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Number 2 is my favorite so far!
My teacher has suggested that I play all of them-perform all of them--so I am working on keeping them up as well as learning the new ones. Initially we thought this would be a task for the summer, but I now think it will extend well into the summer for the southern hemisphere.

LOL! Indeed, they are not as easy as they look... plenty of tricky bars, and dissonances.

This thread is coming together. It is interesting to see what everyone is working on, and how they are approaching their practice. I think we will all learn from each other, and improve our practice because of it.

Casinitaly, I have played the Rebikov piece you are working on. It is beautiful! Have fun with it.

I always like to know that someone else has played a piece I'm working on - it makes me feel even more connected to the group.
This isn't the first piece you've worked on before I have ... I guess I'm following in your footsteps !

The practice method I am following (dare I say Bernhard on this thread?) gives complete permission for everything you have mastered at the end of one practice session to be forgotten by the beginning of the next session. This is normal. You just repeat the same steps to bring it back up to the same place it was yesterday. Do this every day. You should find that it is faster as the days go by each day to bring it back up to snuff. Then one day you'll be able to play it first thing the same way you played it yesterday, and then you know that it is learned.

I find this very freeing. Truth in advertising: I haven't been doing this long enough (only a few days) to see it borne out yet in my own practicing. But it seems like an insightful and helpful idea.

I just finished a focused practice session, and for me that *is* the goal. I tend to be scattered, and focusing for long is difficult.

I have goals that are as broad as piece-orientation - I'm always looking to expand my repertoire so I don't bore the seniors to death. And I have those laid out in a monthly practice schedule. I have new material, developing material, material almost ready for performance, repertoire, experimentation pieces. But I don't do detailed for each day. That kind of schedule has never worked for me.

But I do try to be focused every time I sit down at the piano.

Today I did a quick review of the introduction and verse of a piece I'm working on. That involved playing it slowly and noticing/being aware/understanding the chord changes, putting them in context of both the specific chords and their place within the key - whether I was using a I-IV-V or a ii(II)-V-I as an example. I noticed where I didn't quite remember what was next or how it went, and then chunked a couple of 2-measure pieces, slowly again.

I went over the 4 measures of the chorus that I had learned yesterday, with the same procedure, and then put all of it together a couple of times, a little up-tempo, and musical.

The next 2 measures were a repeat, so I added the 2 measures after that. Again, I focus on the chord progressions, the phrasing, etc. I always try to make it music from the beginning, even in its very small chunks.

And lastly, I played everything I've learned so far on that piece - kind of my reward.

That was a half-hour. I'll try to get in 3 or 4 more sessions today, on different pieces, and doing different kinds of things. I have several dance tunes I've only recently gotten up to speed, so I'll reinforce those. I have several pieces I've learned by ear and I'm experimenting with different accompaniments, variations, and key signatures.

In dance tunes it is imperative that I hear them in phrases, and as a story, because otherwise at tempo they're just a flurry of notes that I forget, and there's never a solid tempo or pulse. I learn the phrases/story when I'm playing slowly - I hear it differently at different times. But it helps immensely in playing at speed to be able to hear the pick-up notes, the staccatoes and legatos, the little breathing spaces, and to be able to vary those to some extent.

So at any rate, detailing out a day or week at a time would drive me crazy I have way too much on my monthly schedule to get to all of it every day, so that gives me some variety in my choices, and some leeway to attend to whatever has grabbed me recently, while still approaching a set of overall goals.

I find that reading others' approaches is inspiring and fascinating. Thanks to all of you who post these threads!

Cathy

P.S. I haven't always practised this exact way, tho some of it has been there from the very beginning. I keep learning.

Despite being only just a wee bit past one day old...

1) I absolutely love this thread.

2) I'm pretty sure that in a couple years' time this will enter into the pantheon of top threads such as AOTW, RST, the Chopin thread, etc.

3) I'm already having trouble keeping up! Arghhh!!!

