Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Adult Beginners Forum Do you set goals for your playing?

Do you, (or your teacher) set goals for your playing?

This could be, "I am going to finish Alfred's book #1 by such and such a time".

Or, without the time-line, "I am going to finish Alfred's book #1."

The reason I ask is because goals are a proven strategy to achieve results. If a student is in school, there are built-in time-line goals via the semester, etc.

And many piano teachers use the yearly recital as a goal for finishing a piece.

However, the flip side has several points:

First, beginning students do not know how long it will take, as they are brand new, so setting a time-line goal can be just a guess.

Second, many adult students are studying piano for pleasure, with no performance expectations. So a time-line goal could be seen as the opposite of pleasure.

I have noticed that if there is no time-line goal for learning a piece, the learning of that piece seems to go slower than if I say, "How do you feel about having this piece finished by next lesson?"

Yet with other students, that would seem an intrusion into the pleasure aspect of learning.

Any thoughts, pro or con? Thanks in advance.

I used to set goals. Now I'm looking for a good fantasy. Seriously though, I used to be a big goal setter. And setting goals can get you where you want to go.

My problem has always been differentiating between ego goals and goals I really want to have.

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Play New Age Piano
http://www.quiescencemusic.com

My goal is to play La Campanella before I die.

Yes. Joining an adult amateur piano club, where people gather and play each month, has given me 'performance opportunities' that let me set both short and long-term goals.

ie - I want to play those 2 Bach pieces at next month's piano club...and...let's plan on the Beethoven for 2 months after that.

Because my goal is to play each piece memorized and what my teacher and I consider to be performance ready, I don't try to play something for every month.

I don't really set goals beyond the vague and long-term ones I'll list in a "piano new year's resolutions" thread (e.g., learn 6 new Einaudi pieces this year; record an annual CD; etc.). It's not like I need specific goals to motivate me to play, and because this is my hobby I'd rather just go with the flow and do/play whatever moves me at the moment.

Okay, so I'm coming across like a slacker, but that's okay by me. I'm also not taking lessons. I think if I were, then setting more specific and short-term goals would be reasonable and helpful, if not essential.

I set goals. I hope to close out Alfred book 3 during this next year. Have all my major and minor scales down cold with all the cords and inversions in them and get close to finishing all Hanon 60.

And stay on the MOYD list...

Hi Rocket88
I think there are good points to each approach.
Since I have been with my new teacher I am founding my weekly goals very helpful. She will give me specific things to work on and that makes practicing easier. However, I don't have goals other than that. For examply I am not saying I will be at x level by x time b/c some things I think your can't really put a time line on.

The carefree feeling of going at ones own pace without any assigned deadline can be nice too.

Before I had my teacher, I was very good at organizing my practice time, but I had a very hard time following it. I don't know why it's different with the teacher.

Maybe a good combination of the two is the way to go.

Interesting comments, Rocket88.

As a “just for pure fun/pleasure” adult learner, I will chose a tune/piece/song I like and start working on it. Any progress (although in bits and pieces) is rewarding and as the tune sounds better to me I tend to practice it more.

For example, I’m working on Carl Perkins’ “Blue Suede Shoes” and Sam Cook’s “Wonderful world” now. When I start playing “Blue Suede Shoes” I get so excited that all I can do is grin. I’m suddenly in another world and my problems are as distant as the east is from the west; talk about a stress reliever . I plan on recording the two tunes and uploading them on to YouTube within a couple of weeks or so.

I’ll have to tune my piano first because I’ve knocked it out of tune practicing “Blue Suede Shoes”. I can’t seem to get away from the bluesy, rock-n-roll/rock-a-billy tunes of the 1950’s and 60’s. For one, I like the music and secondly, it is not as difficult to play as other types of piano music. Not that I’m looking for the easy way out, but those chops do get your foot to tapping.

Take care,

Rick

I think it depends on the person. Because of my background in classical piano I come with some preconceived notions of the "right" way to do things (for myself, not to be used in judging others). And that involves expectations, goals and deadlines (which, by necessity, are flexible...not drop-dead deadlines...and without any real penalties for failing to meet them)

Also, without deadlines to go along with the goals (and the help of my teacher) I would dink around not accomplishing much of anything.

I tend to feel that, as an adult, I should have some input into what my goals are, as well as the freedom to update the timeline for reaching them to reflect what's going on in my life. I appreciate a teacher assigning pieces to work on particular technical issues, but I also want to choose some of what I learn as well. And while I could see having a teacher suggest a goal for the next week, I would like to retain the autonomy to decide during the week whether that's a realistic goal given the other realities of my life.

I guess that what I'd ask of the teacher/student goal setting relationship is an expectation that I'd do my best over the next week given the limitations of my life, and that the teacher accept that I'm making a good faith effort in spite of obstacles or competing priorities. For me, that would involve health issues, particularly with my medications and how adversely they can affect my concentration, but for a different adult it could be family and/or work commitments and crises, etc.

I think that what's important for me is to set goals, but retain the flexibility to accept the realities of my other competing and conflicting life issues, so that I don't end up suffering under some burdensome sense of urgency or failure if I'm prevented from reaching my goals. Because learning to play music is something that I'm doing to bring pleasure and enrichment into my life, and the goal is definitely not to add another stressor to my life.

OTOH there are people (I used to be one of them) who need a sense of urgency and impending doom just to motivate themselves to get get going at all. But I can't live that way anymore... and fortunately, as I've matured, I've gotten much better at motivating myself without stressing myself out.

My first goal is to finish the Alfred Book 3 before the summer recess. Next fall I hope to gain access to my teacher's private material that he uses on his eight-year-olds. Then I want to do some stride piano, and finally go back to learning some "cocktail piano" whatever that is. But it's a race against time. In the meantime, it is great fun, the best retirement project I could ever have gotten involved in.

Mark, not that I need any more goals, but what is the MOYD list?

Monica, I wish all my students were "slackers" like you!

Thank you for your insightful reply...I think you have struck the balance I am looking for.

I began this thread because I am trying to find a balance between being too strict with my adult students who are just studying piano for pleasure, compared with those who need the motivation that a goal can provide.

What I've found is that even those who are in it for pleasure seem to actually want a goal...its like they need it, and feel somewhat adrift without it.

I really appreciate all the input this thread has generated.

I talk with my instructor every 4 months about goals in the technique area. He lets me choose my pieces (with some gentle guidance), but I let him set the scales, drills and theory goals. I figure he knows what is best and what order to work on them in. It has been 5+ years and so far so good.

Rocket88

What sort of goal should a newbie attempt to set?

I think you've seen my posts....I have the PX120 set up and have Alfred's Level 1....

Not sure what a realistic goal would be....

Looking for thoughts on that...

I set goals. They almost always include a recording of some sort.
Recording myself is the best tool I have found for that:
- It forces me to complete the task
- I end up with a recording, which I usually like
- I can come back to it a year later and compare the difference.

I don't set time lines. The goal is used as a focus point. Since I set small achievable goals, it usually gets completed.

MOYD LIST

Me toooooooo.

wow:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEnf...DC037BDB0B9B0&index=0&playnext=1