How much/what are you going to practise during the summer?

[lol_nl]

Any plans for the summer? I'm going to try to practise at least 3 hours a day, but with this weather, it's hard.

Well, I had my last lesson today, and my teacher made a program for me for the summer:

Exercises:
-Practise dominant seventh arps (whatever it's called, e.g. C-E-G-Bb).
-Strengthen left hand: practise e.g. 4-3, 4-3, 4-3, etc. (as e.g. C-D, D-E, E-F, etc.)
-Hanon: exercises no. 1-20*
-Hanon: exercises no. 20-40*
*Take a lot of time for Hanon (my technique is VERY poor), practise with varied dynamics, crescendos and descrescendos, begin BMP=60 (16th notes), speed up. Seek for tone, equality, etc.

Etudes
-Czerny: Op. 299, no. 22, 30, 31 and 32.

Baroque
-Bach: Sinfonia no. 11 and 13
-Scarlatti: Sonata with repeating notes (which ?)

Classical
-Haydn: Sonata no. 59 in E flat, Hob. XVI:49, all movements.

Romantic
-Liszt: Liebestraum no. 3
-Chopin: Polonaise no. 1, op. 26 no. 1

20th Century
-Prokofiev: From Ten pieces, op. 12: No. 6 (Legend) and no. 7 (Prelude)

Concerto (my first )
-Mozart: Concerto no. 13 in C, KV. 415

Plan for next year: participate in competition, probably Prinses Christina, search for suitable pieces (non-overplayed, no Spanish music).

Holidays are about 6-7 weeks, That'll keep me busy for a while !

[Jeliness2]

Hmmm, I'm not sure what I'll play... but I"ll probably practice at least 4 hours p/day to fit everything in...

Err... These are some of my pieces that I might choose from to play...

Bach
Toccata in D Major or E minor
Some Prelude and Fugues from WTC bk. II

Mozart
Sonata K. 570

Beethoven
Piano Concerto no.1 in C Major, Op. 15 mve. 1

Schumann
Fantasiestucke Op. 12
Arabesque Op. 18

Chopin
Impromptu no.2 in F-sharp Major
Impromptu no.3 in G-flat Major


gahh... I need some pieces in a minor key.

[elvenpianist]

My only goal is to finish Bach's c minor toccata.

I've had some good praxing days so far this summer; I'm developing a bit of a routine as well, which is good!

Firstly- put hair in 2 braids (this is important. My hair is very long and very thick and this is the most comfortable and cool hairstyle I can wear- having your hair get in your face while you're praxing is really annoying!).

If I'm going to be practicing for a long time, I'll usually take out my contacts and put my glasses on- for some weird reason my eyes don't get as strained when I'm wearing my glasses as when I'm wearing my contacts.

Theeennn warm up and stretch my hands under hot water. I've been doing the hot water thing for awhile, then pirate told me about the stretching part so I've started doing it, too- thanks pirate.

Aight. Then, depending on whether I'm inclined to work on romantic or baroque stuff, I'll warm up with scales and arpeggios or some inventions, then some dohnanyi (NOT the insane exercises though)- or, I'll do everything, if I'm starting by just working on technique.

Now on my piano is my music and some pics of Cziffra's hand positions, and I try to mimik that as much as possible when I'm praxing. I've gotten really close to it with my RH- my LH still is borked- flat fingered half the time and curved the rest.. argh. But it's a little better than it was (I'm just naturally horribly clumsy with my LH!)

When I prax a piece I start with the bits I want to work out, then when I start getting tense and/or tired I run through the whole thing and work out interpretations more, and then go back to cracking the techniques again, etc.

I prax 1-4 hours a day, depending on how much energy I have left in me from sports, lol. I've also found taking a day off from piano one or two times a week is really good for me physically.

-elf

[PJF]

Good lord, I wish it was up to me. I practice as much as my body and mind will allow. A looming competition is a great motivator. Definitely not for the faint of heart.

[pianoknight]

Well, ever since meeting a prodigy this summer and seeing her play, I've decided to practice 5+ hours a day and get much better. I hope I can keep it up during my busy school year as well.

Schmitt

-Evil Prep Exercises Op. 16 (They hurt, but you know what they say, "no pain no gain"). I'm working my way through the entire book slowly but surely. I've found going through each exercise at a slow tempo but using full finger force dramatically improves finger independence and evenness.


Bach

-Prelude in Fugue in E Minor, Book I of the Well-Tempered Klavier


Beethoven

-Pathetique Sonata (entire sonata)


Chopin

-Etude "Revolutionary" Op. 10 No. 12
-Etude "Winterwind" Op. 25 No. 11


Brahms

-Capriccio in G Minor, part of the Fantasien Op. 116

Some of these I have studied for awhile and are well on their way to performance quality ("Revolutionary" Etude and Brahms Capriccio), and others I am just starting and won't be able to play for awhile yet ("Winterwind" Etude and Bach Prelude).

Before meeting the prodigy this summer, I was lucky if I practiced 5 hours in an entire week, but then seeing her play "Feux Follets" like it was nothing totally made me feel like an idiot when I was just playing "Un Sospiro".

