# Beginner mistakes



## hlolli

Probably not the first time asked here. But here is goes: What do you consider to be a common mistake beginners do when training for new piece? 
Answer can relate to anything from preparation to execution.


My take is that not practicing hands separately is very common but that's overestimated I think.


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## Rasa

Trying to practice it too fast.
Trying to practice without understanding how a passage is actually written.


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## hlolli

That's a hard one to avoid, practice too fast. It's hard to not get carried away!

What about relaxation, memorization, warm ups, planning.

I don't consider myself a beginner but I too often practice 2 hours without feeling better in any sense.


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## Rasa

Here's another one:

Assuming practice will have an immedeate effect.


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## Evelina

Rasa said:


> Trying to practice it too fast.
> Trying to practice without understanding how a passage is actually written.


Absolutely, practicing too fast and getting some rhythmic bop here or there WRONG... it's so hard to go back and relearn it if you take it too rapidly at first. I used to practice pieces very very very slowly, like a wound-down music box, just to make sure I got the rhythm perfect the first time round.

Also, this isn't a "mistake" but I had a music teacher who taught me to practice the endings first and work backwards, so that you can always finish the piece spectacularly. That helped me feel good at the end of practice... a little bit, anyway.


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## Rasa

Evelina said:


> Also, this isn't a "mistake" but I had a music teacher who taught me to practice the endings first and work backwards, so that you can always finish the piece spectacularly. That helped me feel good at the end of practice... a little bit, anyway.


My teacher advises the same thing


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## Polednice

Playing the wrong notes (or all the right notes in the wrong order...)


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## Krummhorn

Strangely enough, my piano and organ teachers also had me learn from the ending of the piece .. and that was half a life time ago.

I came up with this little thought some years ago:

_Amateurs practice until they can get it right ...

Professionals practice until they can't get it wrong. _

Kh


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## hlolli

Good stuff, but one though. Have you guys ever performed live a piece so fast that you couldn't play it faster alone in practice? My point to this is, isn't it a good feeling to play a piece knowing you are playing slower that you could?


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## Rasa

It's always best to practice slower then you can.


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## Polednice

hlolli said:


> Good stuff, but one though. Have you guys ever performed live a piece so fast that you couldn't play it faster alone in practice? My point to this is, isn't it a good feeling to play a piece knowing you are playing slower that you could?


Eventually, the novelty of playing everything as fast as you physically can wears off and you just become interested in being _musical_.


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## Rasa

Here is another one I was thinking about when practicing Chopin's revolutionary: Thinking the distances of your jumps are big. They aren't. Either your not taking the direct route (minimal hand movement), or you're neglecting to breathe.


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## Nariette

First playing the left hand alone, then playing the right hand alone until you can play them perfect seperately, and try to fuse them together. Never works, always play them together, unless there is a difficult part, play only those beats alone for a few times, but no more than that. I tried to do that in the beginning, it never works.


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## Ravndal

Uhm. Always practice hands separately.


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## Turangalîla

^ I used to agree with this; however, a professor once recommended to me to first sightread the piece (at a SLOW tempo) once or twice *hands-together* (just so you get the feeling of how the parts fit together and coordinate). THEN your practice, until the piece is nearing performance level, should be hands-separate.


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## Nariette

Ravndal said:


> Uhm. Always practice hands separately.


Sorry, I think I formulated my point wrong. My point was to know both hands seperately fluent, and then fuse them together. Of course, knowing the piece with one hand is good, but to learn the two hands completely separate never worked for me. Or maybe it's just that this did work for you but not for me. We all have different ways, I just start playing when I get a piece and correct myself when I make a mistake, but my friend studies it for a long time and then plays it nearly perfect.


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## Ravndal

One bar at the time. First get the phrasing with the right hand good, then left, and then do the same with both hands at a very low tempo. or start with left hand.. it really doesnt matter what hand you start with, as long as you play each hand perfectly.


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## Sonata

I made the mistake of sitting too low. My bench is not adjustable so it felt fine for the first couple days. I realized the problem last night and added a cushion for the last twenty minutes I played. But too little too late and now I have some carpal tunnel symptoms. DRAT! I am taking a night off to give my wrists a break. I will however study a couple of my scores and try to visualize myself playing them through to keep my memory up.


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## Ravndal

Sonata said:


> I made the mistake of sitting too low. My bench is not adjustable so it felt fine for the first couple days. I realized the problem last night and added a cushion for the last twenty minutes I played. But too little too late and now I have some carpal tunnel symptoms. DRAT! I am taking a night off to give my wrists a break. I will however study a couple of my scores and try to visualize myself playing them through to keep my memory up.


Ouch. A little tip so you dont hurt yourself: always keep your wrists high, but your elbows have to relax. And practice so slow that the fingers you are not using is at The keyboard and relaxed at all times.


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## Sonata

Back to it tonight, though I think I'll keep it to a short session to be on the safe side.


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## Hayze

Practicing without a teacher (or with a bad one) is a mistake. Unfortunately, you only realize this once you get a decent teacher.


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## Sonata

Unfortunately I can't afford lessons until spring. And I haven't the willpower to stay away from the piano for 3-4 more months.


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