Hi,

I was wondering if there is anything to do concerning the problem I am experiencing lately.
I've been playing the piano since 2.5 years. During that period I was very motivated, I studied with a private piano teacher. In september I went to the local music school so I could get a degree, I had to take another teacher because my private teacher did not teach over there. This new teacher did not know my skills at that time. I played some pieces for her and she decided that I could start at level 5 (9 to go). We discussed some pieces and finally concluded to take Ravel'
s Pavane pour une infante defunte. That piece was a really challenging one. After 2 months I managed to get to the last page, with some difficulty and playing it slowly. At that moment I stopped playing it, in fact I started playing less. Up till now I cannot motivate myself to play more that half an hour a day. I start new pieces but I don't finish them. When I listen to music, I want to play but when I sit in front of the piano it's not fun anymore...
What can I do to stop this downward spiral ?

Thanks in advance for your replies.

Tom

This is an excellent question. I suggest you also post it in the Pianist Corner, as you will get many more replies there.

To get there - go to the bar at the bottom of the page 'Hop To' and pick 'Pianist Corner' then press the Go button.

- Sarah

Hi Tom,

You need a tonic.

Don't take it out on yourself when your daft new teacher springs a ludicrous study gem which is far too rich for your system - you explained that you are only at level 5 out of 14.

The "Pavane for a dead Princess" (excuse my French) is a deceptively complex and sophisticated work - not using the straight-up-and-down tempos of Haydn and Mozart.

Remembering that the Pavane was composed in the 20th century (Ravel died in 1937) it is a far cry time-wise from the 1656 Velazquez painting "Las Meninas" in the Prado Madrid which inspired the composition.

Ravel wrote of the Pavane

"Do not attach any importance to the title. I chose it only for its euphonious qualities. Do not dramatize it. It is not a funeral lament for a dead child, but rather an evocation of the pavane (a stately, 16th-century Spanish court dance) which could have been danced by such a little princess as painted by Velazquez.

But Ravel's comments could have fooled me. The composition has all the hallmarks of a memorial to the stately Spanish court happenings of yesteryear.

The haunting fragility of the busy treble outline, acerbic close-coupling of notes (ie the small chord starting the arpeggio in measure 7) and vaiations in tempo give the work a solemn biting sadness.

The jerky jugling of clefs and the intricacy of "jumped" hand roles (come da lontano) make the composition a challenge for even the most advanced students at stage 14.

Tell of the compositions you have mastered to date and members are likely to make valuable recommendations on what you might like to tackle next. Don't sell your piano!!

Hi Tom

Very good question! Every musician goes through a slump and you feel guilty for not practising.

What I would do is take a break from it for say 2 weeks. Then get back into it, but this time make a practising log/record journal and set short term goals, like practise everyday, no matter how long or short it is, set a weekly practise goal.

Then the next week try to improve on the days you thought you didn't practise "long or hard" enough. Record everything! (e.g. the amount of time you spend on pieces, and technique studies).

Making a journal helps because it tells you where you need to improve on and gives you an idea on how much practising you are really doing.

Also when I have a slump, I listen to alot of my favorite music and that helps to inspire or motivate me hope this help!