My fingers have forgotten so much...

July 9, 2020 2:45 PM

I took piano lessons as a kid/teen and was playing well enough to be learning challenging classical pieces. It's been a couple of decades since I've played regularly and I want to regain the ability play at that level again.

I have a piano and time to play, but I find myself getting very frustrated when I sit down with old sheet music. What once was easy is now very challenging.

I think I need to step back and work on foundational skills, but it's been so long since I took lessons that I've forgotten what that really entails.

Do you know of any programs for adults who have been away from playing for an extended period and need a guide to building their skills back up? I would really love to be able to play Chopin's Revolutionary Etude again!

posted by burntflowers to Education (6 answers total)

Best answer: Here is my personal program: Practice your arpeggios and chord progressions. Pay attention to proper finger positions and work on smooth transitions. If you can, visualize the notes on the staff as you play, and / or get some arpeggio and chord practice books. This will help your note recall and improve your hand strength and flexibility.

Then pick a really easy song that you used to know well and try sight reading. Go slow at first. You can also use a simple arrangement of a new song. Many simple classical pieces are available online for free as pdfs you can print.

As your sight reading improves, step up the difficulty level. Yes, it is frustrating, but if you remind yourself that sucking at something is the first step of getting better, I think you'll do fine.
posted by ananci at 3:17 PM on July 9, 2020 [1 favorite]

I also played as a kid/teen, not as advanced as you, but fairly proficient. Then I stopped. The day after I retired three years (and one month) ago, I walked into a local music school and took a free trial lesson. This was more than 50 years later! They knew exactly which teacher to pair me up with -- patient, encouraging, and after six months or so, exacting, too. It's been great. Week to week my practicing varies from six days to maybe four, depending on what else is going on. On the days I practice, I practice anywhere from 40 minutes to an hour, sometimes breaking it up into two sessions.

It's been harder than I thought it would be, but very gratifying and I'm loving every minute. I've gotten far enough to be playing what is probably the easiest of the Beethoven sonatas, but it's still Beethoven and it's challenging and wonderful and beautiful.

Find a teacher who is good with adult students and who understands, as mine does, that we are doing this because we love it and want to play.
posted by Dolley at 3:24 PM on July 9, 2020 [2 favorites]

Don't expect to pick it up as quickly as you did when you were younger. My own experience (with the guitar) is that focus doesn't come quite as easily, but focus improves with use. Many composers have produced short practice pieces (there's been a market for that as long as sheet music has been printed) that can help you to get back into shape. Getting a few of those under your belt can be a good confidence booster, and you can build up gradually to more involved pieces. If your persistence isn't paying off, play something else. I've spent weeks trying to get a particular bit of music right, and that's not nearly as much fun as dipping into a few different playing styles and genres. I find that variety improves my engagement with the instrument, but maybe that's just me.
posted by pipeski at 4:39 PM on July 9, 2020 [1 favorite]

Best answer: I suggest working your way through Bach's two-part inventions. They were originally designed as exercises and they are also beautiful compositions that will build your technique. You'll probably remember some from your earlier playing days (I did when I picked it up again). You will also want a simple metronome.
posted by k8lin at 4:58 PM on July 9, 2020 [3 favorites]

Best answer: The answers above are great! You might also try the Hanon piano exercises. And practice with a metronome.
posted by marguerite at 4:54 AM on July 10, 2020 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Thanks all for the great advice! I have a dusty old copy of the Hanon exercises in my collection, and I've ordered some books of practice pieces that progress in difficulty, as well as a copy of Bach's two-part inventions.
posted by burntflowers at 5:27 PM on July 12, 2020