Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Adult Beginners Forum So, when you realize….(a li'l rant)

I’ve been practicing say, about 8 or 9 years, . I think I suck at piano, should I continue?
Well, YES…never know what might happen
Besides it depends on who is listening....... (it's thier fault!
P.S. or maybe I learned more about tempo, exactness etc... which is good! So, it could be me!

If you enjoy it, then yes. If not, then don't bother.

Piano music yes,_ and I enjoy playing. So I guess it improves…somehow…. with a realization of possibility, practice.. etc etc …
Because there are pieces I play well…and I like ..
Sort of like, wanting what you have, than having what you wantGOT!
(Sheryl Crow)

but I bet you are really good at practising by now

for most of us there will come a time when we have to face some reality, how we handle it is what defines us.

I'm closing in on five years. I'm not very good, not by any objective measures. I do enjoy what little I can do, in small doses. So I'll keep at it, but lack the energy and enthusiasm of some of the early years.

There is a thread on another section about chess, math and piano. Many chess players will eventually reach a plateau as far as rating (aka skill level). From the plateau, moving up requires a tremendous effort. For some chess players, the major effort has already been made, and he/she is not likely to get significantly better. They have already put in the time, used good methods, and are near their potential.

Thinking out loud, this is likely true for a lot of activities. Golf, tennis, chess, running, swimming come to mind. If a person has already made a major effort, with decent methods, over a signficant length of time, he/she may be unlikely to get signficantly better, by any objective measures.

I've been playing for roughly 7-8 years, but not consecutively, so I'm at an intermediate-ish level. There have been times when I wanted to quit yet again, such as when I hear people say I'll never be as good as my sister (she started about the same time I did) no matter how much I practice. People told me my technique is not good, etc. etc. However, I keep doing this because it is what I want to do, it is what makes me happy.

So, if piano makes you happy, keep going. Do it because of yourself and for yourself. If there is some other thing you want to pursue, by all means go ahead! Just ask yourself, will you regret it if you stop playing piano? When I temporarily quit piano, I did not regret it, still don't, it turned out to be a much needed break and I came back with renewed passion.

I think you're being hard on yorself here. You're playing complex stuff, there's much to appreciate on this journey you took.
We all plateau at times, regather our strength and drive, and . . head for the summit!
Don't settle for a plateau. It's a place of despondancy.
The ABF recitals have been instrumental in assisting loads of us to reach hitherto unimagined personal bests, myself included, (you get 6 months to practice your piece,) and i been playing a lot longer than you.
Have a rest by all means.
But DON'T sell your piano. You'll regret it if you do.

The beautiful thing about piano is that even if you reach a plateau in terms of your playing ability, there is so much wonderful music to learn. Progress continues by expanding your repertoire.

But for the vast majority of us, chances are there are ways for us to move past a seeming plateau.

The tricky bit is figuring out if we just need to keep doing what we are doing and be patient ("Rome wasn't built in a day"), or if we need to change things up and try different approaches ("The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result")

Yep, playing a tune like you want it to sound that moment by varying rhythm, etc. plus forgetting about exactness sounds like an intriguing path to investigate. Trying to play a piece the exact same way every time might make a dead composer happy though.

I find this to be true for many activities I've dabbled at. Once I reach a level I'm personally happy with I then find it hard to find the motivation to continue striving for further incremental improvement. But I rarely give up on the activity as a result of reaching a plateau, I simply enjoy it at the level I was able to achieve without going berserk with increased effort.

I guess it comes down to setting realistic goals in the first place relative to the time and effort you are willing to devote to achieving them. If I said I wouldn't be happy unless I reached the level of a classical concert pianist, then I would never ever be happy.

Recently I returned to piano after almost selling my Kawai upright. It was a totally new experience for me. I credit it to my increased understanding of drawing and Tai Chi. The beauty is in the gesture. The movement that creates a single tone, with shading and expression that you might love. It is exactly the same with all of the arts.

The ability to play fast and complicated pieces is both a skill (absolutely not necessary to enjoy playing the piano) and a business thing (keeps the music industry in business). But this aside, anyone can enjoy playing piano if they do it for the beauty and enjoyment of the music that is created with each quiet gesture. But the gesture should be relaxed and full of expression as a single dance movement.

If you love to play piano, keep on doing it. I may not be good, but I love the piano and the sounds it makes.

I guess at times everyone feels they “have to” give a voice to their most negative internal critic.
Well ,yesterday was “my time”
But in spite of how I perceive my progress , I realize overall it’s positive to play or keep a personal goal and hobby.

This is beautiful, Richrf.

I liken piano progress to taking a hike up a mountain. You are going up a slight incline, but the trees prevent you from seeing just how far up you've come. Once in a while, there's a break in the trees and you can see the vista, but most of the time you simply have to trust that you're making progress. You just have to keep your eyes on the path in front of you until the next vista comes along.

And with anything, the more you know, the more you realize how little you know. I don't think I'll ever stop learning about piano, but there are certainly things that take away from my progress - things that I choose to do instead with the energy I have. Perhaps when I've exhausted these other outlets (singing and composing), piano will become primary, but for now, I'm satisfied with whatever progress I can make with the time and energy I have.

Piano will be there for me when I'm ready to focus on it again, Lord willing.

Thank you.

I attended the local symphony a few weeks ago and heard Stephen Hough. I have NO illusions about every sounding anything remotely like this--not even in the same stratosphere! But, I really don't find that too discouraging. When I play, I enjoy it--I enjoy practicing and I love the whole process. As someone said on this forum, it is "me time". I never play for others, it is something I do just for me.

When I was a student, I sucked at lots of things .

The things I didn't particularly care for (sports, and anything resembling physical exertion), I discarded at the earliest opportunity. Those that I loved - piano, singing in the choir - I kept plugging at, purely for enjoyment. Mine, that is. I always had a healthy disregard for 'peer pressure' (I delighted in being 'different' ), and for other people's opinions of me. And I never envied other students - instead, I admired those who were better than me (which was most of them), and always lent my support to those few brave enough to perform in the school lunchtime recitals. Their playing gave me something to aspire to.

So what if my progress at piano was slower than a snail's? I enjoyed playing - for myself. Others can stick to their hero worship of various soccer teams and kick spherical objects around; I'll tickle the (non-ivory) ivories and play what I want. (As well as what my teacher wanted of course - I also wished to keep improving year by year.....).

I too have studied martial arts extensively, taiji most recently, and this is so true! The beauty is in the gesture. Yes!
My instructor teaches gesture and choreography at the keyboard, and there are definite parallels.

Speaking of gesture, check out Piano2138's contribution to the last adult recital. Those gestures are just wonderful, and the playing is fantastic.

To speak to the original topic, I will never be a professional, but I can always be a bit better, day by day, and the journey is golden for me.