Even a gorgeous piece of music can be inappropriate for you at a given time. When you choose music emotionally, without regard to your technical ability, you’re likely to find yourself in a cycle of trail-and-error, and you may experience a clenched jaw every time you approach the tricky part of a song. Certainly you want to challenge yourself when you play the piano, but challenge has to be well-defined. You’re going to be counter-productive if you choose a piece of music that is so challenging that you’re losing technique. In this kind of situation, you’re not going to be able to learn much because you’re having to spread your focus too broadly.
If you find that you can’t even play a small section slowly without struggling, it’s time to choose an easier piece of music. Slow practice should give you a sense of having more time to play. You should feel like you can read the notes, prepare for upcoming fingering, and think about the overall musical gesture of the phrase. If you’re still feeling overwhelmed when you slow down, it might be a sign that the piece of music before you demands technical skills that you haven’t yet mastered. Maybe you’re looking at unfamiliar notes in an unfamiliar position on the staff, or maybe there’s a wide reach that challenges finger independence. Perhaps you’re playing a rhythm that demands expressive use of syncopation. If that’s the case, it’s not time to work on that particular piece of music. Instead, work on the specific skill that you’re missing.
Ask yourself the following questions when practicing a small section of music slowly. Can you maintain a steady rhythm without needing to stop? Can you prepare for upcoming events? Are you able to play a passage twice without encountering different mistakes in each playing? If you find that you can’t maintain a steady rhythm, prepare for upcoming events, or play a passage twice without different mistakes, it’s time to find an easier piece of music. This is not the last time you’ll look at that particular song. This simply means that you’re not ready for it yet, and it’s time to look for something else in the meantime. Often, a difficult piece of music is made significantly easier once a technical deficiency is remedied.
A common pitfall for many beginning pianists is an assumption that finger dexterity is the culprit when in fact, the problem lies in the complexity of notes on the page. “My fingers just won’t do this,” you might find yourself thinking, when in fact the issue at hand is that you’re looking at too many new notes, accidentals, or rhythmic figures than you can process in that moment. To counteract this tendency, try separating tasks. Clap the rhythm without playing. Name the notes before you play them. Practice each hand separately before working them together.
Often, you’ll find that your fingers are not the problem at all, but rather that there is too much going on in the music for you to take it all in. Here’s a fifteen-minute exercise that will help you determine whether or not a piece of music is too hard. Begin by spending a few minutes reading through a passage without performing it at tempo. It’s okay to count out loud, name notes, etc. Use the next portion of the time to practice just one or two measures of music. Observe whether or not the passage gets easier with repetition, or whether it continues to be confusing. Finally, switch to a different piece of music that is a little easier. Notice how you feel. Does your breath flow more freely? Is the rhythm easier to maintain? Do your fingers feel more relaxed?
What does this tell you? It might be that the easier song is a better match for your practice time. If you’re truly listening to yourself as you play, you’ll find that you’re able to practice with greater facility when you work on the easier piece of music. Choosing an easier piece of music is not lowering your standards. Rather, choosing a more accessible piece of music is a way to define your practice more clearly. Good beginner repertoire should challenge you without overwhelming you. The goal of practice is to improve your skills, but it’s also to enjoy yourself in the process.
Good practice material should allow you the space to think about phrasing, dynamics, and error correction. When the right piece of music meets your ability level, you’ll find that you’re able to relax and truly listen to the music as you practice. Your rhythm will improve, your reading will improve, and you’ll enjoy the process of practicing because you’re able to repeat passages accurately. Then, the more challenging piece of music is waiting for you when you’re ready. Instead of being a brick wall, the music will feel like a distant goal that you’re moving towards.