lilypad Unless your teacher wants you to practice the whole piece everyday, the Molly method means you can work on just a section of a piece. On rest days for that section, you can work on another section of the same piece, satisfying the expectation to work on that piece every day.

I interpret her approach to be that the idea is that one works on one section of the piece at a time, but it would certainly be fine to work on more of the piece. Just not together. So maybe you're working on four measures from the A theme. So that's one part of your practice focus. Then you might switch to 6 measures from the B theme. I think that would be fine, but the point is to avoid mindless "playing through," and avoid playing the whole piece before ready.

At least that's my understanding... As I said somewhere (I think I said...) I'm about halfway through the book, but I also started reading the Inner Game again. Maybe I'm mixing things up...

    Pallas starting with the most difficult, and staying with the same piece for larger blocks of time.

    I used to always start with the hardest parts first. And certainly, it is ideal to spend more time overall on the harder parts.

    But I don't know if it's because my pieces got harder, or for some other reason, but sometimes I find that I have more success if I start with an easier section of the piece. That works esp well when the hard parts seem just too hard. By working on the music in the context of easier passages, then, when I move on to the harder section, it often goes better.

    Don't let this disrupt your planning though, @Pallas . I mainly mention it in case you sometimes feel it's easier to get into a piece through some other section. The trick is, as you say, to make sure that, over the course of multiple practice sessions, you're not spending more time on parts you can already play....

        ShiroKuro I used to always start with the hardest parts first. And certainly, it is ideal to spend more time overall on the harder parts.

        This reminds me of a video by Dr. Shijun Wang on how to learn new pieces. He suggests one way to help relieve performance anxiety is to learn the end of a piece of music first, then work backwards. This way, the latter part of the pieces gets more practice. Then during a performance, you become more and more comfortable as the playing progresses.

            iternabe This reminds me of a video by Dr. Shijun Wang on how to learn new pieces. He suggests one way to help relieve performance anxiety is to learn the end of a piece of music first, then work backwards. This way, the latter part of the pieces gets more practice. Then during a performance, you become more and more comfortable as the playing progresses.

            Yes! I first learned this idea from posts on PW (and I'm pretty sure people there were bringing in these ideas from Piano Street).

            The idea is that as you move through the piece, you getting to sections that you've played more, rather than getting to sections that you've played less. And in a performance situation, that helps a lot!

            I have gotten away from this style as well, but I should probably get back to it, or at least incorporate it partially... Esp with one piece I'm working on right now, where the whole piece is almost the same level of difficulty except for the very last part (the second and third to last measures)...

            Somehow it takes a lot of discipline to practice this way... it's the same with truly incorporating Gebrian's ideas. It's just easier to start at the beginning and play through.. 😅

              Animisha I purchased her book "way back when", because I am interested in the inner workings of the brain, and of course I'm interested in music. So buying her book was a "no-brainer", ok, "music-brainer", haha. This was well before it even started to get discussed in this forum - in fact I bought it because of a post in PW.

              So I read her book. To me most of it sounded like a lot of common sense, wrapped in some "this is what scientific research says". I think that if someone were expecting a magic pill that would make learning music miraculously super easy or streamlined, then they would probably be disappointed. There simply is no such thing - because in the end, getting our fingers on the keys is what really counts. I have a feeling that's what you were getting at in your post, Nightowl?

              Speaking just for myself, I haven't actually tried her suggestions. I'm just not into all this micromanaging etc and I continued to do what I did before: just sit down at the piano whenever I feel like it, play whatever I feel like and how long I'm in the mood for. That way I can enjoy my hobby without stress. I don't really care if my progress is slower than it could be... as long as I'm having a good time 😃 Because not having a good time leads to quitting pretty quickly - so I'd rather go a little slower than I might potentially be capable of, IF it means I'll be continuing 😁

                    Pallas Random or interleaved practice. [...] I think you can only do this style when the pieces are solid

                    For me, and obviously this is different for you, towards the end of my practising, I don't do any random practice any more because I need to know very, very well what comes next. Of course, I do focus on problem spots and practise just those spots, but I need to get the whole picture very clear for me.
                    Especially with pieces like the Minuet in G or in G minor, where there is no logical story that I can discern, but I go from now this to now that, it is very important to me to really know what is ahead of me.

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                      ShiroKuro I used to always start with the hardest parts first. And certainly, it is ideal to spend more time overall on the harder parts.

                      But I don't know if it's because my pieces got harder, or for some other reason, but sometimes I find that I have more success if I start with an easier section of the piece. That works esp well when the hard parts seem just too hard. By working on the music in the context of easier passages, then, when I move on to the harder section, it often goes better.

                      I also try to start with the most difficult sections, but in some pieces, there is a first and easiest phrase that is an introduction, and the other phrases are variations on that introduction. For instance, a tango that I am learning. In that case, it is much easier, and more natural, to learn the introduction first.

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                        iternabe He suggests one way to help relieve performance anxiety is to learn the end of a piece of music first, then work backwards. This way, the latter part of the pieces gets more practice.

                        It is a great idea, but it doesn't work always - for instance, because the end is based on a theme that is presented in an easier way earlier in the piece, and it is better to learn that theme first.
                        However, even if one starts learning a piece from the beginning to the end, it is easy to ensure that you practise the ending the most. Just, yes, practise the end the most! 😎

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                          Sophia Speaking just for myself, I haven't actually tried her suggestions. I'm just not into all this micromanaging etc and I continued to do what I did before: just sit down at the piano whenever I feel like it, play whatever I feel like and how long I'm in the mood for. That way I can enjoy my hobby without stress.

                          Sophia, I totally get you. If I would by happy practising and not have struggled so much with mistakes, I would have done the same. As long as it works for you, of course you do as you please!

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                              Animisha If I would by happy practising and not have struggled so much with mistakes, I would have done the same.

                              I think to some degree I'm like Bart... instinctively I already applied some - but definitely not all - of her suggestions. So after reading the book and nodding a few times, I decided it's probably more stress to try and live by it, than just continue the way I was.

                              That's why I'm surprised when I was informed that only the ones who drank the KoolAid were allowed to participate, because last I knew this is a forum, not a cult 😄

                              But really interesting what you said about it helping you make less mistakes.

                              Animisha And it was Molly who finally opened my eyes to this. Time very well spent. 😊

                              Exactly! That's why I read and participated in this thread, because I love reading those insights. It means that for you the book wasn't just a lot of hype, but something beneficial in the long run. Seven months into a method and still going strong means that it's working for you, rather than hinder your pleasure or progress.

                                    Pallas The first tip is to keep going when you feel frustrated.

                                    Pallas Reflecting on feelings of frustration, realizing you need help to solve a problem, and asking for help is the very best use of resources.

                                    I really agree with you Pallas!

                                    Now of course this is just a quick tip from Molly, but I would say: when you feel frustrated, sit down, have a cup of coffee or tea, (or a glass of water) and do some thinking. What is the source of your frustration? Is the piece that you work with too difficult for you? Have you started to fall back into less efficient practice habits? Are you mentally overloaded by your job, your family and would you need a break from the piano?

                                    After all, most of us are not pros, and sometimes it is better not to practise like a pro, but just like a happy amateur.

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