Supporting Your Piano Pathway
Reflection by Andrew Eales
“A journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step.”
Lao Tau’s Tao Te Ching contains, in chapter 64, perhaps the most famous line in Daoist philosophy (quoting above from Solala Towler’s rendition).
Shedding further light on Lao Tzu’s philosophy, we read in the verses shortly before this:
“Deal with the difficult while it is easy.
Create the large from the small…
The largest tree grows from a tiny shoot.
The highest tower is built brick by brick.”
These words offer an important blueprint for how we might approach any task, including learning a new piece of piano music.
They also provide us with the ammunition we need in order to stop putting off our practice, and overcome procrastination. Let’s consider how.
Dealing with the difficult
In order to “deal with the difficult while it is easy”, we need to break a piece down into manageable sections (or “chunks”, as they are often called, including in my book How to Practise Music), realistically identifying the easily manageable, and establishing measurable goals.
I frequently find that players are unable to pick up a piece mid-section, and want to play from the beginning. An obvious deduction is that they always tackle the whole movement from start to finish, “practising” without correcting mistakes or addressing problems as they go. But this merely “bakes in” persistent errors.
Patient work on short sections is almost always more effective, and ultimately more efficient. But first, the player must recognise the chunks which make up the whole. This is one of the many ways in which a good teacher will help a player.
Chunks can be practised in isolation, in order, or using a more random or creative design. Once carefully learnt, they can be sewn back together to create the complete piece.
We may need to work on passages one hand at a time, or breaking down the individual voices. But often, starting with both hands at a super-slow tempo proves more effective, and more musically engaging.
An alert teacher can advise on the best approach for a particular piece and player. The most important thing to understand is that if the highest tower is built brick by brick, each must be aligned correctly before we attempt to lay the next.
Overcoming Procrastination
Faced with the task of learning a new piece, our initial enthusiasm might be laced with a sense that the task ahead is a daunting one. Overawed by the thousand-mile journey, we find ourselves paralysed at the prospect of taking the first step. Confidence dissolves, procrastination sets in.
Many will stop practising a piece when they encounter a roadblock, whether it be notation they cannot fathom or a technical challenge they feel unable to surmount. Tackling new repertoire, try spending initial lesson time unpacking the most challenging chunk or aspect of a piece with seasoned supervision.
Lao Tzu’s blueprint for breaking down a difficult task into smaller components helps us understand the importance of taking more manageable steps. We begin to more easily notice the “quick wins”, so easily approachable that we can achieve them in next to no time at all.
This in turn brings encouragement, a positive feeling which generates its own energy and ongoing momentum. As we tick off the smaller tasks, we see that progress is being made and confidence returns.
What music are you learning on the piano at the moment? Do you feel overwhelmed? Let today be the day to say “Goodbye” to procrastination. One step at a time, tangible progress can be made. Let’s go!
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