A month ago I started taking lessons again for the first time in several years. I had been playing during that time, not seriously, but had learned several pieces on my own and done a few wedding gigs.

I didn't think I was great by any means, but considered myself a competent pianist; after all I'd been playing since age 9. My teacher is very good and immediately spotted problems with my playing; my hand position, pedal technique, etc. She's totally right but it kind of deflated me a little bit.

Especially with musicality things like phrasing, she has given me some good insight. With her coaching me along as I play, I will feel I "get it" and like I'm really playing musically. It's almost a physical/spiritual feeling in my body that I'm in tune with the music.

But then when I go home and practice the next week, that feeling is totally gone. I feel like my playing's robotic and unmusical and I can't get on the track that had me playing freely during the lesson.

Has anyone else experienced this? How do you retain that insight you get during a lesson and take it home with you? It's not much good if you only comprehend it in your teacher's presence!

I bring those narrow "sticky flags" and mark the music as my teacher speaks. Also, feel free to take notes. You might even ask if your teacher minds if you tape the lesson.

I used to videotape my lessons. Now I'll go through the music after my lesson and write in a notebook everything I can remember my teacher telling me to do.

hahah, I know that deflated feeling, I'm going through the same thing. Sometimes it can be discouraging to be going over such basic things, but it's time well spent. Besides, I think it's good to get over myself.

Anyways, I usually go over the lesson in my head and then write it down in a little music journal I keep.

Usually my teacher gives me more advice than I can put into practice in a week anyhow, so I wind up choosing what I think are the most important things to work on and focus on improving those aspects for the next lesson.

Patience.

Slowpogo - This may be totally off the mark. Your teacher is giving you specific corrections such as hand position, pedal technique. You work with her and you get a feeling of musicality, being in tune with the music etc. Then when you go home you can no longer get that feeling. Do you go after the feeling or the specific technique or both? What if you went after only the specific technique, not worry about the feeling? Might the feeling then come when you least expect it like a byproduct, kind of? (Following a hunch.)

I find that practicing right after a lesson works really well. And, I know it sounds oddball, but I have a special blend of vitamins and supplements that help me (trade secret, though!).

That's a good idea. I have trouble paying attention. During the course of the week or two following a lesson I manage to remember the pointers and thoughts my teacher imparted. I think I will try that.

Someone touched on this above...

My recommendation is to practice RIGHT AFTER THE LESSON. I think this particular practice time is the most important of the week.

While things are fresh in your head. While you are still in that 'oh yeah' - 'do it this way' mode. And while you are still inspired.

At this practice time, try to remember what you thinking and why you might be playing differently and let those thoughts carry you on through the week.

One other suggestion -

Listen to some piano music that is really good right before you are about to practice. Certainly are more than a few inspirational videos on YouTube. Pick an artist. Pick pieces that are in your capability range. Pick something that inspires you!

Lastly, keep studying with your teacher. She is obviously doing something right!

I like the way that my teacher does things.

He has me photocopy all of my pieces and put them in a binder for him to read along with me as i play. He will write in the photocopy suggestions or things that need work and then go over them with me during the lesson. After the lesson, he gives me back the notebook so that I can then go back to what he said in the lesson during practice time.

I think it actually makes things easier for the both of us, because he doesn't have to stop me while I'm playing (unless it is something major) and he also doesn't have to remember every little thing that he wants to say, he can just write them down as they come up.

You were right. You are a competent pianist,
good enough to play wedding gigs. There
was nothing wrong with your hand position
or pedalling, and your playing was not
robotic and unmusical.

On the contrary, your teacher is not very
good and is not totally right. All this
teacher has done is to make you feel inferior,
so that nothing you do now seems good
enough.

Don't ever listen to this kind of thing
again.

What a simple and effective approach, greyceol!

WHAT?

HUH?

I am flabagasted at these statements.

Please don't be overly alarmed. Things always look different on Planet Gyro.

I thinks it's accurate to say that NONE of Gyro's 2400+ posts are anything but sheer nonsense.

I used to wish he would he would break out of the predictable, copy-and-paste, boilerplate verbiage of big-time, blazingly fast, brutal struggles.

When I read his tasteless, crude and unseemly contribution to the Piano Geek thread a few days ago, I remembered how careful we must be about what we wish for—even though it served as a setup for an amusing riposte.

Steven

I like this idea! I will suggest it to my teacher.

What I do is scribble notes on everything she says in a note book. I refer to this daily when I practice. It's also where I make my notes *about* practicing...noting what metronome speed I'm currently at in a piece, how long I practiced, why I didn't practice if I didn't (sick, had to work overtime, etc). I want to know what I'm *really* doing and not what I think I remember doing! ;o)

During lessons I try to scribble as fast as possible while still taking down enough detail to be useable and get the end result we're looking for. Sometimes I wish I didn't have to spend so much time writing but it's much better than the alternative of having no idea what I'm supposed to do.

Gyro, in all my 8 years playing tennis and my 7 years playing piano theres one thing I've learned. I've hit with tons of coaches and played for tons of teachers. We learn from mistakes. The only way to get better it to push ourselves to get out of our comfort zone and TRY something new.

I try to bring my handy-dandy zoom H4 to lessons so when my teacher and I "strike gold" on an idea (find something really useful and than I can work on later) I can record it and play it back at home. A notebook also works for little things and tips to write down that will remind you of something later while practing.


Matt

Hello!

Wow, does it feel good to be back here.

When I had trouble with retaining things from my memory, I did a couple of things:

1. Tape-record your lessons. This way, when you're at home and you can't remember what your teacher wanted you to do, you know exactly what s/he said and are able to use it.
2. Write it down. My teacher uses a notebook and takes notes during my lesson. If s/he allows, ask them to take notes for you, or give you ample time after each piece to write down what you need to work on.
3. Write directly on your music. This is what my teacher does, this way, when I practice, it's staring straight back at me.

Hope that this helps, and good luck!

Em