I don't think of myself as a "serious pianist." For much of my younger life, I did ... but I really wasn't one. I just liked the idea of being one. I would spend three hours in the practice room in college, but didn't know how to practice efficiently, so I wasted a lot of time. I was also too caught up in wanting to impress people, and not caught up enough in wanting to truly develop my knowledge and skills.
For example, I loved to play fast but I neglected scales. I wanted to write music but I wouldn't touch theory with a ten-foot pole. I wanted to be a serious musician but I refused to learn anything by Bach because I'd lost in the first round of a Bach festival once at age 11 and had never forgiven him.
I've grown a lot since then! When I watched the video below, which I bookmarked on YouTube a while back, I found that I am indeed a more serious pianist now than I was a 15 or 18 or 22. It's kind of ironic that I don't think of myself as serious anymore. Funny how that works.
Ten Things Serious Pianists Do Every Day
Anyway, here is the video. It's by Dr. John Mortensen and is titled "Ten Things Serious Pianists Do Every Day." Following is that list, with my comments (of course!).
1. When learning something by a composer, listen to everything you can find by that composer -- not just piano, but orchestral, chamber music, etc. Also study the scores.
I do engage in a lot of listening. I cannot tell you how much ragtime (and Dixieland jazz band music) I have listened to over the past few months. I've also listened to a lot of Chopin--preludes, mazurkas, and the other nocturnes, primarily. I admit that I haven't spent much time studying scores. And since Chopin was primarily a composer for piano, I haven't listened to any of his work for other instruments. I probably should. For composers like Mozart or Beethoven, however, I do listen to a lot of their orchestral and chamber music, and more so if I'm actually working on something by them.
2. Sight-read every day. The more you do it, the better you get.
I am a pretty good sight-reader, but could do a better job with consistency in practicing it. Before I injured my elbow, got depressed, and gave away all of my music, I had two wonderful books in the "Classics to Moderns" series--one of easy pieces and one of intermediate. Those were my main sight-reading books. Watching this video prompted me to go ahead and order those books again. I've missed them. Dr. Mortensen also mentions sight-reading easy hymns out of a hymnal. I have three hymnals at home and can do that ... but I have never thought of hymns as easy! Four-part harmony with nearly every note is its own particular challenge.
3. Read about the music -- music history books, biographies of the great composers.
I'm actually pretty good about doing this! Most recently I read Maynard Solomon's Mozart biography. I also am looking at some books on the history of the blues, still trying to decide which one I want to read first. Add to this that I also watch documentaries on music and composers--most recently a Mozart documentary (which seems to be directly taken from Solomon's book) and a documentary on Robert Johnson. And I would re-watch Amadeus every day if I could, even though it's very fictionalized!
4. Go to concerts -- piano, choral, orchestral, etc.
I'm not good about doing this, I'll admit. Everything just costs so much money! I haven't been to a performance since Turner Keyboards in Augusta had a free ragtime concert/lecture by Scott Kirby. I do watch a lot of performances on YouTube, but I know that's not the same thing. There have been times in my life when I've gone to tons of performances, but right now is not one of those times.
5. Record yourself and critique.
This is so valuable, and I do it all the time. It's helped to record myself on video because it's enabled me to catch little technique issues (such as my hitchhiker thumb and the fact that my left hand tends to get lazy) that I wasn't aware of before.
6. Guard your practice time. Protect those hours.
That is a challenge when you're a middle-aged working mom. My sacred practice time is in the morning, for about an hour after the husband and kid leave for work/school. I can usually practice another half-hour or so in later on in the evening, but not always. So that morning hour is non-negotiable. And weekend mornings, when the rest of the family sleeps in, are golden.
7. Practice your scales and arpeggios. Be comfortable with doing them in every key.
Dr. Mortensen had some harsh words for people who call themselves musicians but don't practice/know the scales and arpeggios in all keys! I felt pretty safe from them, at least as far as scales are concerned. I admit I don't practice arpeggios as much as I should. I know the notes, and I've done a good bit of arpeggio-practice over the years. I just don't like doing them. I will say that I'm comfortable in all keys. Learning Bach's C# major prelude and fugure (with seven sharps!) may have cured me of key signature fear forever.
8. You should improvise and compose. All the time.
I haven't formally composed anything in a while, but I do practice improvising. Not with nocturnes and other classical-music genres, though. My main improvisation practice is against the 12-bar blues, working on all the stuff I'm doing for my PWJ blues course.
9. Go straight at your weaknesses. Attack them.
I do okay at this, mainly because I don't want to waste time avoiding them and then having to deal them later, once the bad habits are securely engrained. Part of all my work with the blues is an attempt not just to learn the blues, but to become better at improvising.
10. Discuss music with other musicians.
I wish I had more opportunities for this! I don't really know any other musicians besides my piano teacher(s) and people I meet online. I've thought of trying to start a local group for adult amateur pianists. I tried to do this once before, years ago, and it never got anywhere close to getting off the ground. But this is a different town, so maybe I'll try it again.
So, am I a serious pianist? Maybe!
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