de chambre et un autre concert à Vannes d'ici à la fin de l'année, à ce que je vois. Mais profitez-en si vous pouvez, quand même.

Il y aura peut-être d'autres concerts qui ne sont pas encore affichés ....

Back in 2001, I wrote various pieces... one of them was a bereavement song for a company that was looking for one. Turns out, my mother died at that time and it ended up being used at her funeral instead. I couldn't play after that... for 9-1/2 years!! So 9.5 years later I saw this audition for Youtube Symphony and figured I'll try it. I was sooo bad, my technique was gone. Mistakes were common as opposed to nonexistent in the past. Needless to say, I didn't win that competition, not even close. But now, after playing nearly every day since then, I'm close to that point and in some ways even better! I now perform as a pianist in the lobby of a medical building, compose my own music and submit it for film/tv, turn down offers to be in various bands, and just enjoying my time playing immensely. While not my bread & butter, I wish it was, and I'm working toward that goal now.

J'adore ça: "il n'y a qu'un opéra de Rossini"! Qu'un opéra! Ce n'est quand même pas mal, un opéra!

Mais je parie qu'il y a encore des choses, des concerts. Autour du conservatoire il en aura, et aussi des concerts chorals dans la ville qui ne font pas partie de "la saison" officielle de la ville.