Impossible. That is what I first told myself when I attempted to learn the 13th, 14th, and 15th bars of a beautiful piece of piano created by Ludovico Einaudi. When a person watches an experienced pianist play his music, it appears so fluid which, in turn, gives the perception of it being easy to play. Not so. Not so for me, anyway. Learning to play piano is very much like learning a new language.
It was three weeks ago when I downloaded the partial score for Nuvole Bianche from Pianote (where I take my lessons). I worked my way through the first 12 bars which really aren’t difficult. I needed to practice primarily on timing and rhythm. A few days in I thought I’d see what I could do with those 3 bars (13, 14, 15). That was when I realized the difficulty in terms of hand independence. Hand independence wasn’t an issue in these first bars; it was from 13 onwards that the difficulty multiplied.
Pianists will understand the term hand independence. For this beginner — and yes, even though I’ve been learning to play the past several years — I am very much a rank beginner. None of this comes easily. I have to work intentionally and with great focus to get anywhere. Back to the hand independence. It’s the ability to play different musical parts in each hand, and often one hand is required not only to play entirely different notes but also at different rhythms. It’s a skill and is really more of a brain thing (rhythmic perception) than simply a technical challenge. The act of distinguishing two separate motions can confuse your brain — and it certainly confuses mine.
I won’t bore you explaining how methodically I have to approach learning something like this. You’ll have to take my word for it — it’s tricky brain gymnastics.
Well today, after three weeks of working on those three difficult (for me) bars, I had a breakthrough. The hard part I’ve been struggling with doesn’t sound like it should (yet) but at least now I can (sort of) do it. So I’m over a bit of a hump and can see that I will, eventually, be able to come close to playing this section. I’m not there yet but, by not giving up and instead forging on (at a painfully slow pace), I’ve broken through to workable ground.
Tony Robbins said, “A breakthrough is a moment in time when the impossible becomes possible.”
Oh, and you’re likely wondering if it’s only these three bars that I need to challenge. No. After these three bars, I will have to do exactly the same process to be able to play the 6 bars that follow these three.
Tell me about a breakthrough you’ve had, big or small.
yes, it is another language and it’s one mainly learned by your hands. like reading and sign language at the same time. then, adding the heartfelt interpretation to it and moving with the music.
it comes, it finally comes so naturally
your piano photo is lovely