[lol_nl]

Well, ever since meeting a prodigy this summer and seeing her play, I've decided to practice 5+ hours a day and get much better. I hope I can keep it up during my busy school year as well.

Schmitt

-Evil Prep Exercises Op. 16 (They hurt, but you know what they say, "no pain no gain"). I'm working my way through the entire book slowly but surely. I've found going through each exercise at a slow tempo but using full finger force dramatically improves finger independence and evenness.

No pain no gain? Many people think like this, but I disagree. Whatever you do, you must be careful. You can seriously injure your wrists/hands when you play and it hurts. You might not be able to play for your entire life anymore because you injured your wrists or something else. Of course it doesn't mean you should stop practising, and it doesn't always have very bad effect, but you should be careful. When your wrists hurt for a long time, you should see a doctor or stop playing for a while.
For me, the "no pain no gain" rule for piano is only mentally, not physically.

[pianoknight]

Okay I was exaggerating about the pain thing. Schmitt Exercises have not produced permanent pain or anything like that. What I meant was some of the exercises are really meant to test your strength, which means it's possible that your wrists might be sore for a few minutes. I'm not talking about any long term pain or anything like that, just a few minutes of minor pain.

[PJF]

Well, ever since meeting a prodigy this summer and seeing her play, I've decided to practice 5+ hours a day and get much better. I hope I can keep it up during my busy school year as well.

Schmitt

-Evil Prep Exercises Op. 16 (They hurt, but you know what they say, "no pain no gain"). I'm working my way through the entire book slowly but surely. I've found going through each exercise at a slow tempo but using full finger force dramatically improves finger independence and evenness.


Bach

-Prelude in Fugue in E Minor, Book I of the Well-Tempered Klavier


Beethoven

-Pathetique Sonata (entire sonata)


Chopin

-Etude "Revolutionary" Op. 10 No. 12
-Etude "Winterwind" Op. 25 No. 11


Brahms

-Capriccio in G Minor, part of the Fantasien Op. 116

Some of these I have studied for awhile and are well on their way to performance quality ("Revolutionary" Etude and Brahms Capriccio), and others I am just starting and won't be able to play for awhile yet ("Winterwind" Etude and Bach Prelude).

Before meeting the prodigy this summer, I was lucky if I practiced 5 hours in an entire week, but then seeing her play "Feux Follets" like it was nothing totally made me feel like an idiot when I was just playing "Un Sospiro".

If I was your teacher I would forbid you from practicing more than 3 hours a day. Although your work ethic is obviously strong, I fear you will injure yourself through overpractice, or at least slow down your progress due to overtraining.

You must concentrate on quality of practice. If anything hurts, STOP! Take two days a week of absolutely no practice. You must remain physically fresh in order to make progress.

Never gauge yourself by comparison of another pianist. I would bet that "the prodigy" doesn't over practice. Also, be honest, are you a prodigy?
If the answer is yes, you don't need to practice 5+ hours a day. If the answer is no, then no amount of practice will make you into one, (you could attain a very high level through hard, purposeful work, however).

Just remember, if it hurts, you're doing it wrong. Sometimes, all one needs is a holiday.

I would recommend "On Piano Playing: Motion, Sound, Expression" by Gyorgy Sandor.

Mr. Sandor explains why many of the popular (and painful) techniques and exercises are not only unnecessary, but harmful both physically and musically. Mr. Sandor himself is the best testimony to the validity of his methods. I had the privilege of hearing him play at age 89, and of hearing his remarkable sound unfettered by a long lifetime of wear and tear on his joints and muscles.

When the playing mechanism is used efficiently, virtuosity is effortless.

[pianoknight]

Keep in mind that the main concern of my playing and practicing is quality. While I am practicing 5 hours a day, not all of it is intense practice. On the contrary, I am usually playing through everything slowly multiple times trying to improve a new musical concept each time, not technical. I am not running through things over and over at high speeds exhausting myself trying to perfect one technical issue. I spend time on each of my pieces trying to make them musical at a slow speed and then I slowly inch up the tempo, trying to maintain that same musicality and relaxed posture that I had at the slow tempo. When something feels too tense, I will immediately stop or move on to a calmer, more relaxed piece. I had to take some relaxation lessons from my teacher a year and a half ago, and wasn't allowed to practice anything at a quick tempo for a few months. I've already learned the hard way how much is too much. I will not make that mistake again. Plus, I practice in blocks (I don't practice 5 hours straight), take breaks, have a snack, etc... If anything, taking a ton of time to practice each day and make sure everything feels right has made me approach the piano in a much calmer manner. I've noticed that my wrists have actually felt less fatigued since beginning Schmitt. However, I do appreciate your posts and I will consider that book. I know how dangerous too much can be, but I always step back when stuff feels like it's getting worse. I must tell you though, I have kept this up for a few weeks now and I feel less fatigued when practicing more demanding pieces, and enjoy practicing much more than I used to.

