My biggest weakness? My nerves, no doubt.
Nevertheless, I'm getting rid of them (although there will always be some nervousness... for example, in auditions), plus I'm going to start doing some sports, so I'll be feeling much better!

What are you guys sight reading? Because if you're sight reading Rachmaninov's Concertos, then I understand your problems tee-hee! No, I was only joking, but I'd like to know what kind of things are you sight reading, please.

Objectively, my biggest weakness is probably sight reading. However, the weakness I hate the most (purely because I can get past bad sight reading through practice) is poor dynamic control. I hate that I can't/it's really hard to separate pp/p/mf/f/ff in more minute adjustments because it makes a lot of difference, IMO, in how the final product ends up sounding.

At my very modest skill level, I cannot seem to remember stuff. I have to read everything, even simple pieces. Very embarassing when "visiting a grand piano" in someone's house and they say "play something". Arghh. I'm thinking of stuffing a few Xeroxed score sheets in my pocket when I go out!
Cheers,
Roger

Improvising, even just playing basic chord progressions.

It's not case sensitive. [/quote]

Check it out, I can quote properly now! Thanks!

You're welcome! Except that with the new forums, you no longer need the [qb][/qb] tag. [quote][/quote] should do it!

Well I will mention the difficulties as the following. Cannot read music, never been taught. Have played for 70 years +.

Next,insufficient practice. Really need teaching the fingering for arpeggios runs and scales. My way, I know the correct notes usually but lack the dexterity of fingering'

Would like fingers/hands like the best jazz pianists have. Fats Waller for example.

My learning is completely by memory of the keyboard, meaning I play along to CDs with much of my time to learn the music. Stride and Boogie both need loads more practice.

I adore the piano as an instrument and never tire of it.

swingal

Sight reading is a skill you can improve so easily.. The more you do it, the better you'll be at it. And the quicker you'll start learning rep. I used to be beyond horrible but after being forced to take it school and doing some on my own I sight read well enough to get my way through a rehearsal, sight reading (not everything though.. Shostakovich akufhskdhf). Just do Beethoven and Mozart sonatas, concertos, Chopin anything, Haydn, Bach's really helpful for sight reading, etc..

Evenness in trills and generally fast passages.

Who has only one?

I can relate to John Frank's post too. I tend to hear the music in my head way long before I've learned the music, and want to bring it up to the finishing stages too soon. Combine that with good sight reading, and the rest is history. This goes along with staying focused on the current projects. I find myself wandering through a book if I choose a single sonata from it, for example.

Let's see I like this sonata by Scarlatti, but oh wait, there's another one that sounds fun to play, oh wait there another one, hmmm... that one tastes good too. So in the end, the sonata that I started is only started along with a bunch more that I've only started and never finished.

Another one of my biggest weaknesses is memorization. I haven't done it in nearly 30 years now, with very few intenions of doing it again if I don't have to.

Keeping the tempo the same when repeating a section. I think this is a momentum thing. I tend to play the second time through a bit faster than the first. I really need to work on this because this makes the 2nd half of a sonata, for example, much more difficult than it should be.

I'm also overly picky of my own playing, and sometimes will never "finish" off a piece because I find that I've done something that's not satisfying to me. I'm sure we all have this in us; it's a musician/pianists' trait.

John

My touch is like an awkward person that stares at you from the corner until everyone in the room feels terrible.

What makes sightreading difficult for so many people? (no offense to anyone!) I am just asking because sightreading is not a weakness of mine, but I played a clarinet/flute duet with a friend a while back, and she has difficulty sightreading, and I don't understand why it is difficult.

My weakness? Playing the piano in front of an audience. (and that problem only occurs when I play the PIANO. nothing else.) I remember when I used to take piano lessons for 3 years(then I quit, but I still play a lot, and I have gotten better), and I never had ANY problems with recitals. Then I attempted to play a solo for a talent show, and I my mind went completely blank and all in all, my song ended horribly (it may not be THAT bad, but I thought it was). In the end, I am now deathly afraid of playing the piano in front of an audience, except for jazz band. (I quit playing 4 years ago, for a total of 7 years of experience.)

What may have changed?
The only thing I can think of was from when I went through a 7-month period of having no interest in the piano. Then I met a good friend of mine, who is also a pianist, which inspired me to play again. Ever since then, I usually play for an hour or three (or four) every day.

without question it is runs up and down the piano at speed.....whether they be in arpeggios, chromatics or just plain scales...

also playing the same as above in thirds...

also any passage i get up to that states doppio movimento haha

oh gosh i forgot one.....learning to play pieces that have a right hand and left hand that are out of kilter with number of notes.....you know like debussy arabesque or chopin fantasie impromptu (12 notes in LH 15 notes in RH)...took me a few days just to get that one bar correct! once you've got the hang of it for your particular piece it is all gravy from there of course!

After this mornings early efforts I would say my brain is my biggest weakness. Wake up at the back there!

Technically I have many weaknesses,to single one out would be tough and unfair on the others, so I am going to plump for a tendency to stay in my comfort zone. Particularly first thing in the morning.