How many of you when practicing the piano or sight reading a new piece, get really frustrated with yourself whenever you make a mistake?
I want to address this issue especially during the on-going piano examinations. This blog is also addressed to all students taking their examinations, be it violin, flute, voice etc.
The reason I want to bring this up are three-fold:
1) When you grow increasingly frustrated, it does not yield positive results. The more you play, the more mistakes you will make.
2) If you keep feeling frustrated whenever you make a mistake, this will eventually become a habitual response
3) If you are sight-reading the piece for the first time, there is no reason for you to feel that you have to play it perfectly on the first try.
I might be a fan of students who can play well with no mistakes, but I am also a fan of learning music in a fun and creative way. If you continually feel frustrated, you might lose motivation over time. I believe that learning is a process, and it is about messing up and making mistakes. That is where practice comes in where you figure out how to improve on your playing and getting rid of the mistakes.
Sometimes, you just have to accept the fact that you are going to make mistakes along the way and it is only through accepting those mistakes that you can allow yourself to improve. It’s all part of the process.
It is hard to accept that we make mistakes, but my message to everyone is:
Don't be so hard on yourself. Learning piano is about having fun, it is about learning how to play the instrument and enjoying the moment of creative beautiful music.
So, keep it fun! and enjoy the journey...
Good luck to all who are taking the EXAMINATIONS! Remember.. Have fun when you play!