I'm 24 years old and just started playing piano again. I had lessons through college graduation, but for the past two and a half years haven't been playing very much. I just bought myself a digital piano and I don't really know how to go about starting up again. Should I play basic things? Maybe go back to some pieces that defeated me (in this case, the Rachmaninoff prelude in g minor which killed me my senior year in high school; the Chopin Scherzo in C# minor that I opted to slack on for my senior piano recital in college, so I ended up finshing with the Debussy Suite Pour le Piano instead)? If I need to "go back to basics," how far back? I've tried to mess around with the well-tempered clav and stuff, but I'm getting frustrated and bored without guidance.

Instead of giving my entire life, repertoire history and current attempts here, I'm requesting if someone could maybe e-mail me, or chat with me on AIM, ICQ, Yahoo! Messenger, anything, to help me set up a plan of attack and get my fingers back in shape.

Thanks. Beatriz Woods bewoods@delenn.net

-- Beatriz Woods (bewoods@delenn.net), December 06, 2001

Answers

Go out and find the very best teacher that you can afford. That will help keep your studies fresh and exciting while also providing a good bit of motivation. It worked for me!

-- Wendy Stephens (ssteph@compaq.net), December 06, 2001.