Richard -- You are not a bore, nor a boor, so I hope you'll continue to push, prod, and critique whenever you get the urge. I've always found your insights to be extremely valuable. I'm hoping this will be a thread where critical thinking will be embraced, and so far it certainly looks that way.

I'll have to mull over a particular goal to post. I suffer from the same scheduling limitations as sinophilia, and the reading limitations as Sara that lead to the "memorize first, then practice Catch-22", so it's very tough to be very specific re: time frames.

Thanks so much Sara and Cheryl for dreaming this up!

I'm with Tallguy in having trouble keeping up. In my defense, I have really been putting the screws to my Quarterly Recital submission. Now that, that's done, I hope I can catch up and take part. My practice could use better focus. I'm slightly afraid of setting out specific goals with a timeframe to reach them. But, maybe that's what's wrong with my practice. Instead of just "working hard" I need to work specifically towards something quite specific even if it has to be something small.

I really applaud people taking part in FOYD!!

I'm with you... very small is what I was thinking, such as having a goal that is essentially only about focus, not about aptitude at all. Mine will likely be of the form "practice only measures x through y, then only do full run through at end of practice session".

Basically, I need to focus on focusing.

PianoStudent- thanks for that encouragement. I did find that getting it back today went faster than trying to get it yesterday - so maybe tomorrow will be even better. We shall see


Cathy/Jotur -- I have trouble focusing for any length of time on one thing too - so having several pieces on the go is very good for me. Sounds like you have a lot more on the go than I do, but the idea is the same. As for structured planning-- to be honest, this is the first time I've tried it. First time I've EVER written down a plan. I really don't know if I'll keep it up once I'm back to lessons or not - I guess it will depend on how well it works out over the next six weeks!

TallGuy - I would suggest that you, and anyone else who has trouble reading, work on that skill. It can be very liberating- and gives you access to so much more music so much more quickly! Inlanding once suggested to me that I try sight reading a new piece every day (not worrying too much about the tempo, just getting the notes right) - and to write the date on the piece -- then a few months later, try that piece again. Given that I've got a good stack of music this is not very difficult to do - start with stuff that is really really basic - dead simple, and take your time with it. If you dedicate even just 10 minutes a day to it I bet you see an significant improvement within a month!

Dynambot - you're right - small focus is important. My focus today was small groups of 2 measures. The rest of the piece is easy but these little sets are driving me mad. Small focus on them will get me over the hump, I'm sure of it.


And ... just for the record... I don't think it will be possible for anyone to keep up with making replies to each and every post - even with the best of intentions.
This thread has already gathered a lot of momentum!

I think it will make for very interesting - and educational! - reading.

Now that's a gem of a tip.

I like the idea. Not having someone giving weekly homework is part of my routine...
I can share my FOYD but I don't know if I can do it weekly. I've some really "busy" weeks which don't let me do the piano related work as I wished. In addition, I usually share my FOYD in my signature in the "Focused on" line.

So, for the first time in FYOD thread, I'm realy focused on:
- Participation in the ABF Recital #31: till 14 August
. . . . 1st QuickWin: decode the final parts of "Life"
. . . . 2nd QuickWin: Practice "Life" to get a decent sound
. . . . 3rd QuickWin: tackle the "red dot"
. . . . 4rd QuickWin: submit piece to ABF Recital

- After 15 August: listen and comment ABF Recital #31

I'm with you on the time limited goals. One of the problems is that we don't (always) have deadlines to meet. Another is that, as we all keep saying, 'we get there when we get there' or 'it's the journey not the destination'. On the other hand we don't want to be playing the same few measures everyday without progress.

As our experience setting goals increases so does our ability to recognise what we can do. One approach is to spend a certain amount of time on one piece each day. We start by learning the first few measures then as we learn the next few we append them onto what we already know. This is the more common approach and often results in the first part of the piece being better known than the end and the performance deteriorates as we play.

