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Well....I thought that I had lost my "love" for the piano after 11 months of lessons. I had become very frustrated with my lack of progress and no longer enjoyed practice or lessons. Then I decided to drop a piece of music that I had been working on for several weeks, which was apparently the source of my frustration, and go back to Vandall's Prelude No.4 in F Major, a lovely piece of music that my first teacher wanted me to play after only 3 months of lessons...much too difficult then. Anyway, now, I've discovered that I can play it!!!! Which means I have been making some progress with piano lessons after all. Mind you, I can't play it as well as I'd like to and hope to someday...certainly not as well as my former Skype teacher can play it (check it out on youtube http://youtu.be/uHFj0BySkik). That's my goal but I may have to wait til I get to heaven to play like he does.

Anyway...just glad to be back to the land of piano addicts again.

The habit of playing is very easily lost. I have been playing nonstop for the past 3 years. But in this last month I have barely touched the piano. I got discouraged by low results in my chamber music class. Try as I might I lost a semester trying to master the pieces. Now it's winter vacation and I have no desire to play anything. I never thought this day would come but right now I am not enjoying piano as much as I used to so I am taking a huge break.

Virginia--I had a similar experience (but more like 11 years of lessons rather than 11 months) when I started trying to play a piece that I just couldn’t get. It wasn’t even that hard, but it took the joy away and I had a hard time getting it back. I am hard-headed and want to finish what I started, but I put it away and will try it again in a few years. Glad it worked out for you!

Nancy

Tech 5

Tech 5, good for you for finding out what was causing your unease/frustration and pressing on. Since frustrations will always be there, it's good to learn how to address them and move on!


Teodor wrote, in part:

That is surely a discouragement, but I hope you will regroup and get back to playing soon. From reading your prior posts, I know you have been going at piano full blast. That's good, but please think about reserving some part of your sense of self for things other than piano (that might be heresy here!). Or, to put it another way, don't put all your eggs in one basket. Take a break, take some deep breaths, and then sit down at the piano again and play. Best wishes--Stub.

Yes, the first year of playing piano is a really rollercoaster of emotions. That's why I feared quitting when I started. Can't take a rollercoaster of emotions much. Don't despair, it will mellow out and it will last forever.



Dude, you got talent. Go back to the piano right now. No more excuses.

Edit: ( your story have been inspirational for a career change in my life, remember how happy you was when you could study music? )

It seems a shame to give up the piano if you have had lessons. My friends daughter had some lessons and was making progress but she decided she did not like the piano enough to continue. Therefore, she stopped having lessons and switched to the violin. She did not like that either and gave it up. She then switched to the clarinet which she likes and has taken some exams in. My friend then sold the piano because nobody else in the family had any interest in it (nobody else could play it or wanted to learn)and since her daughter was adamant that she was never going to play it again,there seemed little point in keeping it.

You have to find the instrument for you.

Tech 5 - congratulations for making visible progress. Progress comes to those who persevere. When it comes, it comes in reaps and bound. Keep up good work and don't get discouraged.

Teodor - you have made an incredible progress during the first three years of piano life. Hang on and persevere. You will definitely get somewhere. I know you know the road was tough when you embarked on the journey to major in piano. You started out late so you have to leap when others are just trotting. You are experiencing chamber without having years of duet / ensemble experiences. What amazes me is that you are somehow managing it. You will do it great next time. Please focus on what you can learn. What is your weakness? Sight reading? Then work from the difficult bars that has tricky rhythms and notes. All your mistakes and setbacks are just as great experience as your successes to be a good performer and teacher. You are only 20 or so. You have a great future in front of you. I'm nobody but a supporter. Go Teodor!$