[Jeliness2]

Well, ever since meeting a prodigy this summer and seeing her play, I've decided to practice 5+ hours a day and get much better. I hope I can keep it up during my busy school year as well.

Schmitt

-Evil Prep Exercises Op. 16 (They hurt, but you know what they say, "no pain no gain"). I'm working my way through the entire book slowly but surely. I've found going through each exercise at a slow tempo but using full finger force dramatically improves finger independence and evenness.


Bach

-Prelude in Fugue in E Minor, Book I of the Well-Tempered Klavier


Beethoven

-Pathetique Sonata (entire sonata)


Chopin

-Etude "Revolutionary" Op. 10 No. 12
-Etude "Winterwind" Op. 25 No. 11


Brahms

-Capriccio in G Minor, part of the Fantasien Op. 116

Some of these I have studied for awhile and are well on their way to performance quality ("Revolutionary" Etude and Brahms Capriccio), and others I am just starting and won't be able to play for awhile yet ("Winterwind" Etude and Bach Prelude).

Before meeting the prodigy this summer, I was lucky if I practiced 5 hours in an entire week, but then seeing her play "Feux Follets" like it was nothing totally made me feel like an idiot when I was just playing "Un Sospiro".

If I was your teacher I would forbid you from practicing more than 3 hours a day. Although your work ethic is obviously strong, I fear you will injure yourself through overpractice, or at least slow down your progress due to overtraining.

You must concentrate on quality of practice. If anything hurts, STOP! Take two days a week of absolutely no practice. You must remain physically fresh in order to make progress.

Never gauge yourself by comparison of another pianist. I would bet that "the prodigy" doesn't over practice. Also, be honest, are you a prodigy?
If the answer is yes, you don't need to practice 5+ hours a day. If the answer is no, then no amount of practice will make you into one, (you could attain a very high level through hard, purposeful work, however).

Just remember, if it hurts, you're doing it wrong. Sometimes, all one needs is a holiday.

I would recommend "On Piano Playing: Motion, Sound, Expression" by Gyorgy Sandor.

Mr. Sandor explains why many of the popular (and painful) techniques and exercises are not only unnecessary, but harmful both physically and musically. Mr. Sandor himself is the best testimony to the validity of his methods. I had the privilege of hearing him play at age 89, and of hearing his remarkable sound unfettered by a long lifetime of wear and tear on his joints and muscles.

When the playing mechanism is used efficiently, virtuosity is effortless.

In an interview, she said she practices 4-8 hours...

[PJF]

Keep in mind that the main concern of my playing and practicing is quality. While I am practicing 5 hours a day, not all of it is intense practice. On the contrary, I am usually playing through everything slowly multiple times trying to improve a new musical concept each time, not technical. I am not running through things over and over at high speeds exhausting myself trying to perfect one technical issue. I spend time on each of my pieces trying to make them musical at a slow speed and then I slowly inch up the tempo, trying to maintain that same musicality and relaxed posture that I had at the slow tempo. When something feels too tense, I will immediately stop or move on to a calmer, more relaxed piece. I had to take some relaxation lessons from my teacher a year and a half ago, and wasn't allowed to practice anything at a quick tempo for a few months. I've already learned the hard way how much is too much. I will not make that mistake again. Plus, I practice in blocks (I don't practice 5 hours straight), take breaks, have a snack, etc... If anything, taking a ton of time to practice each day and make sure everything feels right has made me approach the piano in a much calmer manner. I've noticed that my wrists have actually felt less fatigued since beginning Schmitt. However, I do appreciate your posts and I will consider that book. I know how dangerous too much can be, but I always step back when stuff feels like it's getting worse. I must tell you though, I have kept this up for a few weeks now and I feel less fatigued when practicing more demanding pieces, and enjoy practicing much more than I used to.

Congratulations on your progress! For the love of God, don't change anything if it's working, far beit from me to tell a complete stranger what to do! (My advice is generic and should be interpreted as such!) You sound to me like a really strong student with an enormous amount of potential. Of course, you are correct in your practice methods.

I wholeheartedly believe (and have seen examples time and time again) that far too much emphasis is placed on finger IN-dependence over CO-dependence of all parts of the playing mechanism. I don't mean to say that strenghthening individual parts of that mechanism is bad, but should be done with concern for the whole. Mr. Sandor's book explains very clearly how to coordinate, without having to focus on increasing hand or finger strength.

Happy Practicing!

P.S. I would be inclined to think that someone who practices 4-8 hours a day improves not because, but rather in spite of that schedule. In all likelihood she is blessed with perfect biomechanics and is very resistant to injury. Lance Armstong comes to mind (he has perfect biomechanics, look at what he's capable of).

The average pianist will reach a point of diminishing returns after 2-4 hours a day (in 3-5 sessions w/breaks). Obviously, present company is not average. I guess the moral to this story is: you know yourself better than anyone. You know what your limits are and you know how to best not exceed them. Now I have to go practice, (that e minor concerto won't play itself, no matter how nicely I ask.)

[PJF]

Sharing different points of view is very constructive, let's keep the dialogue open!