Another way is spend the time on a limited number of measures and drop them when we get them until we've been through the whole piece in, say, four bar sections. On our second run through we have already learnt, even if forgotten, the early measures and they WILL return very quickly so for the second pass through the piece we can do six or eight bar sections in the same time as we did four. If we need another pass we can do twelve to sixteen bar sections and soon we can do the whole thing.

There is still the option of running through page by page hands separately to keep the continuity going or reserving the weekends to review our progress so far.

This needs enough experience to trust that you will remember what you've done so far, even if you leave it a few weeks, or re-learn it so much faster. If you've taken a section you can memorise in a few plays and work it for ten minutes or more putting hands together and you do that same section Mon-Fri you really will learn it again rapidly in a few weeks time even without reviewing it at the weekends. You may even find you can play it faster and easier without having practised it for a week or two.

So we set ourselves a goal of so many measures that we'll practise each day of the coming week and keep them until they're done. If the goal is reviewed weekly it soon becomes apparent if you're still on the same few bars for several weeks and it may be time to move on before that section is finished and revisit it before the second pass. Maybe the section is too long or the technical problem needs an alternative solution. There's still a time factor without it becoming a deadline.

Do the full run through at the start and the small bit last! (See Chang on Post Practise Improvement)

Once you start writing goals you start becoming goal oriented and the focus may well shift automatically.

Do full run throughs of pieces you've learned already and can play. Don't do full run throughs of pieces you're learning. You can do a review of what's been done so far but then only focus on the current days bit and move on to another piece when that's done or another section. I know not everyone here will find this useful advice
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I'm working on Grieg's Trolltog, 54/3, for the upcoming Grieg recital. This is my work for the coming week. I'm under a time constraint because of the five week deadline. I wouldn't normally do so much on one piece but I picked this up only a week ago (though I've been targetting it for some time - since this thread).


RH M2-29; LH M11-14; LH M21-30; RH M40-47; LH M40-47

These are all memorised already. I'm working on increased facility playing at 80, 100, 120 then back to 100 bpm until they're automatic and I play without thinking too much. I can hit these speeds now but 120 is an effort where the sections transition - it's that thinking ahead thing. I'm targeting 132 bpm (HT) but I doubt I'll reach that for the recording given the time. I'd be thrilled to hit 120 HT by September.

HT from memory: M1-10; M17-18; M40-47; M48-55
HT from the score: M11-14; M21-30; M117-120

These are memorised HS but I still use the score for HT on some passages. These are being done at 60 bpm for the quaver (= 30 bpm, a quarter of HS tempo) until they're automatic. I set the pulse with the metronome then turn it off, I don't leave it ticking. If I didn't do this I'd get too fast too soon. At this stage I can judge 60 or 120 bpm to within a few beats just using my foot.

The cantabile section, M71-86 and M97-112, I can play from the score and may well have the page in front of me when I record. M87-96 and M113-123 are too fast for me to read so I'll have to memorise those. I'm just doing M117-120 this week to get the timing in the fingers.

I'm currently working on three other Grieg pieces, I've just finished and posted my ABF Recital piece, (spent a lot of time on the text 'cause I know Cheryl likes to read it ), and am about to start on November's entry. I also have to keep up my Bach, Scarlatti and sonata work. I usually settle for 5 - 15 minutes per piece per day. Trolltog is exceptional.

At present I have no schedule for a first full run through.
Maybe Sept 9

Dynambot and Richard -- I hear you on goals with deadlines. Of course we choose to take them on for recitals - live or recorded - but generally I don't set them for myself.

The reason for the self-imposed deadlines I posted way back at the top of the page was simply because I have do get my homework projects into some sort of shape and this seems to be the only way for my brain to get down to it. Until making that list I was still waffling on WHICH pieces I was going to do for my homework. (In case anyone is wondering, my Beethoven Sonatina in G has been put on the shelf - I'd started it about 2 years ago with my first teacher, had to stop because I injured my arm (tension stress) and the idea had been to work on it over the summer. However,.. I just can't bring myself to tackle it on my own. What a weenie I am, I want my teacher to hold my hand as I work through it ! )

Richard your suggestions for approaches on how to tackle pieces hits home. I fight the temptation to go back to the beginning (because I know it, it is easier, it is fun to play ....) and to force myself to start at different spots in the piece.
With the Fughetta in particular, I'm finding this helpful.


I had a look at your 54/3 Troldtag- March of the Trolls, Zug der Zwege! Without counting I could tell immediately which measures were 11-17. Mamma mia! That's a challenge!

You piqued my curiosity about your recital piece so I went to check out what you submitted. I don't know much about or from Liszt - so your notes will indeed be greatly appreciated and enjoyed!

I have done my first recording of Watchman's Song (Grieg Op12 N3)
I realized I had 2 pretty serious weak spots. One I was aware of, the other I thought I'd had under control, but with performance jitters I had a brain blank-out on what to do...so clearly there's more work to do there. I also heard myself messing up with the pedal. Part of that was clear to me as I was playing but not all of it. In a way that's good because at least only part of it was a surprise.

So... back to focus study on the wobbly bits !

The Fughetta came together a bit better this morning so I'm inclined to be optimistic with regards to PianotStudent88's take on how repetitions pan out over a period of time.

Not sure how much music is going to happen tomorrow as I'm heading out at 8.30am to go cycling - We're heading up to a small lake just north of here and planning to cycle around it (just under 30 Km). I know I'll play when I get home but who knows how much or how effective it will be.

Thre's nothing wrong with setting time limits as long as it doesn't add unnecessary pressure. Set them by all means but be flexible rather distraught if you don't meet them.

It looks harder than it is, Cheryl. The RH notes are just shaping the hand and rolling it (rather like the passages in your own Grieg piece). The difficulty with hands combined is the one note step down each half bar in RH against the uneven LH changes, which are also easy HS.

Oh, he was a famous pianist back in the 1800's!


I think that should take care of the wobbly bits!
ROFL!

I think it depends on what motivates a person. There is always the danger of setting goals that are too ambitious and adding undue pressure on yourself. On the other hand, for me, I think if achievable weekly goals are set, then progress is more likely to occur. The goals give my practice direction and focus.

Part of the process is learning what is achievable. The feedback loop is to assess progress at the end of a week, and see if I succeeded. If the goals were too ambitious, I set more modest goals for the next week. I also like having longer term goals that have deadlines. For me, that means knowing what I am planning to have finished to present in recital or the next two ABF recitals. It is sort of like having a road map of where I am planning on going. I guess I am a very goal oriented person, and obviously not everyone likes to work this way.

This is precisely what this thread is about.
It's about getting focus on what we're doing.
When we aren't focused. We don't do it. Forget about this or that. Don't focus on getting a particular part right.
It's about planning. Which helps many of us to do what we want to do.

It isn't about setting a bar and competing with ourselves to see if we can obtain that or raise the bar.
There is no danger in anything here.
You cannot fail this thread.
You can only fail to try.

Ron's right - we can only fail to try.

SwissMS - your point about having weekly goals - and testing to see if you've really made them reasonable - is a good one.

When I have my lessons I have this sort of weekly target. To a large extent the bar is set by my teacher. I may end up doing more, or if work and life get in the way.. a bit less.

I think this exercise of working out my targets without the teacher can only be a good thing.

Richard. Thank you so much for that elucidation on Liszt - I'd say "in a nutshell" but I'm actually trying to think of a smaller container. and on that other comment of yours...
..... cheeky, cheeky fellow!

I can set the goal for my behavior--practice this section--however many times, but I can't set the time for the outcome--play this piece (or even this measure) competently at a designated tempo in a specific time frame.

It takes as long as it takes.
"We're not in a hurry." I am reminded at every lesson.